Miami/Maryland NFL Draft watch notes

by Dan Kadar on Sep 5, 2011 2:53 PM EDT in 2012 NFL Draft

The lone game on Monday lost much of its luster due to the suspension of the following Miami players: defensive tackle Marcus Forston, defensive ends Adewele Ojomo and Olivier Vernon, linebacker Sean Spence, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, quarterback Jacory Harris, safety Ray Ray Armstrong and tight end Dyron Dye.

Still, the Hurricanes have a few NFL Draft prospects to observe tonight.

Chief among Miami's best players tonight is offensive lineman Brandon Washington. Washington played guard last season but is expected to play more at tackle this season. He's a big athlete for a lineman, so there's a lot to work with in his game.

With Armstrong out, the key player to watch in the Miami secondary is safety Vaughn Telemaque. He finished last season with 58 tackles and 3 interceptions. Although he's only a junior, he's already started 24 games. He's productive and efficient near the line of scrimmage and will go a long way in Miami's attempt to stop the Maryland run game.

Cornerback Brandon McGee is expect to emerge this season after starting only one game in 2010. He's got good size at 6-foot and 190 pounds.

Outside linebacker Ramon Buchanan is an underrated and gets by on his athleticism. If he can show more discipline and technique this season, he should latch on as an undrafted free agent.

For Maryland's Kenny Tate, this whole season is going to be a personal test. He's playing more of a linebacker position instead of safety, where he's spent much of his career. As a safety, Tate has been touted for his ability against the run. Because of that, he should transition fine to linebacker. Even though he's a little stiff in the hips, he'll be able to cover tight ends better than most linebackers. It will be interesting to see how he handles blockers, especially when they're assigned to him pre-snap.

Senior Davin Meggett is finally getting the chance to be Maryland's feature running back. He finally showed last season he can routinely generate positive yards. He projects as a late-round pick.