Dolphins picks: Rounds 3 through 7
Here are the Dolphins selections from the third through the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft:
Jerome Baker
Pos./round: Linebacker/third School: Ohio State Year: Junior Ht.: 6-1; Wt.: 229 Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio Comment: Baker figures to start alongside MLB Raekwon McMillan and WLB Kiko Alonso. He projects as a WLB, but Alonso has position flexibility so he could move. … Baker regards his football IQ and speed as two of his best traits. … Baker had 72 tackles (eight for losses) and 3.5 sacks last season. He also had two interceptions and three fumble recoveries. … Baker is regarded as a big-play player. He had 13 tackles in a victory over No. 8 Wisconsin in 2016, an interception in a victory against Michigan that same year, and 16 tackles in the Big Ten championship victory over Wisconsin last season.
Durham Smythe
Pos./round: Tight end/fourth School: Penn State Year: Senior Ht.: 6-5; Wt.: 253 Hometown: Belton, Texas Comment: Smythe, whose forte is blocking, was a little-used receiver, totaling 15 receptions for 244 yards and one touchdown as a senior. … He was used even less as a receiver as a junior when he totaled nine receptions for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Smythe had shoulder and knee injuries in 2015 as a junior that required surgeries and forced him to miss the final 10 games. … He had touchdowns against Army, Navy and Michigan State as a junior. … Smythe had one reception for 16 yards in Notre Dame’s 41-8 loss at Miami in November.
Kalen Ballage
Pos./round: Running back/fourth School: Arizona State Year: Senior Ht.: 6-2; Wt.: 228 Hometown: Peyton, Colo. Comment: Ballage is a three-down back who can run the ball, catch the ball and pass block, which are basic requirements for running backs in coach Adam Gase’s offense. … Ballage, who said he loves returning kickoffs, said he’s played on all units of special teams. He will enter offseason workouts no better than the No. 3 back behind starter Kenyan Drake and backup Frank Gore. … Ballage is a big back who could thrive in a passing offense such as Miami’s. … He rushed for 1,984 yards on 450 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns in his college career. … Ballage also had 82 receptions for 684 yards and two touchdowns.
Cornell Armstrong
Pos./round: Cornerback/sixth School: Southern Mississippi Year: Senior
Ht.: 5-11; Wt.: 180 Hometown: Bassfield, Miss. Comment: Armstrong recorded 146 tackles, five interceptions and forced one fumble in his four-year career at Southern Mississippi. … He missed three games his senior season with an injury, but still managed to contribute 22 tackles and two interceptions. … According to ProFootballFocus.com, he allowed 17 receptions on 46 targets in 2017. … Armstrong posted a 39-inch vertical leap and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Quentin Poling
Pos./round: Linebacker/seventh School: Ohio University Year: Senior
Ht.: 6-foot; Wt.: 235 Hometown: Gomer, Ohio Comment: Poling had 373 tackles, 18 sacks, seven interceptions and forced five fumbles during his four seasons as a starter for Ohio University. … He had an impressive total of 43.5 career tackles for loss, and plenty of his success on those plays are credited to his instincts and ability to diagnose plays before they happen. However, he doesn’t have a downhill game, which means he’s more of a chase-and-tackle linebacker, and he often times waits for runners instead of bringing the contact to them. … He ran a 4.58 40-yards dash with a 38-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot-7 broad jump, which indicates that he’s a pretty good athlete.
Jason Sanders
Pos./round: Kicker/seventh School: New Mexico Year: Senior
Ht.: 5-11; Wt.: 190 Hometown: Villa Park, Calif. Comment: Sanders connected on 25 of his 35 career attempts in his three seasons as the Lobos kicker, and had a career-long of 53 yards . ... Last season, Sanders made 10-of-15 field goals and all 28 of his extra point attempts. … He was 2 of 3 on field goals from 50-yards or longer last season, and four of his misses were from 40-yards or longer.