CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 13: Sheldrick Redwine #22 of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates with the turnover chain in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) Miami Football without player selected in first three rounds for first time since 2013 Miami Football without player selected in first three rounds for first time since 2013 by Alan Rubenstein Safety Sheldrick Redwine surprisingly became the first Miami Hurricanes player selected in the 2019 NFL Draft on Saturday. Redwine was the 117th pick overall in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns. Bernie Kosar’s team is becoming a landing spot for former Miami Hurricanes. Sheldrick Redwine joins Chad Thomas, Duke Johnson and Olivier Vernon and David Njoku with the Cleveland Browns. Redwine’s selection as the first Miami player taken in 2019 was shocking. Three other Hurricanes were projected to go ahead of him. Defensive tackle Gerald Willis and defensive end Joe Jackson continued to plummet in Saturday’s fourth round. Redwine’s partner at safety since pee-wee football Jaquan Johnson was ranked about equal with Redwine. Redwine has always played in Johnson’s shadow. Johnson led Miami in tackles the last two seasons. Redwine was projected to be selected much lower in the NFL Draft. The consensus had him being selected around the 180th pick. That would have been the seventh pick of the fifth round to the New York Giants. None of the projections of the four seven-round mock drafts Canes Warning examined had Redwine going to Cleveland. Redwine’s selection by Cleveland provides him a good opportunity to make the Browns roster. Cleveland has only three safeties currently on their roster. One of the Browns starters, Morgan Burnett is 30 years old. That bodes well for Redwine’s future. ESPN’s analysis ahead of the draft likes Redwine’s measurables, speed and ball skills. “Redwine has good height and length and excellent top-end speed, although he doesn’t play as fast as his timed speed. He has decent ball skills. Redwine takes sound angles and is a physical tackler in run support.” Redwine finished fourth on Miami with 64 tackles, added 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and tied for the Miami Hurricanes team lead with three interceptions. He also had a fumble recovery and forced fumble. Redwine contributed to a Miami pass defense that was dominant in 2017. The Hurricanes were by far the best pass defense nationally in 2018. Redwine, Johnson and cornerback Michael Jackson will be tough to replace for Manny Diaz and the Miami defense in 2019. All three were two-year starters. Redwine’s selection by Cleveland is the third year in a row the first Miami Hurricanes player selected in the NFL Draft went to the Browns. Thomas was the first Miami player selected in 2018 and Njoku in 2017. Going to the Browns is a good situation for Redwine. He joins a team on the rise and should play immediately.<doc-sep>NASHVILLE—Five Miami Hurricanes are expected to be selected by the time the 2019 National Football League Draft ends in Nashville this weekend. ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both expected Gerald Willis and Joe Jackson to go as early as the third or even second round Saturday. But as the second day of the draft ends, zero players have been selected from the school that calls itself #NFLU in admiration, far removed from the turn of the century, when from 2001-04, UM lead all schools each year in first-round selections, with 19 players drafted in Round 1 over those four years and six in 2004 alone. Gerald Willis come off a monster senior season with 59 tackles in 2018, including 18 of those for a loss and four sacks. The defensive tackle was projected by McShay on Monday as a late first-round or second round pick and Kiper as a second or early-third round selection. But the third round has come and gone, with Willis still waiting patiently for his name to be called in Nashville’s Lower Broadway. “I love his leverage, I love Willis’ technique,” Kiper said about Willis on a conference call on Monday. “He gets into that backfield. He can get down the line. The way he uses his hands. He’s the kind of guy that could be a little bit underrated. When you look back three, four years from now, he may be an underrated prospect coming out of this draft.” Kiper said that Willis can be penciled into an NFL starting lineup, so a team may find a later gem on Saturday. He stands as the third highest-rated DT remaining according to the Draft Tracker on NFL.com. Joe Jackson is also waiting for a team to choose him, as the defensive end was considered likely before the draft to be taken by this point, in addition to Willis. While Jackson wasn’t considered a surefire Day 2 selection, it was certainly feasible for him to be on a plane to an NFL city at this moment. Possibly Jackson and Willis are victims of a deep class at defensive line, as McShay hinted at on the Monday conference call, specifically on Jackson. “To me he’s going to be a mid-round pick…third, fourth-round range. Good player. He’s not up there with the elite guys in this class and obviously it’s a very deep class.” As a junior in 2018, Jackson registered 47 total tackles, including 14.5 of them for a loss, and nine sacks. He