Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
How the Dolphins could use picks
Strategies Miami may explore to help team
The Miami Dolphins have eight selections in the 2018 NFL draft, which takes place April 26-28, and many of those selections could be used to address the team’s remaining needs.
Here’s a look at where the Dolphins are selecting, and what will likely be in play for Miami based on what the franchise has done so far this offseason:
Round 1 (pick No.
11): The Dolphins want to select a quarterback, and seem to be infatuated with Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. But the odds of them getting the Heisman Trophy winner at pick No. 11 are slim, and they likely need to trade up to select one of the top four quarterbacks, considering the Bills are positioning themselves to trade up from pick No. 12. I’m not sure giving up a future first- or second-round pick is worth it for a quarterback who will likely spend 2018 as Ryan Tannehill’s backup. That’s why I anticipate one of this draft’s top-shelf defenders — Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds or Florida State safety Derwin James — being available at No. 11, and becoming Miami’s first-round selection. Both Smith and Edmunds would work well as Lawrence Timmons’ replacement, playing alongside Kiko Alonso and Raekwon McMillan.
Round 2 (pick No. 42): There’s a strong possibility this pick will be used on a quarterback like Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, a South Florida native, or Oklahoma
State’s Mason Rudolph if they haven’t already been selected in the first or early second round. But the second round might also be the ideal time to address tight end, defensive tackle or running back — if linebacker has already been addressed in round one. Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews and South Dakota State’s Dallas Goedert are viewed as the top tight ends, and both will likely be selected somewhere between picks No. 20-100. The draft features about half a dozen tailbacks, including Oregon’s Royce Freeman, San Diego State’s Rashaad Perry and Georgia’s Nick Chubb, who can eventually become future starters. If the Dolphins want someone to push Kenyan Drake, taking a tailback in the second or third round is ideal. The top defensive tackles are not home runs, so don’t be surprised if a player projected as a first-round pick slides and Miami uses a second-round pick to select him — like they did drafting Jordan Phillips in the second round of the 2015 draft. Round 3 (pick No. 73): The Dolphins’ position of need — quarterback, defensive tackle, linebacker, running back and tight end — that hasn’t been addressed with their first two picks becomes a necessity at this point. It is possible that Miami could wait until the third day of the draft for a quarterback like Western Kentucky’s Mike White or Washington State’s Luke Falk, especially since that player is going to be a development project in Year 1. The Dolphins can’t afford to leave the draft empty handed at tight end and defensive tackle. They need a defensive tackle that can step in and start because Phillips, Davone Godchaux and Vincent Taylor won’t be enough to carry that unit all season.
Round 4 (picks No. 123
and 131): This is likely Miami’s last chance to find a rookie with starter-level talent. At least that’s how most teams view fourthround picks. In past years, the Dolphins have landed tailback Lamar Miller (2012) and tight end Dion Sims (2013) in the fourth round, and the common thread in those fourthround gems is that Miami selected a player who had concerns. Miller was a medical red flag because of his troublesome shoulder, and Sims entered the draft with character concerns because of an arrest during college. That means these selections should be the two times the Dolphins swing for the fences, making risky picks. This could also be the Dolphins’ last shot to select a decent quarterback to serve as Tannehill’s primary backup, or a talented tailback like UM’s Mark Walton, who could potentially be groomed to serve as Drake’s backup.
Round 6 (pick No.
209): At this point the Dolphins should be trying to add players who could bring immediate value as a core special teams contributor. Miami’s linebacker unit needs to be fortified, adding players who could challenge Stephone Anthony, Chase Allen and Mike Hull for playing time, and roster spots. And if the Dolphins haven’t selected a tight end or tailback at this point, they should address it in round six. Teams can usually find decent safeties, tight ends, offensive guards and linebackers in the fifth and sixth rounds. It is also possible that former Hurricanes standout Chris Herndon could still be on the board, and if that’s the case, Miami should pounce on the small, but athletic tight end, who could challenge A.J. Derby as the team’s seam-threat tight end.
Round 7 (pick No. 227
and 229): Considering Miami doesn’t have a kicker on the roster (they’ll likely sign one before the draft), it would be ideal for the Dolphins to use one of the team’s two seventh-round picks to select someone like Auburn’s Daniel Carlson or Florida’s Eddy Pineiro. However, don’t be surprised if they are taken by another team before the seventh round. If that’s the case, the Dolphins need to use these seventh-round picks to find players at any position they believe can make it onto the team’s 53-man roster, or draft an injured draft prospect they can stash on injured reserve for a season.