Miami Dolphins Draft Countdown: Making the Case for LB Benardrick McKinney

"Out with the old" is step one. "In with the new" is step two.

The Miami Dolphins took the first steps in overhauling the depth chart at linebacker, by trading Dannell Ellerbe and releasing Philip Wheeler. The next step is deciding whether they want to place the future of their depth chart in the hands of a young group that features Koa Misi, Jelani Jenkins, Dion Jordan and Kelvin Sheppard. If not, there's still one more step they need to take: Finding someone else for the job.

The Dolphins already missed the boat on the free-agent market at linebacker, which was not particularly strong to begin with, and anyone they would sign at this point would only round out the depth chart. The only place left to look is the 2015 NFL draft, and when you look that direction, Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney is the best prospect for the Dolphins' needs.

There's a good chance the Dolphins will avoid the linebacker position altogether. Under defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle, they spend a lot of time with only two linebackers on the field; Misi and Jenkins were the primary two linebackers last year, Sheppard has starting NFL experience and Jordan still has untapped potential as a stand-up linebacker.

So, they have options. But McKinney is liable to give them even more options—and yes, that's plural for a reason.

Here's a look at what makes McKinney such a great fit for the Dolphins.

"True" Middle Linebacker

Coyle has been the Dolphins defensive coordinator since 2012, implementing a 4-3 defensive front the entire time, and has never once had a true-to-life middle linebacker for his defense. The 6'4", 246-pound McKinney has the size, speed and athleticism to be an anchor in the middle of the Dolphins defense.

Dolphins linebackers have been exposed in the running game in recent years; Wheeler would run himself out of plays or be blocked out of them, and Ellerbe was too slow to react. They each had their skills, but neither were well-rounded. McKinney is the best of both worlds—stout at the point of attack and smart in his angles.

McKinney notched seven tackles against LSU, but he found himself in or around the play far more often than that. He's always hustling to provide some added insurance on a tackle (in the above video), but he's not just a body in a pile; he shoots gaps to help make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage (1:22 and 1:36 marks).

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein lauds him for both "good straight-line speed to chase" from behind and for being a "true take-on linebacker who can meet linemen head-on or beat them to the spot and leverage his gap with above average play strength." The Dolphins could use a player like that behind their new defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh. 

The arrival of McKinney would likely signal Misi returning to the outside linebacker spot, where he played for much of his career before moving to middle linebacker last year. But it wouldn't necessarily signal anything at all.

Versatility

All signs do not point to McKinney as a middle linebacker in the NFL.

Most scouting reports on McKinney claim he could be a fit either inside or outside, and even rushing the passer; Bleacher Report's Matt Miller says, "McKinney could play any linebacker spot in a 4-3 defense and offers unreal athleticism combined with instincts and production at the 'Mike' spot," and CBSSports.com's Rob Rang and Dane Brugler say, "He's athletic enough to project to any linebacker role but may never become a star."

McKinney will help the Dolphins defense regardless of where he lines up. In fact, his versatility gives them more options at linebacker. 

He showed the speed that is a prerequisite for playing on the outside by meeting the ball-carrier at the edge rather than chasing him down from behind and also for bringing a back down while in pursuit.  

That being said, not everyone is sold on his ability to play all over the place. 

Rang and Brugler qualify their previous statement that McKinney could project to any linebacker role, adding that he "is an impressive athlete for his size, but while he's a stout run defender, he isn't as consistent in space." They add that "there are some concerns that his ineffectiveness defending in coverage could limit him to a two-down thumper role in the NFL."

In the pass-happy NFL, flaws in coverage will not go unnoticed for long. Tight ends and running backs could take turns exploiting McKinney if he is left on an island too often. All that means is that the Dolphins coaching staff will have to be wise about how they deploy McKinney when he is on the outside; Coyle will likely love McKinney's ability as a blitzer, which earned him 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

McKinney may start his career as part of a rotation and as a primary inside linebacker only on running downs, but if the Dolphins can coax some of that athleticism out of him and find ways to hone his abilities in space, he could develop into an every-down linebacker in time.

Unless otherwise noted, all draft notes provided by NFL.com and CBSSports.com.