also retuned his only interception of the season for a touchdown in the Canes’ 47-10 win over the North Carolina Tar Heels on September 27. Jackson also recorded six tackles and two-and-a-half sacks in the regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 24. He is currently the fourth highest remaining DE according to the Draft Tracker. Considering that Jackson gave up his senior season in Coral Gables to go pro, he must be waiting as patient as he can be, watching pick-by-pick unfold. Players who did return for his last year of eligibility last season included Safeties Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine, along with CB Michael Jackson. Those three defensive backs were expected to be picked in the third day before the draft, however, so they aren’t necessarily seeing themselves fell, at least yet. And then there is RB Travis Homer, who should get picked in the seventh round if he is drafted. Homer left UM after his junior year, possibly to avoid having to learn another scheme from the new offensive coaching staff. Miami claims to be one college football’s premier pipelines to the pros, with catchy sayings such as #QBU or #DBU. After all, the Draft was owned the #TheU in the early 2000s. From 1995-2008, the Canes had at least one player choosen in the first round. But for fans to make bold statements about UM’s status as a football factory, players have to be selected by the time the second night of the draft ends.<doc-sep>One of the best pass rushers to come through the University of Miami in a decade will now be tasked with terrorize some household names. Defensive end Joe Jackson was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Jacksons are headed to the Lone Star State! Congratulations to @Joejackson919 on being selected by the @dallascowboys. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1ntqpAWe3r — Canes Football (@CanesFootball) April 27, 2019 #Miami EDGE Joe Jackson was consistently productive in his three seasons in college and was one of only seven active FBS players in 2018 with at least 24.0 career sacks. Solid value in the 5th for the #Cowboys. — Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 27, 2019 Background Information Height: 6’4” Weight: 275 lbs. Arm Length: 34⅛” Hand Size: 10” Class: Junior High School: Gulliver Prep Hometown: Homestead, Florida Combine Performance 40-yard dash: DNP Bench Press: 22 reps Vertical Jump: 247” Broad Jump: 109” Awards and Accolades 2018 All-ACC Honorable Mention Draft analysts and evaluators have varying criteria for what they deem as a viable pro prospect. In the case of evaluating Miami Hurricanes’ defensive end Joe Jackson, the debate between potential and production comes to the forefront. A 6’4”, 275 pound prospect from Gulliver Prep, Jackson has production at the college level matched by few in the 2019 draft class. Arriving at Miami as a prized recruit, Jackson quickly established himself as pass rush threat, leading the team with 8.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles-for-loss. With a great jump off the snap of the ball, Jackson’s acceleration into a dip-and-rip often overwhelmed his offensive counterpart. That first season of production wasn’t merely a blip in the plan. In his sophomore year, Jackson continued to put the heat on opponents. Piling up 59 tackles, adding 6.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL, the DE took another big step forward to being a balanced defender. Considering all the praise he received regarding his ability to rush the passer, Jackson applied himself to round out his game by improving in run defense. Stretching out his long arms to create space between himself and the blocker, Jackson utilizes his hands to remain free to make a play around the line of scrimmage. Just as important as chasing after the QB, the defensive end shows that he can stay at home and set the edge against the run — see three years of film vs Georgia Tech’s triple-option. Joe Jackson had the highest pass-rush win percentage among qualified ACC Edge defenders this season. He totaled 56 pressures on only 286 pass rush snaps. pic.twitter.com/gTIP00OOkD — PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 10, 2019 What seperated Jackson from some of Miami’s other edge rushers was that array of pass rush tools at his disposal. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Jackson’s hand work is efficient when he’s attacking the pocket. During the media session portion of the NFL combine, Jackson stated that his go-to move is a chop or rip paired with his knack for a quick get off. The Homestead, Florida, native also indicated that a combination of club and spin move as another staple in his arsenal. With enough speed to blow past you, Jackson also possesses the hustle on backside pursuits to get in on plays that flow to the opposite sideline. Entering his junior year in 2018, Jackson — who has a calm, mild-mannered demeanor, based on post-practice and game interviews — assumed a leadership role on the defense. Although his play does most of the talking, No. 99 stood in front of the cameras and became one of the stronger voices in the Canes’ locker room. Turning in another superb season performance, highlighted by 47 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 9 