Draft Countdown: DeMarcus Van Dyke
April 28, 2011
The NFL Draft is upon us. Over the next three days, 254 players will be selected by NFL teams and few programs are expected to be represented as well as the University of Miami. Most seven-round mock drafts are predicting anywhere from six to eight Hurricanes being selected, headlined by several expected to go either Thursday night (Round 1) or on Friday (Rounds 2 & 3).
We’ve already taken a look at five Canes expected to be selected. Today we’ll look into the prospects of cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine with a blazing time of 4.27 seconds.
Van Dyke was a two-sport athlete at UM, as the Miami native ran track in addition to lettering four years on the football team. From 2007-10, Van Dyke played in 50 games earned 21 starts. He closed out his collegiate career with 80 tackles, 10 pass break-ups and three interceptions.
While most prognosticators have Van Dyke going around the fifth round, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper has the speedster projected to go to Seattle in the second round with the 57th overall pick in his most recent three-round mock draft (Insider only) published on April 6.
Here are some other thoughts on DVD from experts and writers across the country…
ESPN (Insider) – “Possesses above-average height but could add some bulk to frame. Straight-line speed is elite. Durability is not an issue. Dual-sport athlete who was also a member of the track team at Miami. Outgoing and has earned the respect of teammates and coaches throughout career. Active in community service.”
FF Toolbox – “He has good size at 6-1, but he is a lanky 176 pounds. His lack of strength was a problem in the Atlantic Coast Conference and will be an even bigger issue at the next level. However, Van Dyke has the speed to make up for it. He is a flat out runner. Van Dyke ran track at Miami and blew away many scouts with his sub 4.3 40-yard-dash times at the NFL combine and Miami’s pro day. He could work his way into the fifth round if all goes well, but the team that drafts him will need a relatively good group of corners already on the roster and have the time and willingness to put in quite a bit of work to try and turn Van Dyke into a serviceable nickelback.”
Walter Football – “If the Browns don’t obtain Patrick Peterson in the first round, they’ll have to find a cornerback in Rounds 2-4. Joe Haden had a great rookie year, but Cleveland possesses nothing across from him. DeMarcus Van Dyke is one of the top players available. The Browns have shown interest in him.” – 4th round to the Browns
NFL.com – “Van Dyke is a developmental sub-package defensive back prospect due to his track speed and height. Can do some good things in deep coverage and can recover but isn’t sound in zone or underneath man coverage. Can make some plays on the ball but isn’t going to rack up the interceptions. Is not physical when coming up to support the run. Isn’t comfortable playing in a crowd but does break down well in space. Van Dyke was a dual-sport athlete at Miami (track) and has worked hard on the gridiron but only carries a mid-to-late round grade.”
Atlanta Journal Constitution – “DeMarcus Van Dyke may still be very raw, but he has insane speed (4.25) to go along with a great frame for cornerback (6′, 176). Van Dyke started 21 games, had 79 career tackles, 10 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions. Many sites have him lasting to the 6th round, but with speed being at a premium in the NFL, especially for the Falcons, Van Dyke will go earlier than many think..”- 5th round to the Falcons
Baltimore Beatdown – “Van Dyke has great height, but a thin frame, which is a main reason he is dropping in most mocks. But the speed is there (4.28) and with some time in the weight room, could turn into a very good CB for Baltimore.”- 5th round to the Ravens
A few other links to draft projections…
Todd McShay (ESPN Insider) – 5th round to Cleveland
AOL – 6th round to Cleveland
Draft Site – 5th round to Kansas City
Forward Down the Field – 5th round to Philadelphia
Previous draft outlooks…..
CB B. Harris
DE A. Bailey
OL O. Franklin
LB C. McCarthy
WR L. Hankerson
DRAFT SCHEDULE
First Round – Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastrern – ESPN HD & NFL Network
2nd & 3rd Rounds – Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern – ESPN2 HD & NFL Network
4th – 7th Rounds – Saturday at Noon Eastern – ESPN HD & NFL Network
