2011 Senior Bowl: Prospects Miami Dolphins Fans Should Keep an Eye On

This Saturday, January 29th at 4:00 pm the Senior Bowl will be televised on the NFL Network.

So who should Miami Dolphins fans be paying close attention to?

Here is a breakdown of the best players at the positions that the Dolphins need (the realistic possibility of the Dolphins being able to draft the players is taken into consideration, that means I did not include any guys projected for the second round).

Running Back

Noel Devine- West Virginia

At 5'7" 160 lbs his size is a major concern that will have him drop to the later rounds. His speed is what makes him an exciting possible pick.

If he was paired with a power back, he could be a great compliment for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins have lacked break-away speed at the running back position for too long.

Kendall Hunter- Oklahoma State

The same description applies to him as Noel Devine except Hunter is 5'7" 199 lbs. He is also not quite as fast as Devine, but is slightly stronger than Devine so he may be able to hold up better in the NFL than Devine.

DeMarco Murray- Oklahoma

He is 6'0" 214 lbs and has a well-balanced skill set. He has pretty good speed for his size and has great strength. He was never able to put it all together at Oklahoma which is going to hurt his draft stock, but he is a great receiving back which the Dolphins could really use.

Speed Wide Receiver

Edmund Gates- Abielene Christian

A bit of an unknown, but he is the fastest wide receiver at the Senior Bowl. He is 6'0" 180 lbs and runs a 4.43 40 yard dash. He is projected as a late-round to undrafted prospect, so he would be worth the risk without having to waste a high draft pick.

Titus Young- Boise State

Like Gates, he runs a 4.43 40 yard dash. He is 5'11" 174 lbs and projected as a third round pick.

That may be too high for the Dolphins to take him, since wide receiver is not a pressing need. However, if he slips to the fourth or fifth rounds, then he could be a steal for the Dolphins.

Ronald Johnson- USC

He has the same measurables as Gates and Young and is projected around the third or fourth round. He has good hands and is a good route runner, injuries have always been his problem. When healthy, he is a solid wide receiver.

Defensive Tackle

Ian Williams- Notre Dame

If the Dolphins decide not to bring back Paul Solai, then defensive tackle becomes a major need. Williams is strong and is a good tackler for a DT.

He is projected as a fourth round pick mainly because he is coming off a knee injury that kept him out of four games this past season. However, until that injury he has been healthy his whole career.

Sione Fua- Stanford

Like Williams, is projected as mid-round pick. Fua helped the Stanford run defense improve from 55th in the country to 19th. He is good at taking up space and allowing his LBs to make plays.

Quarterback

Jake Locker- Washington

He would have to be the Dolphins first round pick. A strong Senior Bowl could improve his dropping draft stock. The Dolphins would also have to decide if QB is the direction they want to go in the first round, so they will be paying close attention to what Locker does in the Bowl.

Ricky Stanzi- Iowa

Stanzi is an interesting possible late-round pick. He lost almost all his skill players as the season went on and his numbers hurt because of it. He played well in Iowa's bowl game, so a strong performance in the Senior Bowl could make him worth a fourth or fifth round pick.

Tight End

Lance Kendricks- Wisconsin

He is an athletic 6'3" tight end, something the Dolphins really need. He is a projected third round pick so he would have to have a great Senior Bowl for the Dolphins to want to take him that high.

Offensive Line

Kristofer O'Dowd- USC

O'Dowd is a mid-round center prospect. He is big at 6'4" and 303 lbs. If the Dolphins pass on Pouncey in the first round then O'Dowd could be their third or fourth round pick.

Marcus Gilbert- Florida

Gilbert is a mid-round tackle prospect. He is 6'6" 329 lbs and has experience at both tackle positions. If the Dolphins decide they want to bring in some bargain value competition for RT Vernon Carey, Gilbert could be that guy.