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Mel Kiper Has Three Hurricanes in First Round

WQAM

Fresh off a 6-7 season, the Miami Hurricanes are projected to have not one, not two, but three players selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, via Mel Kiper Jr.

Kiper, the longtime NFL Draft guru at ESPN, has offensive tackle Ereck Flowers going 16th to Houston, linebacker Denzel Perryman 28th to Denver, and receiver Phillip Dorsett 31st to Seattle in his latest mock draft.

We all should know by now that mock drafts should be taken with a grain crate of salt. Still, it isn't enough to halt our intrigue leading up to the draft as mock drafts flood the internet with fury. There's a reason all the top sports sites pour out version after version months away from actual draft day. People like you and me read them.

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While the first two wouldn't be surprising, Dorsett would be. Kiper attributes part of his rise because he "shined in Mobile at the Senior Bowl... a player who can consistently create space with quickness in the passing game... Dorsett is a Porsche in terms of acceleration and the ability to start fast and stop quickly."

He's also expected to light up the NFL Combine with a Cheetah-like 40 time. He reportedly ran a 4.21 last summer, the fastest mark in Hurricanes history, a time that would break Chris Johnson's combine record of 4.24.

Again, it's just a mock draft, but Miami would lead the nation in first-rounders in this projection, with no other team having more than two. This includes Alabama and Florida State, both with two apiece. Whether all three go in the first round or not, and with other exceptional players on the board like Clive Walford and Duke Johnson, it's clear last year's roster had a ton of talent.

Would Miami having three first-round picks give Al Golden another recruiting weapon or further drive down his teetering value after winning just six games despite a roster booming with elite NFL talent?

Follow Josh on Twitter (@JoshBaumgard)

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