Miami Dolphins Draft Big Board: Position-by-Position Rankings

No one wants to be stuck in neutral, the worst gear to be in the NFL. 

The Miami Dolphins, coming off of two consecutive 8-8 seasons that followed a 7-9 season, know this quagmire all too well. After an active offseason in which they made the biggest splash, the Dolphins will join the rest of the NFL in converging in Chicago for the 2015 draft on Thursday. 

For the Dolphins, the draft offers opportunity to fill their most pressing needs. Not needing to tinker with the defensive line, not needing a new quarterback, the Dolphins have to strengthen an interior offensive line that looked overmatched in 2014, add a young dynamic receiver, replenish a secondary that's wafer-thin from top to bottom and add depth at linebacker. 

With so many needs and so few picks, the question will be where Miami plans to spend their six draft picks (along with the possibility of adding more). 

Today we look at Miami's draft board, looking at their main positions of need: wide receiver, interior offensive line, linebacker, cornerback and even running back. We'll look at the top five players at each position and how they may fit with the Dolphins in 2015. 

Overall Big Board

Presented here is Bleacher Report's NFL draft big board, courtesy of Matt Miller. 

This is Miller's ranking of players, and from these rankings, we will look at the top players on the board in the positions Miami needs the most. 

Wide Receiver

The Dolphins currently boast a very decent wide receiver corps. 

The receivers are currently headlined by new free-agent acquisition Greg Jennings, who will help provide veteran leadership to one of the greenest groups on the Dolphins. 

Behind Jennings is Jarvis Landry, who as a rookie in 2014 had 84 catches for 758 yards and five touchdowns. 

Rounding out the group is new acquisition Kenny Stills, a speed threat acquired from New Orleans in exchange for Dannell Ellerbe's bloated contract and Miami's 2015 third-round pick. Stills had 63 catches for 931 yards and three touchdowns with the Saints in 2014 and will serve as Miami's deep threat. 

Little-used Rishard Matthews rounds out the group, a group that could use an alpha receiver. It is through the draft where Miami will look to find said receiver, and it's a good assumption to think that they will use one of their first two picks in the draft to do so. 

1. Kevin White, West Virginia

Miami has already been linked to West Virginia's Kevin White (Bleacher Report's top receiver in the draft) during the run-up to the draft. Rob Rang of CBSSports.com reported earlier in the month of April that Miami was exploring a trade up in the draft to acquire White. 

White has all of the tools you'd want in an alpha-dog receiver, coming in at 6'3" 215 pounds, while running a 4.35 40-yard dash last February at the NFL combine. At West Virginia, he had a senior season to remember with 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

White isn't as polished as Alabama's Amari Cooper, but the difference between the two isn't much. 

2. Amari Cooper, Alabama

Alabama's Amari Cooper has one major difference separating him from the other receivers on this list: He was the focal point of the Crimson Tide offense. 

The 6'1", 211-pound native of South Florida carried a huge load in the Alabama offense, grabbing 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns on his way to a third-place finish in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, as well as winning the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. 

A 34-inch vertical jump at Alabama's pro day also helps Cooper's stock, as he's shown to be the type of receiver to jump up and grab any pass thrown his way. 

3. DeVante Parker, Louisville

Louisville's DeVante Parker is Miami's most likely option at the position if they stay at 14, and it is my belief that the Dolphins hope to grab him on draft day more so than any other player, regardless of any report out there right now. 

The reasons to grab Parker are many, including his impressive size (6'3", 209 lbs) and gaudy numbers in a 2014 season when he was hurt for half of the season and played with three different quarterbacks (43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 19.9 yards per catch). 

Parker has great hands and an outstanding catch radius, being able to catch almost anything thrown his way. Getting jump balls won't be too big of a problem for Parker at the next level. 

4. Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri/Oklahoma

If any top wide receiver is going to fall into the second round, it will likely be Dorial Green-Beckham. 

The fall will come due to Green-Beckham's off-field issues at Missouri, issues that included illicit drugs and an investigation for domestic violence and got him booted off Missouri's football team after the 2013 season. 

It should be noted that Green-Beckham was never charged with any of the crimes he was accused of, and he transferred to Oklahoma in 2014, with NCAA transfer rules being what kept him off the field. Despite everything, both Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops and Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel were supportive of Green-Beckham during the process. 

