The NFL Combine has come and gone, and Miami made its presence felt in Indianapolis with 10 invitees. That is, the Hurricanes sent double-digit prospects to Lucas Oil Stadium. And even though they haven’t had 10+ prospects drafted since 2002, that possibility looms this April.
But if you were waiting for Francis Mauigoa to run a blazing 40-yard dash or Rueben Bain Jr. to post eye-popping bench press numbers, you’re still waiting. Because they didn’t test. And neither did most of their teammates as they await
moving the needle of their potential draft position at Miami’s Pro Day later this month.
This has been the trend in recent years, where instead of testing in Indy, they’ll wait for Pro Day. They’ll train specifically for the drills they want to showcase. They’ll control the narrative in a familiar environment, surrounded by teammates and coaches who know how to highlight their strengths.
It’s the smart play. But it makes for a boring February and March.
Miami prospects have had the opportunity to show off their talents at program-specific Pro Day on March 23. And, in most, instances these Pro Days serve as the final step in the NFL Draft Process. That is no different for the Miami Hurricanes 2026 NFL hopefuls who will reach their final official benchmark of the draft process two weeks from now.
The intimate Pro Day experience should give the draft-eligible players the most exposure to media, scouts, coaches, and GMs prior to the NFL Draft at the end of April. To that end, it is anticipated that even more than the group of ten – Bain, Mauigoa, Akheem Mesidor, Keionte Scott, Anez Cooper, Carson Beck, Jakobe Thomas, Markel Bell, CJ Daniels, and Wesley Bissainthe – will try to make the most of this opportunity. Here is a look at how the process plays out:
NFL DRAFT PROCESS SCHEDULE:
February – Senior Showcases: Complete – (East-West Shrine Bowl, NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, Hula Bowl, and CGS Bowl)
February 26-March 1 – NFL Combine, Indianapolis: Complete
March 9-11 – NFL Free Agency Begins
March 23 – Miami Pro Day
April 15 – Deadline for team to host draft-eligible players
April 22: Deadline to time, test, and interview draft-eligible players
April 23-25 – NFL Draft, Kansas City
While we wait for teams to position themselves for the draft, here is a recap of the NFL Draft Combine as it pertains to Miami players.
Rueben Bain Jr./EDGE
Official Measurements
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 263 pounds
Arm Length: 30 7/8
Hand: 9 1/8
Wing: 77 1/2
Testing: Did Not Participate.
No metric was more scrutinized at this year’s NFL Combine than Bain’s arm length, which measured in at 30 7/8-inch, the third shortest of any defensive end in NFL Combine history. That said, Bain is still squarely in the mix as a top five pick. While Bain may be classified as having T-Rex dinosaur arms he also plays with the tenacity of a T-Rex dinosaur, and that is what should keep him at the front of draft boards. While Bain should have an opportunity to secure his draft stock at the Miami Pro Day, Bain is the type of player whose on-field results speak for themselves.
Early Draft Projection: Top 5
Francis Mauigoa/OT
Official Measurements
Height: 6’5” 1/2
Weight: 329 pounds
Arm Length: 33 1/4
Hand: 10 5/8
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Mauigoa is also squarely in the mix to be picked in the top five, and could very well be the first offensive lineman taken in April – as it is likely to be Mauigoa or Utah’s Spencer Fano. Similar to Bain, Mauigoa is considered a bit of a tweener as some teams are intrigued at Mauigoa switching from tackle to guard. Mauigoa’s frame likely projects better at tackle but regardless he has the on-field traits to go in the same range as Bain. While his testing is expected to take place at the Pro Day, Mauigoa noted he’s capable of breaking 5.0 in the 40-yard dash. Mauigoa has been getting intel on the draft process from Miami alumnus, including his brother and New York Jets’ LB Francisco, who was drafted last April.
Early Draft Projection: Top 5
Akheem Mesidor/EDGE
Official Measurements
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 259 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/8
Hand: 10
Testing: Did Not Participate.
No player on Miami helped themselves more by coming back this past season than Mesidor. Mesidor and Bain were practically high fiving each other on plays throughout the season where they met the quarterback. Mesidor is expected to be a first round pick and could go as early as the teens (or higher). One of the knocks on Mesidor is his age (will be 25 years old on draft day) but an electric Pro Day will put him over the top.
Early Draft Projection: Top 20
Keionte Scott/CB
Official Measurements
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 193 pounds
Arm Length: 31 3/8
Hand: 9 5/8
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Scott had one of the most exciting plays of Miami’s offseason and has been projected as a top 50 NFL Draft prospect by respectable outlets. That would certainly put Scott in the second round range. Scott met with many teams in Indianapolis.
