RBs, opt-outs views offer clue
Those opinions could shape team’s draft plans
Let’s take a break from the talk of the Miami Dolphins targeting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama’s DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle with their No. 6 pick to focus on two other issues in this week’s 2021 NFL draft:
The Dolphins have a need for a top-tier running back, a year after failing to land one in a loaded class even when having the most picks among NFL teams in the 2020 draft.
The 2021 class boasts three top-tier tailbacks in Alabama’s Najee Harris, Clemson’s Travis Etienne and North Carolina’s Javonte Williams — who could all be gone by the second round.
For the Dolphins, it’s just a matter of deciding which of their remaining top 50 picks — No. 18 in the first round, and Nos. 36 and 50 in the second round — is worth investing at the position.
“People talk about valuing and devaluing positions. At the end of the day, I think teams are always looking at their rosters and evaluating, and good players get picked where teams feel that value is for their roster,” Dolphins GM Chris Grier said this past week.
Harris — college teammates with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — may be the best of the group and might have the best chance of being a first-round pick.
If the Dolphins value Harris in the same light, they could draft him with the No. 18 pick with hopes that a talented edge rusher — another glaring need — is available in the second round.
While it may be difficult to forecast how early Harris will drafted, the Dolphins would be smart to keep an eye on the Steelers, who have the No. 24 pick, and the three teams ahead of their fourth pick in the second round: The Jaguars, Jets and Falcons.
If the Dolphins’ hope is to land Etienne, the ACC’s career rushing yards leader, or Williams, who some believe might be better than both Harris and Etienne, they might have some competition with teams who need running backs between their Nos. 36 and 50 picks like the Eagles, Bengals, Broncos, Patriots, Chargers and Cardinals.
Either way, the Dolphins must avoid what happened last year when they missed out on J.K. Dobbins, who was taken by the Ravens one spot before Miami’s No. 56 pick.
“It’s a good group of backs,” Grier said. “At the end of the day, where they all fall, they’re all good players and they’ll be good players in this league.”
As for another issue the Dolphins and rest of the NFL are dealing with during the draft is the subject of player opt-outs and how
they affect team evaluations.
Some players either opted out before the 2020 season or decided to opt out during the season. Still, many could be first-round picks this year.
They include: North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, LSU’s Chase, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell, Northwestern left tackle Rashawn Slater, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn, Miami defensive end Greg Rousseau, Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins and Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi.
If the Dolphins want a talented player who may be missing some valuable experience or game film from last season, they’ll depend on their own evaluations and relationships with colleges to make their decision.
“I don’t think we can hold that against these players. Even some of the guys that played this year only played four or five games because of pandemic rules at their schools. You go back, you watch the 2019 season,” Grier said of the players who opted out last season.
“I think our scouts and coaches have all done a great job of working through that process and spending time here getting to know these players. It’s a challenging year. Every team is dealing with the same level playing field. At the end of the day, you just get as much information as you can and rely on the relationships that scouts and coaches have with the schools to really get to know these players. … At the end of the day, you really can’t punish these kids [for opting out].”