The Miami Hurricanes have now lost five starters to the 2012 NFL Draft, with left tackle Brandon Washington and defensive end Olivier Vernon joining Lamar Miller, Tommy Streeter and Marcus Forston, the Miami Herald reports. At least Ray-Ray Armstrong's sticking around.
Vernon appears to be considered an early-to-mid-rounder, based on mock drafts, while Washington's name seems to appear most often in the second round range. Before the season, Mocking the Draft ranked Washington as the nation's best guard. From the Herald on Washington:
Washington's absence will hurt the Canes at a position that was projected to be their strongest in 2011, but struggled at times with penalties and short-yardage situations. He started all 12 games this season after being switched from guard to tackle. His UM-written bio says he "made only five mental errors over the course of the season, and registered only three penalties.''
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