Identifying Early Draft Targets for the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are in the thick of a playoff race, currently having possession of the second AFC Wild Card at 6-4. To build a team talented enough and capable of contending for the playoffs, organizations must draft well by adding a balance of impact players and depth each year.
First-year general manager Dennis Hickey seems to have done well in his first draft, getting major contributions from Ja’Wuan James and Jarvis Landry. Seventh-round pick Terrence Fede has also been a nice surprise as a depth player. The rest of his draft class has suffered from injuries or is currently being developed to compete for a starting job in Year 2.
Barring the Dolphins collapsing down the stretch, the coaching staff deserves to return in 2015. That makes it easier to project which type of players the Dolphins will look to draft next year. Based off the 2014 draft class, expect team captains who can help Miami in their first year.
James, Landry and Arthur Lynch all epitomized the above description. The rest of the draft class had more upside to develop, which is wise because Miami will be looking for starters or depth on the offensive line (Billy Turner), free safety (Walt Aikens), linebacker (Jordan Tripp) and wide receiver (Matt Hazel).
On the next slides, we’ll take a look at the Dolphins’ cap situation, potential cuts and then delve into some early draft targets to fill the various holes on the roster. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Who Stays, and Who Goes?
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The Dolphins are currently about $8.5 million under the cap ceiling of $133 million, according to Over the Cap. That money can be carried over to the next year, which is much-needed when looking at Miami’s committed dollars.
Miami is projected to be right up against the $140 million base salary cap, with $141 million committed. There are multiple ways to alleviate this, such as letting pricey contracts go, renegotiating deals and bringing unused cap space forward.
Renegotiating deals is the least appealing because it simply delays costly cap hits and extends players further into their careers. Miami doesn’t have any deals that are worthy of dealing with those long-term issues.
That leaves Miami to do some roster trimming so it can re-sign key free agents Jared Odrick and Charles Clay. Each is an integral part of the team, and rewarding in-house free agents sends a positive message to the locker room. Miami also has Dawn Aponte in the front office, and she’s done a tremendous job structuring contracts.
So let’s look at the players potentially on the cutting block and how much Miami stands to gain financially with these cuts.
| Brian Hartline | WR | 7,350,000 | 3,150,000 |
| Philip Wheeler | LB | 4,400,000 | 200,000 |
| Cortland Finnegan | CB | 6,475,000 | 5,475,000 |
| Dannell Ellerbe | LB | 9,850,000 | 5,650,000 |
| Brandon Fields | P | 3,903,000 | 3,113,000 |
| Nate Garner | OL | 1,816,668 | 1,650,000 |
If the Dolphins make all of the cuts above, they’d gain nearly $22.5 million of cap space. Some of the cuts would create immediate holes, such as cornerback and wide receiver, but receiver already needs an injection of athleticism. Miami also has the most expensive wide receiver core in the league, and that must change.
Releasing Cortland Finnegan is a tough call, but with Jamar Taylor in the wings and Finnegan’s injury history and age, Miami would be wise to go cheaper. Finnegan could redo his deal, or the Dolphins could look to the draft.
Without further ado, let’s look at the positions Miami needs to address in the 2015 NFL draft, along with some names that fit the bill.
An Alpha Wideout
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Miami’s current wide receiver group is deep with decent talent but does not have a player capable of winning downfield in one-on-one situations. Mike Wallace has proved that the ball must be placed perfectly to come down with a big reception, and that leaves too much margin for error.
We’re also projecting the team to cut Brian Hartline with his well-above market salary and possibly Brandon Gibson. Although they’ve been producing in the past, receiver supply is much higher than demand, which means that Miami should capitalize and get cheaper at the position while adding explosion.
The Dolphins offense sorely needs a guy capable of going up and grabbing the ball at its highest point. This will help big plays form as well as increase red-zone execution.
Guys who fit the bill must have a bigger frame and catch radius, great leaping ability and strong hands. There’s also a mindset that guys like Dez Bryant have. Those type of receivers won’t allow the defender to beat them.
This type of receiver often costs an early-round pick, but it’s a glaring need for the Dolphins. Check out the chart below for five guys that Miami should be targeting to fill its alpha-wide receiver need.
| WR | DeVante Parker | Louisville | 6'3" | 208 | 1st |
| WR | Kevin White | West Virginia | 6'3" | 210 | 1st |
| WR | Jaelen Strong | Arizona State | 6'3" | 212 | 1st-2nd |
| WR | Devin Funchess | Michigan | 6'5" | 230 | 1st-2nd |
| WR | Sammie Coates | Auburn | 6'2" | 201 | 2nd |
Get Physical in the Secondary
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Adding a physical cornerback presence is a need whether or not Finnegan returns, as Will Davis suffered a season-ending knee injury, per Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel. That leaves Brent Grimes and Jamar Taylor, which is fine because each is very talented. But Grimes is also nearing 32 years old, and you can never have enough good cornerbacks.
Luckily for the Dolphins, there are a number of solid cornerbacks expected to be available in the draft. Some guys like Marcus Peters and P.J. Williams may not be on their board due to off-field issues, but Miami can find their type.