Of any wide receiver in the draft, Green-Beckham has the most upside due to his impressive 6'5", 237-pound frame and his 4.49 40-yard dash. Comparisons for him have ranged from Calvin Johnson to A.J. Green to even Randy Moss. 

5. Jaelen Strong, Arizona

Jaelen Strong is the same height as former Dolphin Brian Hartline, coming in at 6'2", 217 pounds. 

But based off of his 42-inch vertical leap, you would think he was a 6'5" receiver. 

Strong had an outstanding 2014 with Arizona State, bringing down 82 catches for 1,165 yards and 10 touchdowns. He can run just about any route you ask him to, using his talents as a former high school basketball player to keep defenders at bay. 

Strong is not a fast player, but he's a strong one (no pun intended). He does well on contested throws, and his size and leaping ability are major assets to his game. 

If Miami trades down in the first round, he's the most likely target of any player. 

Offensive Line

It's no secret that Miami needs help with their offensive line. 

I expect the Dolphins to use one of their first two picks on a lineman, whether it's a player that played tackle in college and can move to guard in the pros or a natural guard. 

Because of that, guards and tackles are grouped into one, and I'll be focusing on players that fit either of those molds. 

1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa

Brandon Scherff is considered one of the safest prospects in the draft by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, and for very good reason. 

No one will doubt his toughness, as he suffered a knee injury back in September, had surgery, then came back. 

This happened in the span of a week. 

Scherff is a powerful run-blocker who does have issues with pass protection, but said issues are correctable. 

2. La'el Collins, LSU

Just 24 hours ago, I was sure Collins was on the Dolphins board, even choosing him in the Bleacher Report community mock draft after all of the receivers were gone. 

Since then, there has been some controversy surrounding Collins due to the murder of his ex-girlfriend and the detectives on the case wanting to question Collins. However, it should be noted that the police do not consider Collins to be a suspect in the case (per WAFB-TV, Baton Rouge). 

On the field, the 6'4", 305-pound Collins is looked at as a very solid pick due to his superb run-blocking ability and his size and athleticism. The fact that he can play both guard and tackle is also a plus, as what he has shown to be the best at is finishing on blocks and getting into the second level. 

His pass-blocking abilities aren't up to par with his run-blocking abilities yet, but that should be fixed once he's in the pros. 

3. Ereck Flowers, Miami 

I haven't been too much of a fan of Ereck Flowers for the Dolphins. 

The reason for that is I don't see him projecting as a guard, and while most linemen in this draft could use help on pass protection, Flowers could be a major liability in pass protection in his first couple of years in the NFL. 

He does have the size and talent, though, coming in at 6'6", 320 pounds, and he's an absolute mauler when it comes to run-blocking. 

Flowers should not be a first-round pick, for there are too many holes in his game, but due to the dearth of offensive line talent at the top of the draft, an offensive line-needy team will snatch him up. 

The Dolphins should not fall into this trap with Flowers, not at 14 or anywhere in the first round. 

4. Ali Marpet, Hobart

Ali Marpet is an intriguing small-school player, and based off of last year's draft, you know he has Dennis Hickey's attention. 

Marpet stands at 6'4", 307 pounds and has tremendous athleticism, running a 40-yard dash in 4.98 seconds while completing a three-cone drill in 7.33 seconds at February's NFL combine. Marpet performed well at the Senior Bowl, at times frustrating star Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton while playing guard despite spending most of his time at tackle in college. 

Marpet in the second or third round (if they trade into the round) would be an excellent pickup for the Dolphins. He's still a little green, but he has a lot of upside. 

5. Laken Tomlinson, Duke

On the other end of the upside coin is Duke's Laken Tomlinson. 

Tomlinson is a top guard prospect, a four-year starter and All-American, but he wouldn't be such a great fit for the Dolphins. 

Miami is more of a zone-blocking scheme, while Tomlinson likes to overpower players. When we have seen this mismatch of skill-level and scheme before, it hasn't turned out too well (think Richie Incognito, who struggled in the first half of 2013 prior to the incident that shall not be named, but will be a great fit in the Buffalo Bills' power-blocking scheme this season). 

Running Back

What type of running back do the Miami Dolphins really need? 

If you ask me, they need a complement to Lamar Miller, someone that can come in on third down and catch passes out of the backfield while having the power to alternate carries with Miller on four-minute drives at the end of the game. 

