NFL Draft 2011: Could Dolphins Land Prince Amukamara?

Pat Kirwan of NFL.com has the Miami Dolphins selecting CB Prince Amukamara out of Nebraska at No. 15 in the 2011 NFL Draft.

As I read this, I thought it was crazy for several reasons.

For one, I did not think Amukamara would be available at 15.

Secondly, there is no way the Dolphins could go defense with their first-round pick, right? The Dolphins had the 30th-ranked offense last season, so clearly upgrades are needed.

However, after taking a minute to really think about it, getting Amukamara at No. 15 would be a great thing.

If the Dolphins are unable to trade down, then Amukamara is a far more value pick at 15 than any offensive linemen, quarterback or running back. To get top 10 talent at 15 is never something a team wants to turn down.

Now is CB a major need?

Probably not, but I think it is a need.

Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have been good, but they have had problems hanging on to INTs. Smith looked much better last year lined up on the inside. Nolan Carroll probably fits best as a dime back. This leaves a void for another outside corner.

With so many offenses in the NFL (especially the Dolphins key division rival New England Patriots) lining up in a lot more three WR sets, the demand for CBs is extremely high.

Look no further than the New York Jets last season, they spent their first-round pick on a CB (Kyle Wilson), despite having Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie on their roster.

Amukamara is a shutdown corner who is a solid tackler in run support. He had five INTs in his junior year, but none in his senior year as opposing teams were afraid to throw at him.

Seems crazy for the Dolphins to take a CB, but if they can land Prince Amukamara, then they need to pull the trigger.