Miami Hurricanes In The NFL: Offensive Rookie Paths To Playing Time
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There were seven Miami Hurricanes football stars drafted at the 2025 NFL Draft this past week. Five of those seven players were drafted on Day 3, and star wide receiver Xavier Restrepo even went undrafted before reuniting with quarterback Cam Ward after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. Here, we are going to focus on all the offensive players drafted, and figure out their path to a starting job.
QB Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
After being selected with the first overall pick in this year's draft, we anticipate that Ward already has this job locked up unless he has a disastrous training camp and preseason. With Will Levis, Brandon Allen, and Tim Boyle behind him, this feels like a lock.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @Titans select Cam Ward. @NewEraCap
— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025
📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oqHvEMOmXi
TE Elijah Arroyo, Seattle Seahawks
Arroyo currently sits behind Noah Fant on the Seahawks' depth chart after being selected in the second round of the draft. However, the writing is on the wall for Fant. There have already been whispers of the team moving on from him earlier in the offseason, and now the team spent a second-rounder on a tight end with a similar skill set, just cheaper and more explosive. It would be a surprise if Arroyo isn't the starting tight end in Seattle by 2026, if not sooner.
OL Jalen Rivers, Cincinnati Bengals
Currently, Rivers is projected as the backup left tackle behind Orlando Brown Jr on the Bengals' depth chart. However, Rivers has an easy path to being a starter because he can essentially serve as the backup to every lineman other than the center because of his versatility. If he performs up to his ability in Cincinnati, we'd expect to see him starting as soon as anyone gets injured.
Cincinnati Selects Miami OL Jalen Rivers 153rd Overall
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 26, 2025
🟠 Only 1 Sack Allowed in 2024 (348 Pass Block Snaps) pic.twitter.com/hVbrVU2qks
RB Damien Martinez, Seattle Seahawks
Slipping to the seventh round makes this task a bit more difficult for Martinez. Still, it's not quite as complicated as you might think. He is currently behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet on the depth chart, with Kenny McIntosh in the mix with him. We will focus on Walker and Charbonnet because if he can't beat out McIntosh, then he won't be on the roster very long anyway. It will be tough for him to take that job this season, barring injuries, but Walker's contract is up after this season, and it's unlikely the Seahawks will pay him what he wants next offseason. All Martinez will have to do is overtake Charbonnet, whose contract is up after the 2026 season.
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Mark Morales-Smith is a father of five, a former college football scout and semi-pro football player. Morales-Smith is a long-time competitive fantasy football player with well over a decade of professional writing experience at multiple high-level sites.
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