Others think the Dolphins need a featured running back and are jumping for the Dolphins to grab Gurley. 

Because of that, Miami could select a running back in virtually any round in this draft, so we'll look at the top two backs in the draft, plus a few more backs that could be had later on that fit Miami's offense. 

1. Todd Gurley, Georgia

The worst-kept secret in the draft (at least this week), is that Todd Gurley is the No. 1 target of the Miami Dolphins (per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald). 

I'm not a fan of this pick. The team has too many needs that need to be filled, and Gurley has too many questions surrounding his health. 

There's also the fact that I don't trust Miami's coaching staff to do what should be done if they get Todd Gurley: change the offense into one that's more of a 50-50 split in runs and passes and run the ball at least 25 times per game. 

Gurley is a tremendous talent, and when healthy, he should be back to dominating like he was at Georgia, but I see drafting Gurley as the equivalent of buying steak at the grocery store while forgetting to buy toilet paper and toothpaste. 

2. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

If the Dolphins trade down in Round 1 and pick up an additional second- or third-round pick, and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon is on the board, I'd be more forgiving if he were the pick. 

Gordon had the second-most rushing yards in a single season in NCAA Division 1-FBS history with 2,587 in 2014 and set the single-game record with 408 yards against Nebraska. He led the country in touchdowns with 29 and averaged 7.6 yards per carry over his final two seasons. 

Gordon is an outstanding between-the-tackles runner and would fit Miami's current offense better than Gurley. 

3. Jay Ajayi, Boise State

Boise State's Ajayi is the only player in Division 1-FBS history with 1,500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving. 

His 6'0", 221-pound frame is an asset, along with how well he can move his feet and his ability to get yards after contact. 

The only issue is Ajayi at times doesn't have the vision needed at the position, in such a way that's very reminiscent of Lamar Miller. While Ajayi is a better backfield receiver and blocker than Miller, the pairing might be looked at as being redundant. 

4. Karlos Williams, Florida State

FSU's Karlos Williams has excellent size (6'1", 230 pounds) and very impressive speed, as he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. 

Williams was a much more intriguing prospect following his junior season than he became this year, as his average was cut nearly in half from 8.0 yards per carry to 4.6 and he ran for 689 yards in 2014 compared to his 2013 total of 730 despite getting more carries his senior season. 

The fact that he would lose his job to a freshman is a concern as well, but as a complement, he makes sense, as you can gear a four-minute offense around him and he still has blazing speed. 

5. David Johnson, Northern Iowa

Miami only ran the ball 399 times last season, and the offense relies more on quick passes. 

With an offense like that, you need a running back who can complement Lamar Miller—someone who can catch passes out of the backfield and pass-block when necessary. Johnson makes the most sense out of any running back in this draft to fill that role. 

Johnson has size (6'0", 224 pounds) and speed (4.50 40-yard dash). He's strong too, as he put up 25 reps in the bench press at the NFL combine.  

Miami needs a third-down back, and Johnson fits the bill well. 

Linebacker

Miami needs depth at linebacker, and it would behoove them to either draft one in the second round or trade into the third round to find the linebacker that's the best fit for him. 

The good news is, there's plenty of depth in the second through fifth rounds to help take care of this need, and if they even used a first-round pick at linebacker, it would make sense. 

1. Eric Kendricks, UCLA

UCLA's Eric Kendricks has good size for middle linebacker at 6'0", 232 pounds. His instincts are impressive, as he has the ability to quickly diagnose and shut down run plays. 

In pass coverage, Kendricks does well, showing the ability to cover running backs and tight ends one-on-one in pass plays. 

A very skilled tackler, Kendricks has shown great ability to be aggressive, and he always tends to find himself near the ball. 

2. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State

The Dolphins run a 4-3 base defense and since 2012 have been in dire need of a true middle linebacker. Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney fits what the Dolphins have lacked and has the size (6'5", 249 pounds), speed and athleticism to flourish in Kevin Coyle's defense. 

McKinney had a breakout season in 2014 as the leader of one of the top defenses in the country, and in his last two seasons at Mississippi State, he recorded 173 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. 

The middle linebacker spot is where the Dolphins need the most help, as it's been a revolving door since 2012 and featured Koa Misi in 2014. Misi would be better served moving back to strong-side linebacker with McKinney moving to the middle. 

If the Dolphins decide to go for a linebacker in Round 2, McKinney would be their best option. 

