Who Are the Experts Predicting to Dolphins in the First Round of the NFL Draft?
The Miami Dolphins have done more subtracting from their roster this offseason than they've done adding to their roster.
The 2015 NFL draft presents a perfect opportunity to reverse that, and with the No. 14 pick in the first round, the Dolphins are once again picking in the top half and have a chance to land one of the best players available in this year's class.
There are an overwhelming number of mock drafts around the Internet, but only a select few come from noted draft experts. Sifting through the garbage can be tricky, but here we've compiled a list of some of the more notable draft analysts and who they've projected to the Dolphins at No. 14.
Let's take a look at thoughts from six of the web's most noteworthy draft analysts.
Rob Rang, CBS Sports: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
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Rang's Take:
"In Jarvis Landry and recently acquired speedster Kenny Stills, the Dolphins have two legitimate weapons in the passing game. Neither, however, scares defenses the way that DGB would. How better to double-down on the monster deal given to defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh than to take a similar gamble on the offensive side of the ball with a potential game-changer like the 6-5, 237-pound DGB?
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My Slant:
By selecting Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round, the Dolphins would continue their offseason of trumping their own philosophy on players who could be (or are) headaches off the field. Wide receiver Kenny Stills has been productive, but according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com, the New Orleans Saints felt Stills had "maturity issues" throughout his tenure in New Orleans. We don't need to rehash the controversy around defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
Dorial Green-Beckham has been surrounded by off-field issues for years, including alleged domestic violence and two run-ins with the police over marijuana. The Dolphins would be taking a calculated risk by drafting him, but there's no denying what he can add to their passing game, even as a rookie.
At 6'5" and 237 pounds, DGB is a physical freak, and after running a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, he has shown himself to have the long speed to stretch a defense vertically. With a trio of receivers that features Stills, DGB and Jarvis Landry, along with tight end Jordan Cameron, the Dolphins offense would spring to life with young talent and athleticism.
Dane Brugler, CBS Sports: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
3 of 7Brugler's Take:
"The Dolphins could go in several directions with this pick, including the top talent on the board, which will likely be Gurley. If the trainers and doctors give the front office two thumbs up, this becomes a much easier selection to project.
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My Slant:
The Dolphins have four running backs on their depth chart: Lamar Miller, Damien Williams, Mike Gillislee and LaMichael James. All of them have similar skill sets as dynamic players who lack the toughness or build to run between the tackles.
That's where Todd Gurley comes in like a wrecking ball from Georgia. He's a powerful runner who can help toughen up the Dolphins' running game in short-yardage situations, but he also has the speed to break a long run when he gets into the open field. He even has some return ability, with 11 returns for 422 yards (38.4 yards per return average) and two touchdowns in his career.
The only question happens to be a huge question: whether Gurley can come back fully from reconstructive knee surgery, and how long that process will take. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports Gurley would likely begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, but even when he comes back, there's no guarantee he'll be exactly the same player he was before his injury.
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Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
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Zierlein's Take:
"This could be a great trade-back spot based on the board and the Dolphins' needs. If they stick here, Parker gives the Dolphins a future WR1."
My Slant:
The Dolphins may have already traded for Kenny Stills, and they may already have Jarvis Landry on the roster, but they have shown in the past they are not afraid to throw multiple darts at the board at wide receiver to address the position all at once (see 2013, when they penned deals with Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson). Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker would help round out the receiving corps as well.
Parker is another big-bodied receiver being mocked to the Dolphins. The 6'3", 209-pounder is considered a great fit for a West Coast offense, due to solid run-after-catch ability and some quickness to shake defenders in the open field. That being said, Zierlein thinks Parker will do his best work with the ball in the air, where he can use his frame to high-point the ball and make a contested catch over a defender's head.
The Dolphins have added Stills and tight end Jordan Cameron, but they could still use help in the red zone. Parker could provide a massive catch radius in tight windows, as well as a skilled downfield receiver and capable run-after-catch receiver as well.
Bucky Brooks, NFL.com: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
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Brooks' Take:
"After jettisoning several veteran pass catchers this offseason, the Dolphins need to find a WR1 for Ryan Tannehill to thrive in a fast-paced attack. Parker’s size and athleticism would expand the strike zone for him.
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My Slant:
Groupthink sets in once again, as we see the two NFL.com draft experts go with the same player for the same team in the same spot.
As mentioned in the previous slide, DeVante Parker has all the skills the Dolphins need and don't have at wide receiver, most notably the frame. After posting 156 catches for 2,775 yards (17.8 yards per catch) and 33 touchdowns, there's little doubt he has the ability to be highly productive.
He's drawn comparisons to the likes of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (via Dane Brugler of CBS Sports) and former New York Giants/Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (via Lance Zierlein of NFL.com). Nicks has taken a step back in recent years, but he was a dominant receiver once upon a time. If Parker can reach the ceiling of Nicks, he'd be worth a pick in this spot. If he could reach the ceiling of Green, he'd be worth a pick even higher.
Todd McShay, ESPN: Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
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McShay's Take:
"We haven't had Perriman going this early in our previous mocks, but we've seen two promising signs from him as we've gone through the evaluation process. 1.) His ball skills, which were something of a concern on his early-season tape, appeared to get better as the year wore on. ... 2.) He verified the speed he flashes on tape with 4.24 and 4.27 40 times at his pro day last week.
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My Slant:
The groupthink is manifesting in different ways across the Internet with regards to the Dolphins' No. 14 overall selection. Everyone seems to think the Dolphins will target a wide receiver with a big frame to help round out their pass-catching group.
UCF wide receiver Breshad Perriman isn't the biggest of the receivers available, but at 6'2" and 212 pounds, he's not giving up much (if any size) to many (if any) cornerbacks he'll face in the NFL.
The Dolphins would have to accept he's a little raw in terms of route-running and has had some issues with drops in his career (14 percent drop rate, according to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus), but he has all the tools to become a true No. 1 receiver for the Dolphins' offense.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
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Kiper's Take:
"Parker has as high a ceiling as you can find in this class and it wouldn't surprise me at all if someday we're talking about him as the best of the top three guys in this class, as I have them closely grouped. Parker will beat defenders to the ball on high-point catches with his size, leaping ability and catch radius, and he's underrated as a threat to add yards after the catch on short throws.
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My Slant:
The final pick in this mock draft may look awfully familiar, because we've already seen it twice here.
If nothing else, the Internet agrees that wide receiver is a big need for the Dolphins, and that one of the best available fits at No. 14 could be DeVante Parker.
With Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Parker as a trio of receivers, opposing defenses could be in a bind over which way to roll coverage. Ryan Tannehill may be in a bind deciding which of his ultra-talented receivers he should target.
These are problems the Dolphins wish they had, and with Parker in the fold, those wishes could come true.
Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information provided by NFL.com.
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