sacks, and an interception returned for a touchdown, it was par for the course for one the key catalysts among Miami’s defense. One NFL team will be very happy if they select Joe Jackson. pic.twitter.com/HfSS77gr2A — PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 25, 2019 After declaring his intention to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, the intangible stock of Joe Jackson was high. Many in the draft community felt that his production in college would earn him lofty praise. Instead, as is the case with most prospects, the discussion digressed to traits that Jackson does not have. Jackson won’t be the fastest defensive end in the 2019 draft class. The Miami DE also lacks the unnatural bend and low center of gravity that is a common trait of the NFL’s elite edge rushers, such as Von Miller and Khalil Mack. Finally, Jackson’s first step won’t send you into a frenzy when you watch him closely before the snap. What Joe Jackson is good at is making plays in the backfield. He’s able to apply pressure off the edge with the option of speed or power. With further development at the next level, Jackson should continue to add to his repertoire of pass rushing tactics. A relentless run-and-chase DE at 270 pounds is a rare occurrence, yet for one fortunate NFL franchise, Jackson represents an opportunity to scoop up a player who was a productive pass rusher in college and who has the potential to develop into a consistent performer in the league. Pro Comparison NFL Comparison Danielle Hunter — Minnesota Vikings Stylistically speaking, Jackson reminds me of a player who also wears No. 99 — DE Danielle Hunter. Both Jackson and Hunter are 4-3 defensive ends who bring some juice as pass rushers off the line of scrimmage. Neither player is as twitched up as their peers at the position, yet each manages to create pressure rushing the passer. Drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Hunter has evolved into a stalwart of the Vikings’ defense. State of the U would like to congratulate Joe Jackson on becoming the next ProCane star to represent the University of Miami at the NFL level. IT’S ALWAYS ABOUT THE U!<doc-sep>
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 24: Joe Jackson #99 of the Miami Hurricanes celebrates after a sack against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) The Miami Football program went without a player selected in first three rounds of the NFL Draft for the first time since 2013. A pair of Hurricanes defensive lineman have tumbled below their third round projection. Defensive tackle Gerald Willis and defensive end Joe Jackson were both projected to be taken by the third round of the Friday night’s NFL Draft. The 2019 NFL Draft is the first time since 2013 that the Miami football program did not have a player selected in the first three rounds. Defensive back Brandon McGee was a fifth-round selection of the St. Louis Rams that season. Running back Mike James was a sixth-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the only other Hurricane to be selected in 2013. Six or seven Miami football alums are expected to be taken in the 2019 NFL Draft. Joe Jackson was the consensus 90th pick in NFL Mock drafts and Willis was 104th. Including compensatory draft picks, 102 players have been selected through the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday. Three of the four NFL Mock Drafts that Canes Warning examined earlier this week had Willis being selected between 91st 110th overall in the draft. The lowest projection had him being selected 136th overall. Willis has plummetted from where most prognosticators projected him during the season. Even through some lean years of late, the Hurricanes have managed to get at least one player drafted in the first three rounds every year since 2013. That streak ended tonight. Would expect Gerald Willis and Joe Jackson to go early tomorrow and on down the line. We’ll see. — Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) April 27, 2019 NFL teams are likely questioning the disciplinary issues Willis had earlier in his collegiate career and that he only had one productive season in college. Jackson is a bit harder to understand. He seemed like a solid third-round pick. Jackson has only currently fallen 12 spots below where he was projected to be selected. It’s too early to panic. Jackson is still within the range he was projected to go and the draft will resume on Saturday exactly where the consensus on Willis projected him to be selected. The other Miami players were not projected to be taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft during the most recent mocks. Only cornerback Michael Jackson was projected to be a third-round pick by one of the outlets Canes Warning examined this week. Jackson had been projected as high as the 94th overall pick in the third round by NFL.Com. The wait will continue through the third day of the NFL Draft to see a Miami player taken. This year will mark only the second time since the NFL expanded the draft to three days that Miami football fans have to wait until the final day to see a Hurricanes player selected. There should be a flurry of Miami players taken Saturday. Safeties Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine are also expected to be taken.