NFL Draft 2011: Blaine Gabbert, Miami Dolphins Arrange Private Workout

The Miami Dolphins have scheduled a private workout with former Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert, according to Dennis Dillon of Sporting News.

Gabbert, who is widely regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft class, shone at his pro day yesterday and has drawn interest from the Denver Broncos (No. 2), Buffalo Bills (No. 3) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 12), among others.

Taking over for Chase Daniel in 2009, Gabbert started two seasons in Missouri's spread offense before declaring for the 2011 NFL draft following his junior season.

In three seasons for the Tigers, Gabbert totaled 6,822 yards and 40 touchdowns against 18 interceptions, earning honorable mention All-Big 12 honors both as a sophomore and junior.

Measuring in at 6'4" and 234 pounds, Gabbert possesses the ideal size and arm strength for an NFL quarterback. He also offers nice athleticism for his size, running the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds with a strong 1.59 10-yard split.

There are concerns about Gabbert's ability to translate from Missouri's spread attack to a pro-style offense taking snaps from under center, but he has shown strong general intellect with a Wonderlic score of 31 and has reportedly diagrammed plays and coverages for NFL teams with ease.

Although slightly less heralded than Auburn's Cam Newton, Gabbert is probably a safer prospect due to his intelligence and passing ability. His draft stock is a little all over the place, with some having him first overall to the Panthers, and others having him fall to the middle of the first round.

It seems unlikely, however, that Gabbert will be available when the Dolphins are on the clock at 15th overall, although he is certainly one of the few prospects the team would consider at that spot rather than trading down as they are expected to do.

As he will likely be out of Miami's reach, Gabbert will need to use his private workout and interview to convince the Dolphins that he's worth trading up to acquire in the draft's top 10 picks, which will be even more difficult without a second-rounder to dangle.

Known Prospects to Have Drawn Pre-Draft Interest from Dolphins

• OL Byron Bell, New Mexico (interest)
• OLB Ricky Elmore, Arizona (private workout/interview/film study, Mar. 14)
• QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri (private workout, TBD)
• QB Colin Kaepernick, Nevada (private workout, Mar.)
• WR Terrence McCrae, Ohio (private workout at pro day, Mar. 10)
• QB Cam Newton, Auburn (private workout, TBD)
• QB Josh Portis, California (Pa.) (private workout at QB/WR, Mar. 22)
• OLB Brooks Reed, Arizona (visit and/or private workout, TBD)
• TE Julius Thomas, Portland State (attended pro day, Mar. 14)
• TE D. J. Williams, Arkansas (private workout, Mar.)

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Chris J. Nelson graduated with a degree in journalism from Georgia State University and currently works for Turner Sports in Atlanta. He operates his own Miami Dolphins website, The Miami Dolphins Spotlight, and he can be followed on Twitter here.