Miami Dolphins Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying
Miami Dolphins' mock drafts are as important a part of draft season as the draft itself, if for no other reason than their sheer entertainment value.
Last week, we had one of our own, and there will be a sequel to that coming soon.
Do mock drafts provide a look into the crystal ball? Absolutely not. At best, they are educated guesses based on team needs and who is the best available player for those needs at that time. At its worst, it's merely an exercise in mental gymnastics that allows you to kill five minutes at work while reading it.
We're going to round up some mock drafts as we scan the media to look at what the experts are saying about who the Miami Dolphins will select in the 2016 NFL draft.
Ike Taylor, NFL.com
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NFL Network aired "NFL Mock Draft Live" on Sunday night, where eight of their analysts role-played as the general managers of NFL teams and pointed out who they wanted as their first-round pick.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor was Miami's GM during the draft, and he selected defensive end Shaq Lawson out of Clemson for the first-round pick.
Defensive end is considered by many as a major need for the Dolphins due to the loss of Olivier Vernon and the ages of current possible starters Cameron Wake and Mario Williams, so this would be a good pick.
Taylor explained the pick by saying: "He's gonna cause havoc. He's gonna cause pressure." That is something Miami certainly needs up front.
Taylor also spoke at length about Lawson's penchant for getting tackles for a loss at Clemson, and he described him as being "his TFL guy" on Miami's roster.
I like Lawson, but there's a lot about him that screams "trade down." Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both have the 21-year-old going 19th in their mock drafts, and it looks likely that he can slip even further than that.
Lawson to the Dolphins is a nice pick up, but it would be nicer if it came at pick 15-18 with an additional third-round pick included in such a deal.
Rob Rang, CBSSports.com/NFLDraftScout.com
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From defensive end to linebacker as we head to CBSSports.com/NFLDraftScout.com's Rob Rang, who has the Dolphins selecting Ohio State outside linebacker Darron Lee.
Rang's rationale for selecting Lee is solid, per CBS Sports:
"Even with defensive linemen Ndamukong Suh and Olivier Vernon often drawing multiple blockers, Miami's linebackers struggled to make big plays a year ago. Lee remains a bit raw after leaving Ohio State as just a redshirt sophomore but his talent is obvious. A former quarterback and safety, Lee combines a unique perspective on coverage with outstanding athleticism, including closing speed and explosiveness as a hitter.
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It's Lee's rawness that has me a little hesitant on picking him up. While the speed is certainly there, it looks like he lacks power at times, and he seems to look more like a safety than he does a linebacker.
On the plus side, Lee's speed should allow him to at least keep up with the likes of Rob Gronkowski and other big tight ends on Miami's schedule (it should be noted that Gronk comes in Week 2, with Jimmy Graham coming in Week 1).
Size-wise (Lee is 6'1" 232 lbs), he doesn't match up to the big tight ends very well, but at least keeping up with them should give quarterbacks pause before throwing it there way.
Lance Zierling of NFL.com said of Lee: "Can get better at finding targets in zone coverage." He's going to have to if he becomes a Dolphin.
He can certainly do that, but I have my doubts as to how much of a fit he would be for Miami compared to Alabama's Reggie Ragland.
Much like Ragland (and Shaq Lawson), the selection of Lee would be better if it came via trade down.
Charles Davis, NFL.com
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It seems like just about every Ohio State alum bar Craig Krenzel is being mocked to the Dolphins, as Charles Davis of NFL.com has cornerback Eli Apple as his pick for Miami.
I like this fit a lot more than most people as Apple seems well suited for Vance Joseph's defense and reminds me a bit of Brent Grimes if Grimes was 6'1" and more physical.
"Once he ran 4.4 at the combine, his already impressive resume really got a boost. He should fit nicely into what new Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph likes to do with his corners.
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Like the other players mocked to the Dolphins here so far, I'd consider a trade down before selecting Apple as it's likely he'll be available later in the first round than 13.
However, unlike the previous two players, I'd have to think hard and long about said trade down because Apple doesn't seem as much of a lock to be there past 16 as the players previously mentioned.
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James Walker, ESPN.com
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ESPN's James Walker went above and beyond most mock draft prognosticators by going three rounds with his mock draft.
In round one, Walker went with the pick that looks to be the safest out of any in the draft and the one that Dolphins fans might be happiest about: Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.
