Mid-Round NFL Draft Targets Who Could Start in Year 1 for Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have plenty of holes to fill but only three draft picks in the first three rounds, meaning they will have to look in the middle of the draft for sleepers who could rise up and start for the team. 

This has been something that the Dolphins have struggled with in the past few years, as Miami only got two starters out of the 2014 NFL draft, and zero out of the 2013 draft thus far, with none of those players being selected beyond the second round. 

Can that change this season? It better, as the Dolphins are low on cap space and need to use whatever money they can to re-sign important players. 

Here's a list of 10 players at positions of need who could conceivably start for Miami after being drafted in the middle rounds. The players are ranked based off of Matt Miller's Post-Bowl Big Board. 

10. Anthony Chickillo; Defensive End, Miami

I wasn't a fan of Anthony Chickillo while he was a Hurricane. 

At times he looked lost on the field and underperformed, especially after the promising start he had to his collegiate career. 

Then I saw Chickillo play in the East-West Shrine Game, and he looked dominant. I wondered where this Anthony Chickillo was at Miami, as in this game and during practice, he earned the praise of NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who said: "I can see him being a mid-round pick who will be around a long time."

Then I remembered whom his coaches were, and it all clicked. 

Chickillo does possess raw pass-rushing talent and could work in both a 4-3 and a 3-4. A little bit of his game reminds me of Jared Odrick, whom hopefully the Dolphins won't have to replace in the draft. 

He wouldn't start because of the depth Miami has at defensive end (and he'd need some time to develop into a tackle), but if drafted by the Dolphins and the worst happens to two of Miami's three defensive ends ahead on the depth chart, he'd fit into the Dolphins scheme right away.

9. Nick Boyle; Tight End, Delaware

Meet a man with the potential to become Ryan Tannehill's new best friend. 

Delaware's Nick Boyle has the build of a great tight end at 6'4", 267 pounds, but he has the athleticism of a smaller player. 

Boyle has been anonymous playing at Delaware, but this year at the Senior Bowl, he grabbed the attention of quite a few scouts and draft experts. 

His biggest impact came in the video above, which caught the attention of Matt Miller: 

"

One more outstanding play of note came from Delaware tight end Nick Boyle. Boyle really had an up-and-down week, as he looked slow in practices and had a couple of passes go off his hands in Saturday’s game. He had one impressive display of athleticism when he hurdled over UCLA safety Anthony Jefferson—who had a bad day overall Saturday, as he also missed a few tackles—on his way to a 22-yard gain.

"

Boyle will have to work on his hands, but his blocking is already pretty good. Keep in mind he never had a decent quarterback at Delaware, and the quarterbacks in this year's Senior Bowl left much to be desired.

With the Dolphins, he'd be a great tight end complement to Charles Clay and a nice part of the offense.

8. Dominique Brown; Running Back, Louisville

The Dolphins need a running back who can complement Lamar Miller, be a good receiver out of the backfield and pass-block well. 

In the fifth round, they might have that running back in Louisville's Dominique Brown, who has served as the complement to the more highly touted Michael Dyer the last two seasons. 

Brown's frame fits the mold for a workhorse back, as he's 6'2" and 232 pounds. He also led the Cardinals in rushing last season with 825 yards and eight touchdowns. 

He showed great skill as a receiver out of the backfield as well, netting 24 receptions for 228 yards and a touchdown. 

He's not a burner, but he's exactly what the Dolphins need at the position.

7. Adam Shead; Guard, Oklahoma

I'd like to see the Dolphins find a guard who can step in and play right away. No more Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner-type redshirt seasons (because we all saw how well that worked out for Thomas). 

While Turner looks like he'll be good at left guard, one thing to remember is that the Dolphins will need another guard, as Mike Pouncey will be back at center, and I don't see Daryn Colledge coming back. 

Enter Oklahoma's Adam Shead, a player whom CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler describes like this: "Plays like a veteran with the base strength to rarely play on his heels. Shead extends well with good arm length to keep rushers from his body, delivering pop at contact with good quickness in his movements from snap to finish."

Sounds exactly like the type of help the Dolphins need at the position, and the type of player that could step right in and start in Week 1 for the Dolphins. 

Shead won't be the only guard we profile in this piece, but he's an intriguing prospect in the middle rounds.

6. Miles Dieffenbach; Guard, Penn State

Going into the 2014 season, guard Miles Dieffenbach was the most experienced player on Penn State's offensive line. 

Unfortunately, he missed most of the season due to an ACL injury suffered during spring practice. His season was in jeopardy, but he would return in November against Indiana. 

