The NFL draft kicks off this Thursday, April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Steel City is ready to host about 700,000 people expected to be there this weekend.
Pittsburgh is a beautiful city with its famous bridges, water views, and Steelers fans everywhere. Pittsburgh is especially known for its iconic Three Sisters Bridges, which include the Roberto Clemente Bridge, Andy Warhol Bridge, and Rachel Carson Bridge.
While this draft may not be hot in the quarterback category, all eyes are on the Miami Hurricanes entering the draft this weekend. The Canes are projected to have three first-round picks hear their name be called outside Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night, from edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor to offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
Quarterback Carson Beck and defensive backs Keionte Scott are also expected to hear their name called this weekend. Here are teams where you might see some of the 2025 Hurricanes play in the next level.
Francis Mauigoa: 6th overall to the Cleveland Browns
Mauigoa’s name has been called over and over again as potentially the best offensive lineman in this draft class. The American Samoa born right tackle started every game at Miami from the second he joined the program, allowing just two sacks in his final year with the Hurricanes.
With the 6-foot, 330 pound lineman expected to be the first offensive tackle taken in this draft class, expect a team like the Cleveland Browns to take a swing at “SiSi.”
The Browns are in desperate need of building their team around their quarterback — whether it be Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders. Having Mauigoa adds another piece to a team looking to turn its franchise around.
Reuben Bain Jr.: 8th overall to the New Orleans Saints
Bain has been the most polarizing player over the past several months leading up to the NFL Draft.
His talent and stats are there; totalling 9.5 sacks and 85 pressures in 2025 alone en route to a CFP National Championship appearance. Bain became an integral part of the culture of the Miami Hurricanes for the past three years, but his measurables have become the topic of discussion.
At the 2026 NFL Combine, Bain measured with an arm length of 30 ⅞ inches, the third-shortest arms for a defensive end that have ever been seen at the event. In the history of the NFL, no defensive end with arms comparable to Bain have ever finished a season with a Pro Bowl Appearance or a 10+ sack season.
While the numbers are stacked against Bain, that won’t stop a team from drafting a player who finished with 20.5 sacks against elite talent in 35 career games.
A team that has shown interest in Bain is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints are also rebuilding under second-year head coach Kellen Moore and sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough, who excelled at the end of his rookie year.
With future hall of famer Cameron Jordan nearing the end of his career, Bain can slide into that role and be the next edge rusher of the future in The Big Easy.
Akheem Mesidor: 17th overall to the Detroit Lions
Similar to Bain, Mesidor has been a polarizing figure among many draft scouts on social media.
Despite having 12.5 sacks in his breakout 2025 campaign with the Hurricanes, many are concerned with the Ottawa native’s age and injury history.
Mesidor, 25, would likely be the oldest player drafted in the first round, spending six years in college — two with West Virginia and four with Miami.
In 2023, Mesidor had surgery on torn ligaments in both of his feet, causing him to play in just two games in his first year at UM. Before transferring to Miami, he had surgery on his shoulder at West Virginia.
Mesidor’s talent is there and has all the tools to make an immediate impact for a playoff-ready team next season, making him a candidate to hear his name get called late Thursday evening.
The Canes defensive standout could get drafted by the Detroit Lions, which makes a lot of sense for a team that struggled defensively in 2025. Adding Mesidor would take the pressure off star edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson and could lead to one of the best defensive lines in the league right away.
Keionte Scott: 62nd overall to the Denver Broncos
Scott broke out under first-year Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman and defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge, finding his way into a second-round pick all the way from being a JUCO product in 2020.
The versatile nickel corner will provide an athletic, instinctive layer to a Broncos secondary which already includes former 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.
Carson Beck: 65th overall to the Arizona Cardinals
The national championship game saw two quarterbacks that will hear their name be called in Pittsburgh this weekend.
While Fernando Mendoza is projected to be the number one overall draft pick for the Las Vegas Raiders, Carson Beck is expected to be a round three pick with a potential to join the Arizona Cardinals.
Beck’s career between Georgia and Miami can only be described as inconsistent. Beck got his first starting opportunity in 2023 with the Bulldogs, having a career year of 24 touchdowns and six interceptions in 12 games.
While expected for a Heisman-level season, Beck regressed, throwing 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions before suffering a torn UCL during the SEC Championship game against Texas.
In January 2025, Beck joined the Hurricanes, looking to revitalize his career and find his way back to the NFL Draft. He led UM to a national championship appearance, throwing 30 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
While his play in college the last two seasons did not impress scouts, Beck made waves at the combine and his Pro Day, making him an interesting candidate for quarterback-needy teams like the Arizona Cardinals or the New York Jets.
After cutting Kyler Murray, Beck could be a nice fit in Arizona, a team trying to start over with first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, the brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.