First Round Targets

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Looks like the Miami Dolphins will be picking somewhere in the middle of the first round. With that in mind, I'm looking at players who are basically mocked in that range. The team could go in so many directions, but a defensive end, who can rush the passer should be a high priority. The offensive line still needs fixing. I's sure the front office would love another top corner opposite of X. Howard or a wide receiver who can win those 50/50 battles.

Anyway, here are 10 prospects who I could see being mid-first round targets for the Dolphins (not in any order).

Raekwon Davis DT, Alabama
I've seen him projected as low as the second round. In fact, SB Nation had him going to Miami in their most recent mock and in the second round. Davis is quick, versatile and can collapse the pocket from the inside.

Zach Allen, DE, Boston College
Seems more like a solid player than one who will get you 10+ sacks a year, but still have to think he's on Miami's radar.

Devin White, LB, LSU
One of my favorites from this draft. I think he can be an elite linebacker. Hard to see Miami going that route early, though.

Jaylon Ferguson, DE Louisiana Tech
Could be a player who rises during the draft process.

Brian Burns, DE Florida State
Seen him projected a lot near the early stages of round two.

Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Another penetrating DT who seems to fit what Miami (currently) likes to do on defense. Off-field issues could move him down a round.

Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Nice corner, but a little smaller than Miami tends to like.

A.J. Brown, WR Ole Miss
A physical wideout at 6-1 and about 230. May not have the speed Gase is looking for.

D.K. Metcalf, Wr. Ole Miss
A big, talented wideout who could balance out some of the smaller receivers in Miami.

Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
Another one of my favorites. I think he goes early 2nd round. Ballage played well for Miami today against the Vikings so running back may be off the table. Would like to see the team sign Gore if he wants to continue to play. If he leaves and Harris is there in R2, I'd jump.

 

[jlfin]

DL and CB are high priority in the offseason.
RB is not a need.

 

[DPhinz_DPhinz]

After today...Cody Ford is my choice. Slap him at RG and hope Sitton is keeping up with his Geritol regimen. Halloween time...move Juwann James and we have a stud to replace him.

 

[mrbunglez]

I’d go D-Line, O-Line, CB, Linebacker, and QB, O-Line, O-Line in that order.

 

[BobDole]

Wilkins and Ferrel from Clemson, Polite and Zuniga from UF, Williams and White from LSU, Gary, Oliver, Simmons is my short list for now. I didn't add the top QBs or guys like Q Williams who have no chance of falling. I fully expect all the guys I want to be gone by the time they pick.

 

[Birdmond]

I like Ferrel and Zack Allen. I want complete DE’s. If that means less pressures and sacks then so be it.

As of now if I had to place a bet on what position we draft I’d wager on CB. I’m working on the assumption that Burke is the only firing. I think Miami gets a little help at DT and DE via free agency.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Looks like the Miami Dolphins will be picking somewhere in the middle of the first round. With that in mind, I'm looking at players who are basically mocked in that range. The team could go in so many directions, but a defensive end, who can rush the passer should be a high priority. The offensive line still needs fixing. I's sure the front office would love another top corner opposite of X. Howard or a wide receiver who can win those 50/50 battles.

Anyway, here are 10 prospects who I could see being mid-first round targets for the Dolphins (not in any order).

Raekwon Davis DT, Alabama
I've seen him projected as low as the second round. In fact, SB Nation had him going to Miami in their most recent mock and in the second round. Davis is quick, versatile and can collapse the pocket from the inside.
He's also inconsistent, tends to play with poor pad level, and has not made any improvement in terms of pass rush since last year. He's also been blown up and put flat on his ass by a 5'9", 200 pound running back. He's not the type of player the Dolphins should be drafting in the 1st round - but he's exactly the type of player the Dolphins would draft in the 1st round.


Zach Allen, DE, Boston College
Seems more like a solid player than one who will get you 10+ sacks a year, but still have to think he's on Miami's radar.
Of course he's on Miami's radar if he can't get 10+ sacks a year.


Devin White, LB, LSU
One of my favorites from this draft. I think he can be an elite linebacker. Hard to see Miami going that route early, though.
And that's exactly why the Dolphins are the Dolphins. They avoid great players like the plague. White is the type of kid that not only fixes your defense in terms of production - he fixes the mindset of your mentally weak defense.


Jaylon Ferguson, DE Louisiana Tech
Could be a player who rises during the draft process.
Really like this kid. Not quite a 1st round DE.


Brian Burns, DE Florida State
Seen him projected a lot near the early stages of round two.
I'll be shocked if he lasts more than 20 picks.


Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Another penetrating DT who seems to fit what Miami (currently) likes to do on defense. Off-field issues could move him down a round.
Top 10 talent without the video of him getting physical with a female while in high school.


Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia
Nice corner, but a little smaller than Miami tends to like.
Not as small as Brent Grimes or Bobby McCain. Miami doesn't need anymore 'big' corners that can't play like Tankersley.



A.J. Brown, WR Ole Miss
A physical wideout at 6-1 and about 230. May not have the speed Gase is looking for.
Agreed. A.J. Brown is way too competitive and physical to be a fit for Miami's soft and uncompetitive offense.


D.K. Metcalf, Wr. Ole Miss
A big, talented wideout who could balance out some of the smaller receivers in Miami.
Hard to say how his neck issue will turn out. Medicals will be critical.


Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
Another one of my favorites. I think he goes early 2nd round. Ballage played well for Miami today against the Vikings so running back may be off the table. Would like to see the team sign Gore if he wants to continue to play. If he leaves and Harris is there in R2, I'd jump.
You can't take a position off the table due to one good game out of 14 so far. 2Although 2nd round is too early to use a pick on a RB in this draft.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Wilkins and Ferrel from Clemson, Polite and Zuniga from UF, Williams and White from LSU, Gary, Oliver, Simmons is my short list for now. I didn't add the top QBs or guys like Q Williams who have no chance of falling. I fully expect all the guys I want to be gone by the time they pick.

A couple of those guys should be available when Miami picks. Simmons because of his incident, maybe Wilkins and Polite.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

DL and CB are high priority in the offseason.
RB is not a need.

Running back doesn't seem like a need, but if Gore retires that could change. Ballage and Drake could handle it with maybe a free agent addition. I do think Miami needs to go heavy defense and offensive line.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

If Miami surprised and took White in round one (assuming he's there), do you think Ferguson makes it to the Dolphins second round? What other DT's do you think drop to round 2?

 

[ckparrothead]

I love the thread. Thank you for this.

Currently Miami is slated to pick #17 in the round. But it's really hard to tell how things will shake out. They could drop two more games and pick higher. They could win both games and pick lower. They could trade up for a quarterback (which I believe is the most likely thing to happen). They could find that Justin Herbert and Dwayne Haskins BOTH stay in school, that Kyler Murray is the only guy worth trading up for, and that he's going to go too high to be in reach.

Really, I think, we're going to end up just spinning our wheels talking about 1st round prospects that aren't quarterbacks. One way or another, whether it's to get hold of Murray/Herbert/Haskins, or whether it's in a trade for a guy like Matt Stafford or Derek Carr, I think that pick is going to be used on that position. I'm not saying I agree with it, although I'm clearly in the tank for Kyler Murray.

But if we have to look at non-QBs in the mid-1st round I think you start with some of the best players in the 1st round because you never know who will trickle their way down. There was a time when nobody expected Minkah Fitzpatrick to make it to the #11 pick. Derwin James made it to the #17 pick.

On that basis, I find it difficult to ignore SENIORS at the top, particularly because the way the draft tends to work out, the juniors all float to the top and some of the best seniors will end up available in the middle of the 1st round. So I'm looking at these seniors...

LB Josh Allen, Kentucky
DT Christian Wilkins, Clemson
DE Montez Sweat, Mississippi State
CB DeAndre Baker, Georgia
OL Dalton Risner, Kansas State
WR David Sills V, West Virginia

Then you start to get into the JUNIORS and of course it gets dicey because you don't know which guys will come out or not. But I think you've got to look at

DE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
DE Clelin Ferrell, Clemson
DE Rashaan Gary, Michigan
DE Brian Burns, Florida State
DT Quinnen Williams, Alabama
DT Ed Oliver, Houston
LB Devin White, LSU
LB Jachai Polite, Florida
S Deionte Thompson, Alabama
CB Greedy Williams, LSU
CB Byron Murphy, Washington
TE T.J. Hockenson, Iowa
TE Noah Fant, Iowa
OT Jonah Williams, Alabama
WR D.K. Metcalf, Ole Miss
WR N'Keal Harry, Arizona
WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Oklahoma
WR A.J. Brown, Ole Miss

Just to note, Jeffery Simmons would be there except I just don’t know that a team can afford to use a 1st round pick on a player that has THAT video floating around. He didn’t just get “physical” with a female. This was far and away worse than Kareem Hunt’s video, and worse even than Joe Mixon’s video. Jeffery Simmons leaned over a female half his size, who was on the ground and defenseless, and pummeled her head with his fists. He’s been a good student and has apologized for the incident many times, explained how it came about, etc...but the fact of the matter is that video still makes the rounds and to me, it’s as bad as the Ray Rice video, which ended Rice’s career. He may not be off boards entirely, because he was still just a recruit when it happened, and he’s tried very hard to turn his life around since. However, he doesn’t go in the 1st round when every report about that 1st round pick will feature that video.

 

[dolfan91]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys think of the CB from Penn State? Where does he fit in?

 

[BobDole]

Had no idea about the Simmons incident. Just watched the video. Oof. He'll be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th with that ... he's off my list entirely now.

And I don't know how I forgot about Josh Allen. Would love to have that skillset on D.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Had no idea about the Simmons incident. Just watched the video. Oof. He'll be lucky to go in the 3rd or 4th with that ... he's off my list entirely now.

And I don't know how I forgot about Josh Allen. Would love to have that skillset on D.

You have to wonder how much of a fit they believe Josh Allen to be if they didn't feel like T.J. Watt was a fit for their bogus system.

BTW...I just happened to flip over to the Pitt/NE game yesterday with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and the very first thing I saw was Watt lined up with his hand on the ground rushing from the DE position and sacking Tom Brady.

Miami's front office are football geniuses.

 

[BobDole]

You have to wonder how much of a fit they believe Josh Allen to be if they didn't feel like T.J. Watt was a fit for their bogus system.

BTW...I just happened to flip over to the Pitt/NE game yesterday with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and the very first thing I saw was Watt lined up with his hand on the ground rushing from the DE position and sacking Tom Brady.

Miami's front office are football geniuses.

I'm guilty on Watt as well. Wasn't the skillset (what does Harris have that he doesn't?) but I thought he was getting pumped up because of big bro. I would've taken him but he was near the bottom of my first round targets with Peppers and Foster. His combine got me liking the possibility more and I would've been his biggest supporter had I known Harris was even on the radar.

I'm hoping they learned their lesson with Harris (ha!) and won't dismiss Allen because a perceived lack of fit. I'm super confident on him and White succeeding in the NFL even if they end up in a bad situation ... i.e. bad scheme fit.