Dieffenbach shows great leverage while blocking, and he's also the highest-rated Big Ten guard in the draft. 

His experience, as well as his good bounce-back from what is usually a devastating injury, will make him an attractive mid-round piece for any team, but he's needed on the Dolphins, where he could potentially steal a starting spot at right guard in training camp.

5. Devante Davis; Wide Receiver, UNLV

I was looking forward to seeing Devante Davis in the Senior Bowl last week. The 6'3", 210-pound receiver was a big target who, based off of some highlights, looked like a nice piece to add to Miami's team of receivers. 

Unfortunately, Davis had suffered a hamstring injury during Senior Bowl practices, meaning we weren't able to see him during the game. 

Davis' size wasn't the only reason to keep an eye on him, as he showed great flashes in college of what could be an effective starting receiver in the NFL. He finished his career at UNLV second all-time in school history in receiving yards with 2,785, and fourth all-time in receptions with 186. 

His best season came in 2013 when he caught 87 passes for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns. 

Davis isn't a burner, but he is a big target who will fight for the ball, which the Dolphins could use more of with their receivers.

4. Austin Hill; Wide Receiver, Arizona

Austin Hill is another big receiver for the Miami Dolphins to consider in the draft's middle rounds. 

Hill's size and frame are great for the position, coming in at 6'2", 210 pounds. His production at Arizona was impressive as well, as in three seasons he had 151 catches for 2,310 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

Here's the downside on Hill: He missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL, and his production in 2014, while pretty good, wasn't quite on par with the tremendous numbers he put up in 2012 pre-injury. 

Even with those issues, this is a player to keep an eye on throughout the draft process, as his route running is sharp and he works quite well in the slot.

3. Malcolm Brown; Running Back, Texas

There is the possibility that the Miami Dolphins could draft a player named Malcolm Brown out of Texas. 

You're thinking of the defensive tackle, which would make a lot of sense in the first round if Jared Odrick winds up leaving. 

This isn't about him, although I'm sure I'll write plenty about that Malcom Brown as the offseason drags along.

This is Texas running back Malcolm Brown, a senior who last season ran for 708 yards and six touchdowns on 183 attempts, finishing his career with 2,678 yards and 24 touchdowns on 630 attempts in four seasons with the Longhorns. 

Brown was highly touted when he was recruited by Texas, and while his stats look impressive, he was mostly seen as a disappointment. However, he does have good quickness and the ability to shake off tacklers. 

Unfortunately for Brown, while he played in the East-West Shrine Game, he was more known for an act of good-natured ribbing with a former rival than any performance he had (a four-carry, minus-2-yard day). 

He would be worth it for the Dolphins, and it's at this point where I have to question Matt Miller (whose rankings I'm using) for placing Brown ahead of Dominique Brown, a player who seems to be a better all-around running back.

2. Eric Rowe; Defensive Back, Utah

The Dolphins could use help in the secondary, but one has to wonder how they expect to acquire that help. 

What would really help would be a safety to play alongside Reshad Jones, someone who could hit hard and be a force. 

Jones, you might remember, was a fifth-round pick in 2010, and he's now one of the most important players on defense for Miami. 

Utah's Eric Rowe is a potential fifth-round pick (or lower) who played a bit of cornerback in college, but he looks tailor-made to be a safety. 

Rowe is 6'1", 205 pounds and built more like a safety, and the way he hits (like you saw in the video) makes an impression. 

Rowe is a versatile player and would fit this defense well.

1. Tyeler Davison; Defensive Tackle, Fresno State

I don't want the Dolphins to pick a defensive tackle in the first round. 

Yes, it's a position of need—a need that becomes bigger if Jared Odrick leaves the 'phins. I still don't think it's worth it. 

Instead, I'd wait until the mid-rounds, where you will find a Paul Soliai-like nose tackle who can play well in a 4-3 in Fresno State's Tyeler Davison. 

Davison's 155 tackles (15.5 for a loss) and 14 sacks in four seasons is fairly impressive, especially for a nose tackle. He had eight sacks in 2014 alone, a season where he was placed on the Ted Hendricks Award watch list prior to the start. 

His build is excellent for the position at 6'2", 309 pounds, and he does a great job of shedding blocks. 

Mid-round, he'd be a great addition for the Dolphins, and he could be inserted into the defensive line rotation right away.

Statistics provided by Sports-Reference.com/CFB unless otherwise noted. All defensive statistics are unofficial. 

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