South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Senior Bowl offers up-close look at 2 Alabama stars
A dream scenario seems to be playing out for the Miami Dolphins, who will have two of the 2021 NFL draft’s best offensive prospects on their team during next week’s Senior Bowl.
Alabama star receiver Devonta Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, and his teammate, tailback Najee Harris, have committed to participate in next week’s showcase game for the draft’s top senior prospects, and they have been assigned to the National team that will be coached by the Dolphins.
That means Brian Flores and his staff will spend an entire week coaching Smith and Harris — who are both projected as possible firstround picks and likely targets for the playmaker-starved Dolphins — along with others, gaining an intimate understanding of their personalities, work ethic and football acumen.
If Smith and Harris don’t pull out of participating in next week’s Senior Bowl because of injuries — Smith suffered a hand injury a week ago, while Harris is nursing an ankle injury — a strong week of practice could ensure they both end up as first-round picks.
It is possible that Smith, who amassed 1,856 receiving yards and had 23 receiving touchdowns last season, could attend Senior Bowl meetings and practices, but not participate in practices or the game because of his injury.
In the national championship game, Smith had 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in
the first half of the Crimson Tide’s
52-24 win over Ohio State. He didn’t play in the second half after dislocating a finger on his right hand, adding fuel to the perception that his thin frame (listed at 6-foot1, 175 pounds) could lead to durability concerns in the NFL.
The same applies for Harris. But since the NFL combine has been canceled and exposure to draft prospects will be limited like last year due to COVID-19, any opportunity scouts and coaches have to interact with draft prospects is extremely valuable.
According to Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, the team’s top priority this offseason is to add playmakers to the roster, and Smith and Harris certainly could fill that void.
The Dolphins gained 1,688 rushing yards on 428 attempts, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry, and scored 15 rushing touchdowns last season. They ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game (105.5) and 29th in yards per carry (3.94).
Miami’s struggles running the ball often handcuffed its run-pass option plays, or RPOs, and play-action
offense.
Harris, who rushed for 3,843 yards on 638 carries and scored 57 touchdowns during his fouryear career at Alabama, looks like a perfect fit for Miami’s scheme.
Not only does he run with power and vision, but he also has pass-catching ability out of the backfield (80 receptions for 781 yards and 11 touchdown catches) and can pass block.
Smith led the Crimson Tide in receptions the past two seasons and finished his Alabama career with 3,965 yards and 46 touchdowns on 235 receptions.
His ability to create separation from defensive backs and produce yards after a catch would fill a void the Dolphins have had since Albert Wilson suffered a hip injury in 2018.
The Dolphins own the Nos. 3 and 18 picks in the first round of April’s draft and hold four among the top 50 picks — courtesy of the trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans before last season.
The other draft-eligible tailbacks on the Dolphins’ Senior Bowl National team are North Carolina’s Michael Carter, Oklahoma’s Rhamondre Stevenson, UCLA’s Demetric Felton and Virginia Tech’s Khalil Herbert.
The tight ends are Virginia’s Tony Poljan, Ole Miss’ Kenny Yeboah and Boston College’s Hunter Long.
Outside of Smith, the receivers on the National team are Notre Dame’s Ben Skowronek, Louisville’s Desmond Fitzpatrick, Western Michigan’s D’Wayne Eskridge, South Dakota State’s Chad Johnson, Oklahoma State’s Tyler Wallace, Arizona State’s Frank Darby and Michigan’s Nico Collins, who sat out the season due to COVID-19 concerns.
Senior Bowl rosters routinely change because players pull out of the game for personal reasons or injuries. So don’t be surprised if the rosters for both the National and American team, which will be coached by the Carolina Panthers, change before both squads begin practicing and meeting on Monday.