Miami Dolphins' Draft Scouting Guide for the 2015 Senior Bowl
One of the best opportunities to get an in-person glimpse of premier collegiate talent has arrived for the Miami Dolphins, as the 2015 Senior Bowl has arrived. From Tuesday through Saturday, team scouts will be littered throughout the stands in Mobile, Alabama, to see potential draft picks play.
The Senior Bowl practices are a great opportunity to see players in person facing off against other highly talented individuals. Actual game film should take precedence over practices, but this is a chance to see who excels when the pressure is high for a week.
Undoubtedly, there are players in the 2015 Senior Bowl who will be able to make an impact for the Dolphins should they be drafted. We’ve identified potential impact players at positions of need for Miami who will be competing this week.
Upgrades at Wide Receiver
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With the Dolphins potentially looking to replace two or more receivers this offseason, acquiring a playmaker in the draft is essential. Since the top draft-eligible receivers will not be in Mobile for the Senior Bowl, Miami could be looking for more of a complementary or developmental weapon to add to the roster.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| Tony Lippett | Michigan State | North | 6'3" | 190 |
| Devin Smith | Ohio State | North | 6'1" | 198 |
| Vince Mayle | Washington State | North | 6'3" | 219 |
| Devante Davis | UNLV | South | 6'3" | 215 |
| Tyler Lockett | Kansas State | South | 5'11" | 175 |
| Phillip Dorsett | Miami (Fla.) | South | 5'10" | 185 |
If Miami wants to add a deep-ball threat to the roster, there are a couple of excellent candidates. One may be very familiar to Dolphins fans, as Phillip Dorsett hails from the University of Miami. Dorsett’s impressive downfield speed could be the best in the 2015 draft class.
The other top speedster is Ohio State’s Devin Smith. Smith was largely a one-trick player for much of his collegiate career, but he showed glimpses of growth in his senior season. At worst, he’s a legitimate downfield threat who tracks the ball well and has size advantages with most defensive backs.
Should Miami look to get a bigger, more possession-type receiver, this is a great showcase for several studs. Michigan State’s Tony Lippett is a 6’3”, lanky playmaker who has also dabbled playing cornerback. Like Smith, he improved greatly as a senior and offers starting potential.
Washington State’s Vince Mayle and UNLV’s Devante Davis are two other tall receivers who would give Miami a red-zone threat early in their careers. Both are raw with the technical aspect of the position, but that means there is room for growth and improvement.
Inside Linebacker Needs Attention
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Another area that needs an injection of youth and athleticism is the Dolphins’ linebacker core. This is a good year to need one, as the class is looking deep early on, and Mobile is reflecting the deep talent pool by offering three talented inside prospects and two solid outside candidates.
Depending on Miami’s plans for middle linebacker Koa Misi and defensive end Dion Jordan, their needs could change. Right now, it looks like Miami needs an inside linebacker, and Misi can move back to the strong side.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| Hayes Pullard | USC | North | 6'0" | 230 |
| Jordan Hicks | Texas | North | 6'1" | 234 |
| Stephone Anthony | Clemson | South | 6'2" | 245 |
| Denzel Perryman | Miami (Fla.) | South | 5'11" | 240 |
| Martrell Spaight | Arkansas | South | 6'2" | 230 |
The most well rounded inside linebacker at the Senior Bowl is Clemson’s Stephone Anthony. He has ideal size at 6’2”, 245 pounds and possesses great speed and closing quickness to finish plays. He doesn’t stack and shed incredibly well right now, but he moves so well in space that it doesn’t always matter.
Former Miami Hurricane Denzel Perryman is well-known for his ability to lower the boom inside the tackles and is a prospect to watch this week as well. Perryman needs to lose about 15 pounds and show that he’s quick enough to play on passing downs, or else he could be headed for a two-down role like Brandon Spikes.
If Miami wants to look for an outside linebacker, then Jordan Hicks of Texas is the best of the bunch. He’s not freakishly athletic or long, but he’s a solid football player who reads plays quickly and has enough tools to be a good starter.
Secure the Interior Offensive Line
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After Branden Albert’s ACL tear, Miami’s offensive line regressed to the worst in the NFL, allowing 139 total pressures on the quarterback in 341 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Should general manager Dennis Hickey swing and miss filling the remaining guard opening in free agency, Miami will be pressured to find one in the draft.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| La'el Collins | LSU | South | 6'5" | 315 |
| Shaquille Mason | Georgia Tech | South | 6'1" | 311 |
| Jamil Douglas | Arizona State | North | 6'4" | 301 |
| Robert Myers | Tennessee State | North | 6'5" | 305 |
| Ali Marpet | Hobart | North | 6'4" | 310 |
The best overall lineman in Mobile is LSU tackle La’el Collins. Collins projects as a very good tackle, but he can play guard for the Dolphins if Albert comes back healthy. Miami needs that versatility and talent injection, so he must be a consideration if he shows the movement ability in practices to play guard.
Should Miami want a pure guard, the best in the draft is Arizona State’s Jamil Douglas. The former tackle for the Sun Devils lacks the length to play outside in the NFL, but he’s got all of the traits to be a solid interior lineman. He’s a great run-blocker who moves well to the second level. He plays with leverage consistently and will improve as he adds strength. He’s a solid second-round prospect.
