Miami’s Elijah Arroyo leads Latinos ready for NFL Draft call
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José de Jesus Ortiz, Founder & Editor in Chief
- April 24, 2025
Elijah Arroyo is a top tight end prospect
Elijah Arroyo learned to play football at six years old after moving to Cancun, Mexico. Then he returned to the United States and developed into a top tight end prospect in Texas.
Now, the big tight end appears set to become the first Latino selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Arroyo’s road to the NFL Draft is a unique one. But the Mexican American is not alone.
He could be joined by half a dozen Latinos – most of Mexican descent – among the 257 picks in the seven-round NFL Draft from Thursday through Saturday.
Most mock drafts have Elijah Arroyo going in the third round. Our Esquina is highlighting the Latinos who might be picked in the 2025 NFL Draft at the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field this week.
Elijah Arroyo, Miami, tight end
Elijah Arroyo was a four-star recruit out of Frisco (Texas) Independence High in 2021. He chose to play collegiately with the Miami Hurricanes, returning to the city of his birth.
Elijah Arroyo blossomed in 2024
After playing in 12 games as a freshman in 2021, he was limited to four games in each of the next two seasons. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder blossomed into one of the best tight ends in the country as a redshirt junior in 2024, though.
He was a Second Team All-ACC selection after making 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
Sebastian Castro, Iowa, defensive back
Castro proved to be one of the best safeties in the Big Ten in his final two seasons in Iowa City. Our Esquina’s 2023 Latino Football Player of the Year gained national acclaim when he earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors early in his redshirt junior season in 2023.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder from the Chicago suburbs had a career-high three interceptions with 67 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble as a junior.
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The Mexican American added 39 tackles and one interception as a senior in 2024. Castro finished his career with 163 tackles. He also had five forced fumbles, four interceptions and 14 pass breakups.
Castro was a respected leader with the Hawkeyes.
Record-breaking receiver
Xavier Restrepo, Miami, wide receiver
A team looking for a reliable receiver will be wise to pick Restrepo, Our Esquina’s 2024 Latino College Football Player of the Year. Restrepo rewrote Miami’s record books.
It says something when you surpass two Pro Football Hall of Famers and several legends on Miami’s all-time receiving list. The Colombian American got off to a modest start in his college career.
He had only one catch over seven games during the Covid 2020 season. Restrepo then had 199 catches over the next four seasons. He eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his last two seasons to finish his career with 2,844 yards and 21 touchdowns.
As a fifth-year senior in 2024, he had career highs in receiving yards (1,127) and touchdowns (11).
Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Andre Johnson are among the players Restrepo passed on the way to the top of Miami’s all-time receiving list. Santana Moss and Reggie Wayne are a few other legends Restrepo passed.
Damien Martinez, Miami, running back
Martinez is proof that recruiting rankings are flawed. He was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of Lewisville (Texas) High. Then he proved to be a workhorse at Oregon State almost immediately as a freshman in 2022.
He averaged 6.1 yards per carry as a freshman while finishing with 982 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns. Martinez had 1,185 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns as a sophomore while averaging 6.1 yards per carry for the second season in a row.
The 6-foot, 217-pounder transferred to Miami and had a career-high 10 rushing touchdowns and 1,002 rushing yards while averaging 6.3 yards per carry in 2024. He answered some questions at the NFL Combine with a 4.51 time on the 40-yard dash.
Among running backs in this NFL draft class, he was second in yards after contact with 4.4 and third in runs that gained a first down (37 percent).
Sebastian Valdez, Washington, defensive tackle
Valdez made the best of his one season at Washington. Now he’s expected to be picked in the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder from Spring Valley, Calif., had a stellar three-year career at Montana State before transferring. Valdez was a First Team All-Big Sky selection as a sophomore and Second Team All-Conference as a junior. He was Washington’s Newcomer of the Year after starting all 13 games.
Valdez finished with 48 tackles (18 solo) and two sacks. NFL.com has him going to the 49ers with the 252nd overall selection.
Kain Medrano, UCLA, linebacker
The native of Pueblo, Colorado, is predicted to go in the fifth round. Medrano had the best season of his six-year career as a redshirt senior in 2024. He made 72 tackles (50 solo) with 11 tackles for a loss, two interceptions and 1.5 sacks in 2024.
The 6-foot-3, 230 pounder had 128 tackles and 3 ⅓ sacks combined over his last two seasons at UCLA.
Elite kickers
Andres Borregales, Miami, kicker
The Miami Hurricanes, who have a Cuban American coach in Mario Cristobal, might very well have four Latinos drafted this year. Miami kicker Andres Borregales might be the second person in his family to play in the NFL.
His older brother, Jose, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after winning the prestigious Lou Groza Award. Andres Borregales, a Venezuelan American, finished his career as Miami’s all-time scoring leader with 405 points.
The two-time All-ACC pick was 18 for 19 on field goal attempts as a senior while making all 62 extra points. He was 7 of 10 from 50 or more yards during his career, including a perfect 2 of 2 as a senior.
Kenny Almendares, University of Louisiana, kicker
History could be made this weekend if 2024 Lou Groza Award winner Kenny Almendares is selected. No native of Honduras has ever been picked in the NFL Draft.
The consensus All-American selection was born in San Pedro Sula, Cortez, Honduras. The 6-foot-2, 252-pounder was raised in Texas. He made 28 of his 31 field goal attempts in 2024 as a redshirt senior. He was a perfect 25 for 25 on kicks shorter than 50 yards. His only misses before the bowl season were from 53 and 60 yards.
José de Jesus Ortiz
Founder & Editor in Chief
Award-winning writer José de Jesus Ortiz, a former lead sports columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has covered Major League Baseball since 1997 in Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, New York and Houston. He was the first Latino to serve as president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
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