Defensive tackle Jon Ford is the first Miami football player of the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. Ford was selected 234th overall in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers. Former Miami defensive end Jonathan Garvin is entering his third season with Green Bay after being a seventh round pick with the Packers in 2020.
In five seasons with Miami, Ford had 60 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup and one forced fumble. Ford is part of a Green Bay draft class heavy on defense. Green Bay selected a pair of players in the first round from the Georgia defense considered one of the best in college football history.
The Packers selected linebacker Quay Walker with the 22nd pick and defensive tackle Devonte Walker with the 28th overall pick in the first round. Ford will have to adapt from the 4-3 defense the Miami football team plays to the 3-4 Green Bay plays. Ford will likely be a nose tackle in the Green Bay defense.
Ford being drafted extended the Miami streak of having at least one player selected in every NFL Draft since 1975. This is the latest that the first Miami player was selected in an NFL Draft since defensive back Gene Coleman was selected 326th overall in the 10th round by Tampa Bay in 1980.
Wow 🥺 https://t.co/KvKpGGA459
— Jonathan Ford (@ford__9) April 30, 2022
Coleman was the only Miami player selected in the 1980 NFL Draft. That was following the first season under Howard Schnellenberger. Ford started 30 games during his Miami career. The Packers selecting Ford as the first Miami player drafted was a surprise. Ford was 428th on the NFL Mock Draft Datebase big board.
Miami wide receiver Charleston Rambo and safety Bubba Bolden were projected to be the only Hurricanes drafted. Through the 259th pick neither had been selected. This was also the first time since Coleman was the sole selection in 1980 that only one player from Miami was selected in the NFL Draft.