If Miami is able to sign a stud guard in free agency, it would still be wise to address the position for depth purposes. Tennessee State’s Robert Myers, Georgia Tech’s Shaquille Mason and Hobart’s Ali Marpet are all Day 3 options with great physical upside for development.
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A Boundary Playmaker
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Considering the injury status of Will Davis and Jamar Taylor, plus the age of Cortland Finnegan and Brent Grimes (30 and 31 respectively), Miami needs at least one cornerback from this draft. It’s a position that routinely sees injuries and requires solid depth to survive an entire regular season.
The Senior Bowl offers a flavor for every taste bud, meaning Miami will be able to see a number of cornerbacks with varying styles. Based off of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle’s previous personnel packages, Miami tends to prefer zone cornerbacks who have the ability to change direction quickly to attack the ball. This de-emphasizes pure speed and size, making cornerbacks cheaper to find.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| Doran Grant | Ohio State | North | 5'10" | 193 |
| Eric Rowe | Utah | North | 6'1" | 201 |
| Quinten Rollins | Miami (Ohio) | North | 6'0" | 203 |
| Steven Nelson | Oregon State | North | 5'10" | 192 |
| Kevin White | TCU | South | 5'9" | 174 |
| D'Joun Smith | FAU | South | 5'10" | 190 |
| JaCorey Shepherd | Kansas | South | 5'11" | 195 |
If Coyle wants to continue with that mold, then D’Joun Smith, Steven Nelson and Kevin White are potential fits. Each is less than 6'0" and has gained vast amounts of experience in various schemes in college. White is the most experienced in man coverage and shows better hip flexibility on film.
One thing the Dolphins clearly lack at cornerback is size. Miami should lean more on bigger, more physical cornerbacks to counteract their division foes’ offensive strategies. Whether they do or not remains to be seen, but the process could begin at the Senior Bowl.
Of the available physical cornerbacks, Eric Rowe is the most developed and longest player on the field. He’s 6’1” and 201 pounds with experience in press-man coverage. The Utah Utes often left him on an island, and he was excellent in that role.
Ohio State cornerback Doran Grant improved greatly as a senior and is a good cover cornerback. He doesn’t have great length or speed, but he is a technician with fluid hips and great mental makeup. The negative on Grant is that he struggled dearly when Ohio State played more zone schemes in 2013.
Cornerbacks Quinten Rollins and JaCorey Shepherd are two raw athletes who need some time to develop. Rollins played just one year of college football, as he was the star point guard for Miami (Ohio) then decided to give football a try. Well, he’s really good despite being so inexperienced. Shepherd doesn’t have the fun backstory, but he has good size and speed to be developed.
Bolster the Defensive Line
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The position that could be viewed as Miami’s biggest area of need is defensive tackle. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, there aren’t many guys to see in Mobile who fit what the team currently lacks. Miami needs a big, beefy nose tackle to eat up two blockers to help stuff the run.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| Danny Shelton | Washington | North | 6'1" | 335 |
| Carl Davis | Iowa | North | 6'4" | 315 |
| Joey Mbu | Houston | South | 6'3" | 312 |
The best candidate in Mobile is Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton. Shelton is huge, standing 6’1” and somewhere between 335 pounds and 355. And his enormous size is part of the concern with Shelton. He has a history of weight-control problems, and a fat NFL check could mean his midsection grows as his bank account does.
Outside of Shelton, Miami should be looking at two developmental tackles, Carl Davis from Iowa and Joey Mbu from Houston. Davis is especially intriguing as a three-down player due to his quickness, but he needs technique refinement because he often gets washed out of plays due to his pad level.
Mbu is a pure run-stuffer, but he offers nothing as a pass-rusher on film. This is a big week for him to show that he can be more than a developmental flier in the draft.
A Single-High Safety
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It’s difficult to find above-average safeties for NFL schemes, likely because it’s a position that is normally asked very little of. Devoting a top-quality athlete at the position takes away an elite playmaker elsewhere, and safeties aren’t always worth that sacrifice for many collegiate programs.
| Player | School | SR. Bowl Team | Height | Weight |
| Kurtis Drummond | Michigan State | North | 6'1" | 200 |
| Damarious Randall | Arizona State | North | 5'11" | 190 |
| Jaquiski Tartt | Samford | South | 6'1" | 218 |
| Anthony Jefferson | UCLA | South | 6'1" | 190 |
The Senior Bowl is weak in terms of safeties. Miami could use a free safety, but the guy with the most potential is also incredibly raw and was rarely tested. Samford’s Jaquiski Tartt plays more like a strong safety, but he is fluid and a good athlete. Unfortunately, his film is difficult to interpret because of the low quality of opponents.
Kurtis Drummond, Anthony Jefferson and Damarious Randall all have some intriguing qualities, but the Dolphins should be looking for big improvement from each player before they’re interested. None projects as more that an average player at this time in the process.
Ian Wharton is a Miami Dolphins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, contributor for Optimum Scouting and analyst for eDraft.
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