3. Denzel Perryman, Miami

Denzel Perryman is looking like a third-round pick right now. 

Part of that is his size (5'11", 242 pounds), and part of that can be blamed on Al Golden and Mark D'Onofrio's reign of defensive incompetence at Miami. 

Despite that, Perryman still looks like an impressive prospect. He has excellent tackling instincts and great leadership, and he is decent enough in coverage to be able to get by. 

4. Paul Dawson, TCU

If you look at the numbers for Paul Dawson, it's impressive. 

Dawson led TCU with 136 tackles, including 20 for losses, and made four interceptions on his way to being selected Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12.

So far so good, and Dawson has decent size as well at 6'0", 235 pounds with outstanding athletic ability. 

The main issue with Dawson is he's not a great tackler. After two years of Philip Wheeler, Miami might want to avoid another whiffer at linebacker, and Dawson appears to be way too hit-or-miss. 

5. Ramik Wilson, Georgia

The 6'2", 237-pound Georgia linebacker Ramik Wilson has the ability to play any linebacker position, versatility that is valued in Miami's current defensive setup. 

Wilson's final two seasons at Georgia were impressive, as he racked up 243 tackles, 18 for a loss and six sacks. 

The big issue with Wilson is how he plays in coverage, a huge issue while playing in the AFC East and having to be matched up against players like Rob Gronkowski and Charles Clay. 

Cornerback

A good argument could be made that this is the position where the Dolphins could use the most help. 

The jury is still out on the oft-injured Jamar Taylor, Will Davis looks more fit to play safety and the rest of the corners on Miami's roster fit more as a slot corner or safety. 

Then there's Brent Grimes, who is still productive but will be turning 32 this season. 

Unfortunately for Miami, the position is very thin in this year's draft, with only two cornerbacks likely to go in Round 1. 

1. Marcus Peters, Washington

Peters is the best fit at cornerback for the Miami Dolphins. 

Taking him based off his talent alone should be a no-brainer. He has great size for the position and tremendous athleticism. 

Peters has the production to back this up, too. In 35 games in three seasons, he has 93 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 27 pass deflections and 11 interceptions. 

The problem is Peters was difficult to deal with at Washington, which led to him being kicked off the team last November. He might be too much for head coach Joe Philbin to handle considering Philbin's history with "difficult" players. 

2. Trae Waynes, Michigan State

Trae Waynes has the height (6'0", 186 pounds), skill and attributes I want in a cornerback, and he wouldn't just be the next No. 2 cornerback for the Dolphins, but their top corner for years to come.

Waynes has tremendous speed and agility, running the 40-yard dash at the combine in 4.31 seconds. While his height is fantastic, his length (31" arms) is even better. 

The problem with Waynes is that he just doesn't fit on this defense, as he's a grabby corner better suited for press coverage, not the zone coverage employed in Miami.

3. Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest

At 6'0", 188 pounds, Kevin Johnson is a lanky corner with plenty of length and an excellent 41.5" vertical leap recorded at the combine. 

Johnson's play can translate into zone coverage, but is seen as more of a man coverage corner. He finished 2014 with 44 tackles, but more impressive is the fact that he allowed only 24 completions all season long in 2014. 

His coverage skills are decent enough to warrant consideration in Round 2, and he could step in right away and become Miami's No. 2 cornerback before eventually taking over for Brent Grimes. 

4. Jalen Collins, LSU

The fact that Collins is 6'1", 203 pounds is an obvious plus, especially since on film he looks very fast and agile.

Everything about Collins screams that he should be a top-tier cornerback, but I do have questions about the fact that he's only started 10 games in his career.

There are obvious holes in his game, but those can be developed with the right coaching and in the right situation. Unfortunately, Collins has "multiple failed drug tests" per NFL.com's Albert Breer, and in light of what has happened with Dion Jordan, Miami might want to stay away. 

5. Quinten Rollins, Miami of Ohio

Quinten Rollins only played football at Miami of Ohio in 2014, but in that year he made a big impact with 72 tackles, 16 passes defended and seven interceptions, earning team MVP and MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. 

At the combine, he ran a 4.57 40-yard dash and possesses good skill for a zone cornerback. 

Despite the inexperience, he might be ready to challenge for the second cornerback job if drafted by the Dolphins, and he would complement Brent Grimes well. 

Statistics provided by sports-reference.com/cfb. 

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