The Streak

For 13 straight years, a Miami Hurricane has been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Some years we've barely made it, like when Kelly Jennings was the 2nd to last pick of the draft a couple of a years ago. This year we've got a projected 1st round pick and a borderline guy in Calais Campbell. Should we be concerned about the streak, and does the streak even really matter?

For one, I think the streak will remain intact for another year. Safety is becoming such an important position in the NFL today that somebody will take Kenny in the 1st round. The Steelers or Giants will probably snatch him up before the 1st round is over. If not, then I would consider taking him with the #32 pick, which while technically not in the 1st round, it would be in the first 32 picks so I would consider the streak alive with an asterisk in that case.

If not Kenny, then our only hope is Calais. And those hopes are dimming by the day. The poor guy should have left last season when he would have easily been a Top 10, maybe Top 5 pick. This season his production fell off substantially and he showed that he has a lot to work on, especially against the run. Calais has no real techniques other than the bull rush and because he is so tall, he gets knocked over easily.

Personally, I would like to see the streak continue as long as possible. We don't have the allure of a college town with a huge fanbase like other schools do. Players come to the U to play football and go to the pros. That's what Miami is: a football factory. So while it is unrealistic to expect the streak to go on forever, and if it ends it doesn't necessarily mean our dominance is over for good, the psychological damage would be done.

Even if the streak were to continue this season (which I expect it shall), I don't like the prospects for the streak go to 15 years in the 2009 draft. I don't see many potential 1st round selections from this current roster. If Jason Fox has a monster year, then he might be our best hope to go in the 1st if he chooses to leave early. Eric Moncur is talented, but would have to blow up for teams to consider drafting him in the first round. Anthony Reddick would have to return to his freshman form to even sniff the first round, and even then his long injury history would probably knock him to Day 2.

Frankly, we need a huge year from somebody if the streak is going to continue next year. Because as of right now, we have a bunch of marginal-solid NFL prospects, but no superstars that will see their names called on Day 1. Pray for a big year from the guys I listed, or something out of the blue, like a ridiculous season by Sam Shields or Colin McCarthy. Otherwise, we will have to start anew in 2010.