The Miami football program is fourth during the common NFL Draft era with 41 wide receivers selected. The common NFL Draft era began in 1967 when they merged with the AFL. Ohio State and USC are tied for first with 45 WR draftees all-time, followed by Florida with 43 and then Miami.
Eight Miami WRs have been selected in the first round. Andre Johnson who was selected third overall in 2003 is the highest draft WR ever from Miami. Jerry Daanen was the first draftee specified as a WR drafted from Miami. The St. Louis Cardinals chose Daanen in the eighth round of the 1968 NFL Draft.
Before 1968, Miami had players selected in the NFL Draft who would be considered WRs today. Bob Masterson was the 50th overall pick in the sixth round of the third annual NFL Draft in 1938. End has evolved into a WR in the modern NFL. Ends later became known as flankers and split ends before evolving into wide receivers.
The term WR did not become commonly used until the 1970s. Eddie Brown was the first first-round Miami WR in 1985. Brown left Miami as the all-time program leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Brown still holds the Miami single-game record with 220 receiving yards in 1984 versus Boston College.
Ohio State/USC = WRU?🤔 pic.twitter.com/7LuJSzI1D5
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The other first-round WRs from Miami were Michael Irvin to the Dallas Cowboys in 1988, Randall Hill to the Dolphins in 1991., Yatil Green to the Dolphins in 1997, Santana Moss to the New York Jets in 2001, Reggie Wayne in 2001 and Philip Dorsett in 2015 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Six other Miami WRs were selected in the second round. K.J. Osborn was the last Miami WR drafted. The Minnesota Vikings selected Osborn in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Dorsett is the only Miami WR selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft since 2012.