NFL draft season never sleeps, and Miami carries a realistic path to multiple first-round picks when Round 1 kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Rueben Bain Jr. + Francis Mauigoa
Right now, two Hurricanes have likely Round 1 projections: edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and right tackle Francis Mauigoa. ESPN slotted both in its Round 1 tier and framed each as a potential top-10 pick. That tracks with the broader draft ecosystem, too. Tankathon’s big board listed Bain at No. 2 overall and Mauigoa at No. 11 in its most recent update. Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN board placed Mauigoa at No. 5 and Bain at No. 19.
Bain gives Miami the kind of defensive headliner NFL teams chase early. His 4.5 sacks and 50 hurries highlighted the power-speed blend off the right side. Mock drafts keep treating him like a premium edge option, too — CBS slotted him inside the top 10 (Pick No. 7). Even when evaluators nitpick length or prototype measurements, the league typically pays for disruption, and Bain consistently threatens quarterbacks.
Mauigoa supplies another first-round profile: size, starts, and steady pass protection. ESPN called him its top-ranked offensive lineman and noted his 38 collegiate starts at right tackle with only one sack allowed across the past two seasons. Tackles with that résumé rarely slide far on draft night, especially with teams constantly scrambling for reliable quarterback protection.
Put those two together and Miami’s worst-case outcome still gives the Hurricanes two first-rounders.
Who could crash the party?
If Miami pushes beyond two, the most obvious swing player sits under center. Carson Beck currently lives in the Day 2 neighborhood; ESPN tagged him as a Round 2 prospect and suggested teams could like his fit in a strong play-action structure. That said, quarterbacks jump tiers fast — one heater in the playoff, one clean pre-draft process, and a needy team can put a passer into the back end of Round 1.
After Beck, the next best late riser bets come from the defense. ESPN listed Akheem Mesidor and Keionte Scott in its Round 2 bucket. Either player could make a first-round push with a monster postseason plus strong testing.
Miami should land two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and that fits the consensus across major boards and mocks. A third first-rounder remains possible, but it likely requires Beck (or a defender like Mesidor or Scott) to force a late change between the College Football Playoff and the combine.
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