Best Possible Outcomes for Miami Dolphins' Top 3 Draft Picks
It's just about set in stone that come draft day, the Miami Dolphins' top three needs will be a middle linebacker, interior lineman and cornerback.
You might be asking where receiver is on this list; don't worry, that's a fourth one, but in this piece we're going to take a look at the best possible options for the Dolphins with their top three picks.
Yes, the Dolphins don't have a third round pick, so in it's place I'll use their fourth round pick (No. 114).
On this list we'll look at the five best possible combinations of picks the Dolphins could make and why they would work.
Combination 5
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Round 1, Pick 14: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Round 2, Pick 47: Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami
Round 4, Pick 149: Jarvis Harrison, G, Texas A&M
This is the "no pass-catchers" top three, one that would annoy most Dolphins fans while also being fairly effective.
Trae Waynes will be a starter in the NFL, but his tendency to grab might make the transition from college to the pros (and to Kevin Coyle's zone coverage system) a bit of a challenge. Because of that, while I wouldn't be against drafting Waynes, it would feel like using a first-rounder on a redshirt year.
After Waynes, this draft gives the Dolphins Denzel Perryman, who would instantly improve Miami's linebackers and allow for Koa Misi to move back outside. Or, when using a 3-4 front, Perryman and Misi could play inside together while rotating Jelani Jenkins, Chris McCain, Olivier Vernon and Dion Jordan as outside linebackers.
Jarvis Harrison would be a nice pick in the fourth round, but by the time you get to the fourth round, most of the players you'll find will be developmental. Harrison has the talent to not be that type of pick, but his work ethic might be a concern.
He was benched for the first two games of 2014 due to conditioning concerns, and an AFC Scout said this about Harrison to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:
"I believe he has Pro Bowl caliber talent, but his work ethic is a major concern for me. I know he loves basketball, but not sure if he feels the same about football. The talent? That's a given. He's really, really talented.
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Combination 4
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Round 1, Pick 14: Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
Round 2, Pick 47: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Round 4, Pick 149: Jarvis Harrison, G, Texas A&M
No, Jarvis Harrison isn't on this list because I like him that much; he's just likely to be the best available guard at that pick, and there weren't any pass-catchers I liked a lot that I'd pick there.
As for the first two picks in this second "no pass-catchers" scenario, we have a very solid middle linebacker, followed by a risk in the second round that also happens to be, in my opinion, the best cornerback in the draft.
I'm not too high on Eric Kendricks. In fact, I actually see him being more of a day-two guy (and more of a fit in the 3-4). However, if the Dolphins drafted him, I wouldn't be too surprised.
As for Marcus Peters, it wouldn't surprise me if he was the first cornerback taken or if he lasted into the third round. The talent is there, but the mental questions are, too. I'd take the risk on him in the second round.
Combination 3
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Round 1, Pick 14: La'el Collins, OT/G, LSU
Round 2, Pick 47: Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami of Ohio
Round 4, Pick 149: Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
My hunch is this is what the draft will look like.
It's not the best combination, but that's only because the two I put in front of this one look better cumulatively.
La'el Collins is the final piece to fixing Miami's offensive line. They can slide him in at right guard alongside Ja'Wuan James while Billy Turner plays left guard next to Branden Albert. They'll have Mike Pouncey back at center, and an atrocious offensive line finally graduates to being good.
Quinten Rollins at corner gives the Dolphins a nice second cornerback to play alongside Brent Grimes, although it will take him some time to develop. He'll have his chances, though, and from what I've seen, there is greater upside in him than in the Dolphins' current options at the position.
Finally, in Devin Smith you have a player that's a bit of a pie in the sky. Will he be available in the fourth round? It's possible, and if he is and the Dolphins haven't addressed their wide receiver need, the decision to pick him up should be an obvious one.
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Combination 2
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Round 1, Pick 14: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
Round 2, Pick 47: Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami of Ohio
Round 4, Pick 149: Jarvis Harrison, G, Texas A&M
The last two picks in this combination have already been covered in this piece. Both players would be good fits on the Dolphins.
As for DeVante Parker, the top pick in this combination, he has been mocked to the Dolphins repeatedly, with Omar Kelly of The Sun-Sentinel even predicting he'll be a Dolphin.
It's easy to see why; I wrote extensively about him last week, gushing about why he'd fit the team so well.
It's not exactly the opinion shared by all, though. Bleacher Report Featured Columnist and all-around good guy Ian Wharton broke down the comparison between Parker and the other two receivers in this draft (Amari Cooper and Kevin White), and came to this conclusion:
"When talking top-15 picks in the draft, receivers should be bonafide stars. Parker has the makeup of a star, but he hasn’t proved he is that reliable No. 1-type receiver. Thus, he shouldn’t be pushed up into the conversation with two potential stars like Kevin White and Amari Cooper.
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I've never thought that Parker was better than Cooper or White. In fact, I'd contend that Cooper would be a slightly better fit than Parker for the Dolphins. However, I've seen enough in Parker to say that he'd become a potential star on the Dolphins, and my gut instinct tells me that the Dolphins' front office sees this too.
Combination 1
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Let's say the status quo doesn't remain in Miami come draft day.
My best possible combination assumes just that. I removed the exact selection numbers because this combination assumes the Dolphins trade back into the third round, most likely by trading down in round one (they could use other methods though).
Round One: Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
Round Two: Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami of Ohio
Round Three: Clive Walford, TE, Miami
Eric Kendricks is just as likely to be available for the Dolphins in the twenties as he is in the teens, so it's easy to see them picking him if they have to trade out of 14 to get that additional third round pick.
Miami might not have to touch their second-round pick, but if they do, it shouldn't be too drastic of a drop.
As for the third-round pick, Clive Walford isn't a wide receiver, but he can be used as one in a vein similar to how the Dolphins planned on using Charles Clay had he stayed with them.
Walford looks like the best tight end in the draft this year, and he could be worth meriting a trade up into the third round if the Dolphins don't trade down.
As for this combination as a whole, it addresses three of Miami's four biggest needs, with the fourth-round pick being available to use at guard. That's why it's the best combination overall.
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