While Walker doubts that Elliott will be available for the Dolphins at 13 (and I hope he isn't), he calls it the "ideal scenario" for Miami, and he isn't the only prognosticator with similar views.
I disagree with that being the case. While running back is certainly a need, it's not the biggest need for the Dolphins and should not be a first-round priority.
Walker's second-round pick is Virginia Tech cornerback Kendall Fuller, which would be a fine selection due to his playmaking abilities and nose for the football.
Rounding out Walker's three-round draft is Boise State guard Rees Odhiambo, who not only can play guard but also fill in at tackle. He has good size, but I'm too iffy on his medical history to say I'd approve of the pick in that round over a Christian Westerman.
It's a solid mock but not one I'd get excited for other than the Fuller selection.
Todd McShay, ESPN.com
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In terms of overall quality, Todd McShay of ESPN seems to have the best Dolphins mock draft.
That's not to say I agree with all of it, as I'm not too big a fan of Shaq Lawson at 13 (as mentioned in the Rob Rang slide).
The second- and third-round picks are selections I do like, as McShay has Miami taking Kendall Fuller and Louisiana Tech running back Kenneth Dixon.
Dixon has the traits of a three-down starter in the NFL despite the fact that his pass-protection is suspect. Yet I've heard that complaint about plenty of running backs in the past, and it always seems to be overblown (on the flip side I still remember hearing about how Daniel Thomas started over Lamar Miller because of his abilities in pass-protection, abilities that he seemed to lack greatly).
Dixon has plenty of power when he runs and would complement Jay Ajayi nicely in the backfield. It's a good third-round pick for Miami as long as cornerback and defensive end or linebacker are addressed in the first two rounds.
Omar Kelly, the Sun-Sentinel
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Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel chose the exact same person I would choose in Round 1 in his mock draft, going with Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.
Kelly said:
"The Dolphins need to find a starting cornerback to put opposite Byron Maxwell and Hargreaves III is the most polished option in this draft class. Hargreaves has good size (5-foot-10), long arms, and possesses impressive ball skills (10 interceptions in three seasons).
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The only corner I'd place ahead of Hargreaves would be Jaylon Ramsey, but there's no way Ramsey would be available at 13, so Hargreaves would have to do.
It's not a bad consolation prize, though. In fact, if he's still on the board at 13, I wouldn't consider trading the pick down, and he's one of only three players (along with Myles Jack and Ramsey) I would say that about this year.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
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ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. must not have a lot of faith in Miami doing anything right in the draft.
I don't blame him for that lack of faith, one shared by many Dolphins fans, and it has to be the only explanation for why his Dolphins mock draft looks as bad as it does.
Kiper's three-round mock has the Dolphins selecting Darron Lee at 13, Baylor CB Xavien Howard in round two, and Cal WR Kenny Lawler in round three.
While Miami could use one more wide receiver, I wouldn't select one in the first three rounds. That's not a critique on any of the receivers in this year's draft (and there are plenty of good ones out there), that's a statement about Miami's biggest need, which can be best described as everywhere but wide receiver.
As for the second-round pick, Kiper has Miami selecting Xavien Howard, who is projected elsewhere to be somewhere between a second- and third-round pick. If he's going in the second round, it means Kendall Fuller and Artie Burns likely went in the first round due to a massive run on cornerbacks.
I'm not a fan of his, as he's undisciplined on the field and his tape looks very uneven. I even left him off my big board, and that omission was by design.
As for Darron Lee, while it's a decent pick, it's still one I'd rather pick later in the first round via a trade down.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
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According to NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, "This is the dream scenario for the Dolphins."
He's talking about Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, a dream scenario for many, but for me, not something to get too excited about.
Elliott has plenty of highlights in college and will be a solid NFL running back.
In round one I don't want solid from a running back, I want better, especially if I'm neglecting other, more pressing needs.
Elliott is less impressive than Todd Gurley (someone I liked but was against drafting last year), and less impressive than some of the running backs expected to come out in 2017 (I'd take each of the top four listed by WalterFootball.com over Elliott).
So why is Elliott looked at as such a "dream scenario" for the Dolphins?
Running back is a need, but not necessarily a priority. Pairing Jay Ajayi with someone selected later in the draft (even if by later, they mean the second round) would be better for the team long term because it will allow the Dolphins to fortify their defense.
I'm not buying Elliott as the "dream scenario." While he's a good player, I'd rather Miami tackle some more pressing needs, especially on defense.
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