Let’s take a look at who and where the Dolphins can add a contributor to the secondary.
| CB | Trae Waynes | Michigan State | 6'1" | 182 | 1st |
| CB | Jalen Collins | LSU | 6'2" | 198 | 1st-2nd |
| CB | Kevin Johnson | Wake Forest | 6'1" | 175 | 2nd-3rd |
| CB | Eric Rowe | Utah | 6'1" | 201 | 2nd-3rd |
| CB | Quinten Rollins | Miami (OH) | 6'0" | 205 | 3rd |
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Keep Bolstering the O-Line
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As successful as Ja’Wuan James has been this season, Branden Albert’s torn ACL presents an issue to the Dolphins’ future lineup. Albert may not be back until the start of the 2015 season with a traditional recovery schedule for that injury, leaving Miami with a conundrum.
Should the Dolphins decide to expedite their long-term plan, James could line up at left tackle and Albert be moved to guard. Albert was excellent this season at left tackle. But his history of injuries is worrisome, and he would still project to be the guard the Dolphins desperately need. Right tackle would then be a draft priority.
The other option is to hope Albert will be back healthy, sign a swing tackle in free agency or use Dallas Thomas at right tackle until he returns to the lineup. With this option, Miami would need to find a guard so that Mike Pouncey can return to center.
Billy Turner should be ready to take over one of the guard positions next year, and Shelley Smith is also an option as a backup or potential starter if he continues to play well. But Miami cannot stop adding resources to this line because it still has a potential hole depending on Albert’s injury.
Here are options at either guard or tackle for Miami.
| OT/G | La'el Collins | LSU | 6'5" | 321 | 1st |
| OT/G | Brandon Scherff | Iowa | 6'5" | 320 | 1st-2nd |
| OG/T | Cameron Erving | Florida State | 6'6" | 308 | 3rd |
| OT/G | Taylor Decker | Ohio State | 6'7" | 315 | 3rd-4th |
| OG | Miles Dieffenbach | Penn State | 6'3" | 303 | 5th |
Inject Athleticism at Linebacker
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The linebacker position is interesting for Miami because it theoretically may have all the pieces it needs to in order to have a very good unit already in house. Edge player Dion Jordan is a good pass-rusher at defensive end, but he’d be great at strong-side linebacker. That would also fill Miami’s biggest need.
Koa Misi, health permitting, looks like he can be a good middle linebacker. He’s showing the ability to diagnose plays and shoot gaps effectively enough to be a proficient starter at the position. His issue is always his health, and he isn’t the best athlete.
Second-year linebacker Jordan Tripp could be part of the solution, but he was a raw player out of Montana and a Day 3 pick for a reason. That leaves Miami with the option to add a linebacker who could take over in the near future at inside linebacker.
A core of Jelani Jenkins, Dion Jordan and one of the below middle linebackers would not only be physically elite, but would be the foundation for the next decade for the Dolphins defense.
| LB | Benardrick McKinney | Mississippi State | 6'5" | 249 | 1st |
| LB | Eric Kendricks | UCLA | 6'1" | 230 | 2nd |
| LB | Kris Frost | Auburn | 6'2" | 234 | 2nd |
| LB | Denzel Perryman | Miami (FL) | 6'1" | 242 | 2nd |
| LB | Stephone Anthony | Clemson | 6'2" | 245 | 3rd-4th |
| LB | Jake Ryan | Michigan | 6'3" | 235 | 4th |
Develop Another Quarterback
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Although Ryan Tannehill inches closer to franchise quarterback status, Miami still needs a capable backup in case of injury or a major setback to Tannehill’s progress. The issue for Miami is that it’s a very weak group of senior quarterbacks, as Bleacher Report lead writer Matt Miller discussed in his weekly Scouting Notebook.
Miami should then look to Day 3 of the draft to get a value pick with physical upside to improve at quarterback. With Tannehill in place, there will be no pressure on a draft pick. The best options for development are below.
| QB | Brandon Bridge | South Alabama | 6'5" | 235 | 4th |
| QB | Shane Carden | ECU | 6'2" | 221 | 5th |
| QB | Cody Kessler | USC | 6'1" | 210 | 5th |
| QB | Blake Sims | Alabama | 6'0" | 208 | 6th-UDFA |
| QB | Garrett Grayson | Colorado State | 6'2" | 220 | 6th-UDFA |
Other Areas
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With an already solid roster, Miami is going to be able to take some best players available and build depth for when other positions grow old or expensive. Miami may decide to add a value pick to the following areas: running back, defensive tackle, tight end and safety.
Miami has a couple solid backs already in Lamar Miller and Damien Williams, and with its zone-blocking scheme, the position is even more devalued. Less emphasis is on a physically dominant back to help the team limit resources to the position, and this is smart.
Tight end is arguably a significant need if Charles Clay gets hurt or proves too expensive, but this is a very weak tight end class. Maxx Williams of Minnesota is excellent and the top player at the position, but he’s just a redshirt sophomore and may not declare.
That being said, let’s look at some options at the positions that could see a little facelift if the value proves right.
| TE | Maxx Williams | Minnesota | 6'5" | 235 | 2nd |
| RB | David Cobb | Minnesota | 5'11" | 229 | 4th |
| TE | Gerald Christian | Louisville | 6'3" | 244 | 4th |
| DT | Chucky Hunter | TCU | 6'1" | 305 | 5th |
| DT | Darius Kilgo | Maryland | 6'2" | 310 | 5th |
All measurements used are from NFL Draft Scout. All contract information is from OvertheCap.com.
Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting and analyst for eDraft.
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