Early Draft Projection: 2nd Round
Anez Cooper/OG
Official Measurements
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 334 pounds
Arm Length: 34
Hand: 10
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Cooper was part of the strong offensive line this season in protecting Carson Beck. Cooper plays with power in his hands and can move well across the formation for his size. He did drills in Indy and similar to Scott, Cooper has a chance to generate more interest from teams over the next month-plus.
Early Draft Projection: 4th Round
Carson Beck/QB
Official Measurements
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 233 pounds
Arm Length: 30 5/8
Hand: 10
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Beck did not participate in testing but impressed in the throwing portion of his workout. Beck has been a divisive player but was booed by fans at Indiana, likely Notre Dame fans bitter about the 2025 season. Beck was able to connect with fellow Cane, CJ Daniels. After Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson, the quarterback position is wide open this year and Beck could certainly be QB3, which would project him as a third round pick of higher. Beck has even received comps to solid NFL QBs such as Carson Palmer.
Early Draft Projection: 3rd Round
Jakobe Thomas/S
Official Measurements
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 211 pounds
Arm Length: 31 7/8
Hand: 10 5/8
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Thomas did not test but was slow in the drills. He dropped four passes, which was reminiscent of the Ole Miss game. Thomas, an unsung hero of Miami’s secondary in 2025, can rebound at the Pro Day.
Early Draft Projection: 7th Round
Markel Bell/OT
Official Measurements
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 346 pounds
Arm Length: 36 3/8
Hand: 9
Wing: 87 1/8
Testing
40-yard dash: 5.36 seconds
10-yard split: 1.84 seconds
Bell has something you cannot teach – size – the third tallest player at the NFL Combine since 2003. He’s an absolutely mauler and bully at the line as well as downfield playing through to the whistle. Even more so, he has been incredibly focused during the draft process as he has dropped below 350 pounds. Bell was the only Cane who did testing at the NFL combine and ran an impressive for his size speed of 5.36 seconds. Bell impressed during the drill. Moving that well for his size should increase his stock as we enter April.
Early Draft Projection: 3rd Round
CJ Daniels/WR
Official Measurements
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 202 pounds
Arm Length: 31 3/4
Hand: 9 1/4
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Daniels had an opportunity to work with Beck during drills and made some impressive catches. His acrobatic catches similar to the catch in the opener against Notre Dame did not surface during drills but that tape will elevate his draft stock. The testing at Miami’s Pro Day will be key, as those metrics provide key input for skill position players.
Early Draft Projection: 4th Round
Wesley Bissainthe/LB
Official Measurements
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 225 pounds
Arm Length: 31 7/8
Hand: 9 3/4
Testing: Did Not Participate.
Bissainthe has been a steady Cane presence and leader or his entire tenure. He hopes to sneak in on day three.
Early Draft Projection: Undrafted/Priority Free Agent
Miami Hurricane transfers, WR Colbie Young (Georgia), DL Darrell Jackson Jr. (Florida State) and EDGE Nyjalik Kelly (UCF) all received invites to the combine. Young, considered a big-bodied receiver, ran a 4.49 40-yard dash. Kelly ran a 4.88 40 and tallied a 37” vertical jump. All three are likely day three or undrafted picks.
So we have approached the lull of what is usually a drawn out draft process. Bain’s arms will continued to be analyzed.
And in two weeks, the pro day on college campuses serves as a one-stop shop for combine drills, face-to-face interviews/networking, and a personalized platform for NFL evaluators to test prospects with individualized workouts.
When accounting for how a prospect will pan out at the next level, the specific pro day (or NFL Combine) workouts do not necessarily provide a foolproof mechanism of the college player’s success. For example, the 40-yard dash is largely an overrated metric as players are almost never running in a straight line for 40 yards undeterred.
To that end, a word of caution when reviewing Pro Day results and potential inconsistencies: Similar to standardized tests being used as a barometer for earning school admission and/or professional licenses, the Pro Day workouts/combines are a necessary evil in order to evaluate talent, athleticism, and the like. Through these drills, evaluators can fill in gaps and script areas that do not necessarily show up on game film (i.e. bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle run, 3-cone, as well as size measurements). Also, scouts and coaches could force the players to workout in a way to expose potentials areas the player struggle in during game tape. That is, in the position drills, a coach may request a pass catcher run a certain route a few times if that player appears to struggle with it during live action. Scouts essentially want to make sure the traits match the tape.
So, even though the pro day results are not a perfect science and are in fact like apples to oranges when compared to game film, there is immense value that will come out of Miami’s testing. And hopefully Bain’s tape will be reviewed more than his arm length metric.
GO CANES.
