5 Best Options for Miami Dolphins with the No. 14 Pick in 2015 Draft

If the Miami Dolphins keep the 14th pick in the 2015 NFL draft, there are plenty of possibilities that could help the team. 

These are possibilities that could bump their receiver corps up to elite, fortify the middle of their offensive line, or strengthen their secondary. 

Those are the three major needs for the Dolphins in this year's draft, and at 14 there will be options for them to take care of those needs. 

With that in mind, here's a ranking of the five best options for the Dolphins at the 14th pick, ranked based on the talents of the players themselves along with what major need they might fulfill on the team. 

5. Trae Waynes—Cornerback, Michigan State

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

As this piece from Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post pointed out, back in February Trae Waynes to the Miami Dolphins seemed like a sexy pick. 

There were good reasons for it too; the Dolphins need help in the secondary, and Waynes was one of the best cornerbacks in college football thanks to his six interceptions and 101 tackles in three seasons at Michigan State. 

However, I don't see him as the best fit at cornerback for the Dolphins in this year's draft, which is why I have him at No. 5 in this list. 

The reason is Waynes is a more physical press-cover corner. I'd prefer if the Dolphins play press, but they don't, and the adjustment from press coverage to zone coverage can take time. 

Also by being physical, Waynes has been penalized nine times in the last two seasons, which would make the adjustment to the NFL that much tougher, especially when jumping into a zone-coverage scheme. 

Waynes has a lot of potential and upside, but he's not the best fit in Round 1 for Miami. 

4. Todd Gurley—Running Back, Georgia

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Todd Gurley to the Dolphins has been discussed and dissected on Twitter all week. 

I really don't understand the appeal of taking Gurley in the first round unless the top receivers or top linemen are taken. 

Even then, I'd consider a cornerback first, which is why one cornerback is ahead of Gurley on this list. 

Can Gurley be the type of dominating running back that's worth a first-round pick? I don't know, and the reason is because despite showing flashes of dominance, he is coming off of a devastating torn ACL, and, per Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today, "his physical progress has remained a mystery." 

Despite these risks, Omar Kelly of The Sun-Sentinel is "certain Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey has a man crush on Georgia tailback Todd Gurley," and that scares me.

Running back isn't a pressing need for the Dolphins, and they could find a good power running back later in the draft. There are more pressing needs which can be filled by the three players ahead of Gurley on this list. 

3. Marcus Peters—Cornerback, Washington

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Marcus Peters is the best cornerback in the draft and the best fit at the position for the Miami Dolphins. 

Peters stands at 6'0" 197 pounds and allowed just 38.1 percent of the passes against him to be completed. He had 27 passes defensed and 11 interceptions in 35 games with Washington and ran a 4.53 40-yard dash and 11.26 seconds on the 60-yard shuffle. 

Peters will be available for the Dolphins at 14 but could also slip due to issues he had at Washington with head coach Chris Petersen, issues that got him kicked off the team in November. 

Will the Dolphins take a risk on Peters due to these issues? We know that Joe Philbin doesn't deal with difficult personalities but Peters has the type of talent worth taking said risk on. 

2. DeVante Parker—Wide Receiver, Louisville

Garry Jones/Associated Press

I'm not going to put Kevin White or Amari Cooper on this list because both of those players will likely be gone by the time we get to 14 in the draft. 

Louisville's DeVante Parker is likely to be available, and he represents the No. 1 wide receiver the Dolphins have needed since they drafted Ryan Tannehill. 

Mike Mayock of NFL Network believes this, as he said on the April 13 edition of The Joe Rose Show on 560 WQAM in Miami: 

"

You’ve got Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry — if you could get DeVante Parker at 14, I think it’s a home run. You’d have arguably the best young wide-receiver corps in the league with your young quarterback.

"

That's a strong statement backed up by lofty stats from Parker in his four seasons at Louisville where he had 156 receptions for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns. 

I was actually the most impressed with his senior season, a year that saw him miss the first six games and deal with two different quarterbacks. Despite that adversity, Parker still had 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns. 

Despite all the missed time, Pro Football Focus stated that Parker "graded well enough in those snaps to still end up in the top 10, in a comparable area to Jaelen Strong." 

Strong played in every game this season. 

PFF's Sam Monson added: 

"

He runs extremely sharp, crisp routes, generating separation with a single step often and beating defenders with quickness they just can’t match. He showed impressive hands, snatching the ball out away from his body without thinking about it and was another receiver with impressive run-after-the-catch skills.

"

This, as well as Miami's need at wide receiver, is why Parker should be Miami's pick at 14, unless this next gentleman is available. 

1. La'el Collins—Tackle/Guard, LSU

David Quinn/Associated Press

It's been my opinion all offseason that the Dolphins should focus on fortifying themselves at guard. 

It is with that goal in mind that my top pick is LSU's La'El Collins. 

Collins played tackle at LSU, but don't let that dissuade you from liking him at guard, as Collins projects to be as good a guard as he would be a tackle, perhaps better.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com seems to think so: 

"

Brawling right tackle or guard prospect in the NFL who has had a level of success in hyper-competitive SEC West. Lacks athleticism to be a consistent left tackle, despite his snaps there in college. Collins plays with a mean streak that is evident in every game, and could come in and start right away in a power-running game as a guard.

"

Slide Collins in at right guard between Mike Pouncey and Ja'Wuan James. Then, place Billy Turner at left guard next to Branden Albert. That's the recipe for a dominant offensive line.

No draft pick is a guarantee, but Collins is close to being one, which is why he's atop my list of best options for the Dolphins. 

Statistics provided by Sports-Reference.com/cfb. 

D.N.H. 

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