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Maryland Football: Maryland might be left out of the 2017 NFL Draft

By Chris Bengel

Oct 8, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins William Likely III (4) runs with the ball on a punt return during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Maryland 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins William Likely III (4) runs with the ball on a punt return during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Maryland 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2017 NFL Draft is just a mere days away.

When the three-day event wraps up in Philadelphia, Maryland may not have a single player that hears their name called.

The Terrapins have had a solid track record in recent years in terms of the NFL Draft. Over the past four years, Maryland has had seven players selected, including five in the past two seasons.

During the 2016 NFL Draft, Maryland saw Sean Davis (Pittsburgh Steelers), Yannick Ngakoue (Jacksonville Jaguars), and Quinton Jefferson (Seattle Seahawks) selected during the first five rounds. It was the most successful draft since 2009 when four Terps were picked.

Over the past three seasons, there’s been at least one player that was certain to be selected. While cornerback and special teams ace Will Likely stands a decent chance to hear his name called, it’s definitely not a certainty by any stretch.

Players with injuries and off-the-field issues generally slip into the later rounds unless their stock is through the roof.

If recovering from a torn ACL wasn’t enough, Likely also is extremely undersized at 5’7. Despite being very athletic, smaller corners are often overlooked and Likely fits right into that category.

Maryland doesn’t have a draft prospect that owns a clean bill of health.

Offensive lineman Michael Dunn also had a chance to be a late round pick. However, he’s recovering from shoulder surgery and he hasn’t worked out a ton because of it.

The Bethesda native was a two-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection and three-time All-Big Ten Academic Selection. He also was a former walk-on.

Dunn wasn’t invited to the Scouting Combine, so aside from individual team workouts, Dunn hasn’t had much of a chance to make a name for himself. However, he’s worked incredibly hard to get to this point, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to get see him in training camp with an NFL team.

Next: Kevin Huerter showed flashes of brilliance

Likely and Dunn are the only two Terps with any kind of chance to hear their name called. Despite having a long road ahead of them, they still have the potential to make an impact at the NFL level, especially Likely.

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