Where Miami football players rank on PFF Big Board Pre NFL Draft

Safeties Kamren Kinchens and James Williams, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor and offensive linemen Javion Cohen and Matt Lee are all on the Pro Football Focus big board ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, which takes place from Thursday through Saturday in Detroit.

The first round, which is the initial 32 picks will be selected on Thursday night. The second and third rounds, which are picks 33 through 100 will be called on Friday night. Rounds four through seven, which are picks 101 through 257 will be made beginning at noon on Saturday.

The earliest the Miami draftees are projected to be selected are in the fourth round. Kinchens is 109th on the PFF Big Board, Taylor is 141st, Cohen 194th, Williams 211th and Lee 310th. There are 257 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Lee would have to improve his projection significantly to be drafted.

Kinchens is projected in the fourth round, Taylor in the fifth round and Cohen and Williams in the sixth round. Taylor and Williams will be precipitous drops three years after signing with Miami as five-star prospects in the 2021 class. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and D.J. Ivey and tight end Will Mallory were the only 2023 Miami draftees.

Miami has not had five players selected in the same NFL Draft since 2017. The last time Miami had four players selected in the NFL Draft was 2021. Kinchens and Taylor are locks to be drafted. With Cohen, Lee and Williams projected to be taken in the last two round, matching the five Miami 2017 draftees will be close.

Kinchens has dropped on most big boards since running a 4.65 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in March. Kinchens improved with a 4.56 40 at Miami Pro Day. Several of Kinchens other numbers at the combine ranked near the bottom of safeties. Kinchens college production was elite. Scouts will have to decide if combine numbers or production is more important.

The critcism of Taylor is that his numbers dropped from 24 tackles, 10.5 Tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks in 2022 to 19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.0 sack in 2023. Scouts like the athleticism Taylor procides at defensive tackle. Miami had to switch from a 4-2-5 defense in 2022 to a 3-3-5 in 2024 due to DL injuries. That could have hindered Taylor.

Cohen received a relatively low overall grade of 59.4 on 771 snaps in 2023. To put that in perspective, Kansas State offensive tackles KT Leveston, who is ranked 181st overall by PFF received a 68.6 grade on 932 snaps. Cohen has only played left guard in the last three years, one with Miami and two with Alabama.

Williams primarily lined up at safety for Miami but could project as a linebacker in the NFL. The uncertainty about which position he is best suited for could be hindering his draft stock. Williams could be one of the most unpredictable players in the 2024 NFL on where and by whom he will be drafted.

Lee anchored the 2023 Miami offensive line, earning second-team All-ACC. Lee earned the second-highest grade at 79.0 among the 13 centers on the PFF Big Board. Scouts frown upon Lee as an undersized center, but laud him in pass blocking. Lee is an ideal center to provide depth and be developed for the future.

The will be the last draft without any Mario Cristobal Miami signees. The 2022 Miami class, albeit less than a month after Cristobal was hired was his first with the Hurricanes. Kinchens, Taylor and Williams were the last class before Cristobal and Cohen and Lee were 2023 transfers.