Miami Dolphins Mock Draft Roundup
Every year, the Miami Dolphins make one or two changes to the coaching staff and/or front office in an attempt to get over the hump and into the playoffs.
This year, unless they finally reach their goal, it may be time for the Dolphins to make more than one or two changes—across-the-board changes might be in order to move in a brand new direction.
That being said, don't count Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin out just yet; the Dolphins have made some solid additions (and even more solid subtractions) in an effort to put the best product on the field. There's still one more opportunity to enhance that product, with the 2015 NFL draft right around the corner.
There are varying opinions on what the Dolphins should do as holders of the No. 14 pick in the first round; here's a look around the Web and the mock drafts of some NFL draft experts, to see which direction the pundits think the Dolphins should go.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
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"We have the intermediate targets in Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills. Now I have the sub-4.3 speed (at near 220 pounds) to keep safeties honest, and Perriman is playmaker after short catches as well. This helps my franchise QB."
My Slant
The Dolphins have invested in the wide receiver spot this year with the acquisitions of third-year wideout Kenny Stills and veteran Greg Jennings, but after losing Brian Hartline, Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson, the wide receiver spot is still a need. There are other needs like guard and cornerback, where the Dolphins could grab LSU's La'el Collins and Washington's Marcus Peters, respectively.
That being said, Breshad Perriman is a great pick if he's the best wide receiver available here—and with Louisville's DeVante Parker off the board, Perriman is the best pass-catcher left. He isn't just a good wide receiver; he's exactly what the Dolphins need.
As Kiper mentions, the Dolphins already have the short and intermediate threats they need in their West Coast-style offense, but what they lack is the big-bodied deep threat who can make contested catches in tight spaces and who can force those safeties to play deeper than usual, which will only open up more holes for Landry and Stills to do their thing.
NFL.com ranks Perriman as the third-best wide receiver available, and CBSSports.com ranks him as the fourth-best. Perhaps there's better value available, but the Dolphins could do a lot worse than to nab Perriman in this spot.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
3 of 6"Waynes would fit nicely with the other new additions in Miami."
My Slant
By the "other new additions," I'm assuming Daniel Jeremiah meant defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh—the Dolphins haven't added anyone else of note on defense besides slot cornerback Brice McCain and veteran corner Zack Bowman.
Even with those additions, the Dolphins still have some significant question marks at cornerback. They've drafted Jamar Taylor, Will Davis and Walt Aikens in recent years, but none of those players has made the necessary steps forward to prove worthy of holding down a starting spot.
Michigan State's Trae Waynes is the consensus best cornerback available in this year's class. He is 6'0" and 186 pounds, possesses 31" arms and ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash, showing off the size and speed to play on the boundary in the NFL. The concern is whether he knows how to use that size to his advantage without drawing penalties.
The transition may not be immediate or smooth, but with some time to acclimate to the NFL game, Waynes should develop into a solid cover man who is worthy of the No. 14 pick.
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Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: La'el Collins, OL, LSU
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"Dolphins are looking for better guard play to help establish a more physical presence up front. Collins is as physical as any lineman in this draft."
My Slant
Remember earlier in the slideshow when I mentioned guard as a need and La'el Collins as a fit? Well, here you go. The Dolphins need a mauler on the inside of the offensive line who can drive his assignment off the line of scrimmage, but they also need someone with quick feet who can block on the move and get out in front of a play to create big lanes in the open field.
Collins has all those traits and more. At 6'4" and 305 with 33 ¼" arms, Collins has the build of a tackle—where he spent his college days—but he could play either inside or outside. In fact, Zierlein says Collins' NFL comparison is Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey.
"I love the guy on tape," said one AFC offensive line coach, according to Zierlein. "Big-time finisher in the run game and we need that. What I don't like is that his hands are bad as a pass-blocker right now and I'm not sure he gets that fixed right away. Other than that, he's pretty clean."
Collins would immediately provide answers at the guard spot, where the current starters are Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner.
Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated: Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
5 of 6"The Dolphins obviously made a major splash when they signed Ndamukong Suh, but things are a bit murkier at linebacker. Dannell Ellerbe was traded to New Orleans, and Philip Wheeler was released. Koa Misi is still on board, but what the Dolphins really need to improve the second wave of their defense is a player who can not only rush the passer, but also cover screens and curl/flat stuff.
Dupree hit the national map when he ran a 4.56 40 with a 1.60 10-yard split at the scouting combine—not half-bad for a 6'4", 269-pound individual—but it's his versatility that will make him stick and stay in the NFL. Dupree has the capability to blitz off the edge on one play, and cover a slot receiver on the very next.
"
My Slant
Linebacker is a need, but Dupree is a strange fit for that need—specifically for the Dolphins defense, which is built in the mold of a 4-3 front. At 6'4" and 269 pounds, Dupree is considered a rush linebacker and a better fit in a 3-4 front that would allow him to put his explosiveness on display and allow him to get after the quarterback.
The Dolphins could possibly plug him in at defensive end as part of a rotation with Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, or he could be used as a chess piece in a way that Dion Jordan should have been used from the moment he joined the Dolphins in 2013.
That being said, the mere mention of Jordan's name causes pause; the Dolphins should not draft Dupree unless they have some semblance of a plan for him. Their lack of direction for Jordan has been one of the main reasons for his struggles in gaining traction in the NFL.
It would be hard to justify passing up Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton if he's still on the board here, as he is in this mock draft.
Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
6 of 6"I rank Strong higher than most mock drafters, ahead of DeVante Parker and Breshad Perriman. He’s slippery when he gets off the line of scrimmage, works comebacks routes very well, has double-move capability as a deep threat and can go up and get contested or off-target balls (the Hail Mary catch against USC is a memorable example).
"
My Slant
It's interesting that Mike Tanier has Arizona State's Jaelen Strong ranked so high; NFL.com pegs him as the fifth-best wide receiver this year, and CBSSports.com ranks him as the sixth-best. As mentioned in the Breshad Perriman slide, there are bigger needs than wide receiver (although after gutting the depth chart, wide receiver is a substantial need).
If the Dolphins are going to go with a wide receiver at No. 14, Strong would be a solid choice. At 6'2" and 217 pounds, he ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and posted a 42" vertical jump that ranked in the top five at his position. Those are the skills he would be putting on display most frequently; NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says the former high school basketball player has a "good combination of height, weight and arm length for the position" and that he "tracks [the] ball well."
With that in mind, Strong has exactly the characteristics the Dolphins need in a wide receiver. His size and speed combination will allow him to play on the boundary and run deep, plus he can shuffle in and out of the slot with Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry, who run more effective underneath routes.
Adding Strong to the Dolphins offense would complete the wide receiver corps, but a hole would remain at guard where the team has lacked talent for years.
Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information and draft notes provided by CBSSports.com and NFL.com.
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