Dolphins Draft Needs: Where Does Miami Need Help Most?

The offseason is rapidly approaching as the NFL playoffs advance further on, but for the Miami Dolphins, the offseason is already here. By adding Mike Tannenbaum to the front-office hierarchy, another hand is in the decision-making pot, and this could alter the Dolphins’ free-agency and NFL draft approach.

We’ve previously looked at what it will take to re-sign key free agents, and now it is time to see the areas Miami can add to via the draft. The draft is arguably the most important part of building a franchise, as cheap talent is available for development. By getting productive young players on cheap deals, Miami will be able to build a deep roster and then pay its biggest playmakers when the time comes.

It’s safe to assume that changes are coming to the Dolphins’ roster after another disappointing season. The Dolphins coaching staff seems to be in a playoffs-or-bust season for 2015, so the heat is on everyone to perform well.

Let’s take a look at the five biggest areas where the Dolphins need to address in the draft as well as some options in various rounds of the draft.

Help at Defensive Tackle

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Everyone saw the defense collapse in the second half of the season, as Miami’s defense allowed 100 yards rushing in each of the final six games. That came in the most important stretch of football possible, and Miami went 2-4 in those games.

Miami cannot afford to let the defense slide again in 2015. With defensive tackles Jared Odrick and Randy Starks possibly not returning next season, this is a big area of need. Odrick is hitting unrestricted free agency, and Starks’ 2014 performance could lead to a justifiable release to open up cap space.

If the Dolphins retain Odrick, they’ll need to add a big run-stuffer to help eat blocks. This could be addressed in free agency, but if not, there are several options available in the draft. Below are the top run-stuffers in the 2015 NFL draft.

Player	School	Projected Round
Jordan Phillips	Oklahoma	1
Danny Shelton	Washington	1-2
Malcom Brown	Texas	2
Tyeler Davison	Fresno State	3-4
Joel Hale	Ohio State	5-7

A Dominant Wide Receiver

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Adding a top-flight wide receiver has to be a big priority for this franchise, as Miami has had a mediocre group since it drafted Ryan Tannehill. That’s not how a team successfully builds around a franchise quarterback. Yes, Mike Wallace is a nice piece, but he’s always been a secondary option, not the primary.

Luckily for the Dolphins, this is a good draft class for receivers. Miami did well to dip into the historic 2014 class by taking Jarvis Landry in the second round. By grabbing an outside receiver with more physical upside, this receiving core can be remade quickly to become more explosive and dynamic.

Here are five receivers with a big, physical profile that Miami can utilize as early as Year 1.

Player	School	Projected Round
Kevin White	West Virginia	1
Jaelen Strong	Arizona State	1
Sammie Coates	Auburn	2
Devin Funchess	Michigan	2
Devin Smith	Ohio State	3

One More Offensive Guard

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The Dolphins failed to fix the offensive line last offseason, and now it’s time to fill in the remaining gap. 2014 third-round pick Billy Turner should be in the mix to start at one of the guard positions in 2015. What can also help is if Mike Pouncey goes back to his best position, the center spot.

By moving Pouncey and inserting Turner, there is only one guard opening for 2015. Free agency has a couple of good options for Miami, but if neither of the best options signs in South Florida, the draft will bear some available talent. This is not a deep class at interior offensive line at this point, but it’s not uncommon to find unlikely contributors on Day 3.

Finding players who fit well in Miami’s zone-blocking system is generally easier because the scheme wants players who are lighter and capable of winning in space. Usually, the heavier, more powerful linemen get snatched up in earlier rounds because of their ability to create running lanes downhill instead of horizontally.

Player	School	Projected Round
Brandon Scherff	Iowa	1
Jamil Douglas	Arizona State	2-3
John Miller	Louisville	3-4
Greg Mancz	Toledo	4-5
Ben Beckwith	Mississippi State	4-5

Get Depth at Cornerback

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Another position that went from strength to major concern, the Dolphins need cornerbacks who are healthy. Age caught up to Brent Grimes as the season progressed, and although he’s still a good top cornerback option, he won’t improve from here on out. Father Time is undefeated and could lead to Grimes dropping off more next year.

Cortland Finnegan was a non-factor for Miami and is in no way worth his salary figure of $6.475 million. He won’t be back in 2015, so the second cornerback spot is open.

Young cornerbacks Will Davis and Jamar Taylor have talent, but each has major injury concerns. Neither is a reliable option heading into a critical season.

The 2015 class has more Day 2 value than first-round talent, so looking for a starter for this season is going to be a challenge. It usually takes three seasons for a cornerback to really adjust to the NFL because of the complexity of the position, and Miami may have to invest at the position in free agency.

Player	School	Projected Round
Trae Waynes	Michigan State	1
Alex Carter	Stanford	2
Doran Grant	Ohio State	3
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	Oregon	3
Senquez Golson	Ole Miss	4-5

An Inside Linebacker

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Theoretically, Miami could be somewhat set at the linebacker position in 2015. Jelani Jenkins and Dion Jordan as outside linebackers could be fantastic because of their athleticism and versatility. If Koa Misi can stay healthy, he’s an average-level starter who can hold down the position another year.

The issue, however, is that Misi hasn’t stayed healthy throughout his career. He’s never completed a full 16-game season. Also, Jordan may not ever be moved to linebacker with this coaching staff, so this could be a pipe dream.

Miami would be wise to look for an upgrade for at least one linebacker spot and figure it can split snaps between Jordan Tripp, Jordan and possibly Chris McCain at the strong-side spot next year. Cutting Philip Wheeler saves very little money. And it’s actually more expensive to release and replace him, so that could be a position with a lot of rotating.

That leaves the middle linebacker spot as the easiest and most realistic to address. This is a good year to be shopping for an interior linebacker, as there are types for every preference.

Player	School	Projected Round
Eric Kendricks	UCLA	1-2
Stephone Anthony	Clemson	2-3
Denzel Perryman	Miami	2-3
Trey DePriest	Alabama	4-5
Terrance Plummer	UCF	5-7