Over the last 6 weeks, I have been all over map on who I am hoping the Dolphins draft in the 1st. At the beginning, when we were still drafting at #8, I was really hoping for Myles Jack. Since the swap of picks with Philly, I have been hoping for everything from Eli Apple, to McKensie Alexander, to Darren Lee, to Shaq Lawson, to Kevin Dodd, to Zeke Elliott. Currently, I am on the Sheldon Rankins band wagon. Rankins size and body type is very similar to Aaron Donald of the Rams and Warren Sapp. After watching some game footage of Rankins, he has the same disruptive pass rush as Donald. Rankins is also a stout run defender. Pairing Rankins with Suh could make the DL the very best in the league. Suh is constantly double teamed and often triple teamed. Having another interior lineman with pass rush ability will leave our DEs with 1 on 1 blocking and will significantly change the defense. I will not argue against CB being our biggest need, I just think that after Ramsey, there are 6 CB (Hargreaves, Apple, Alexander, Jackson, Burns, and Fuller) who are similarly rated and there is only a small drop-off in talent for the next 7. Personally, I think Artie Burns can develop into being the best CB in the entire draft.
I can definitely get excited about drafting a skill position player (Zeke Elliott) but there is too much of a history of late round/undrafted RBs succeeding in the NFL. There is too much value in drafting a RB in the later rounds.
In one of the 3,046 "who will the pic be" threads currently on the forum, i posted my feeling is they will grab Shaq Lawson with all the cb's, lb's worth #13 being gone. And i would be fine with it, not my first choice considering we have a couple of pressing needs elsewhere, but, if there isnt a clear better choice and no trade down, i am all four it.
HOWEVER: i said in that same post to watch out for a dark horse and that dark horse player would be........SHELDON RANKINS!!! I think he is the best dt in the draft and a sure fire pro bowler within two seasons. He would be OUTSTANDING in our line next to Suh as they are both HOSS strong, exellent run stoppers and like suh, a real good pass rusher, something most dt's are not. Sheldon gets him some sacks!!
I still like philips a lot and thinkhe has a bright future, but, this new DC kid, Josephs, he seems like theres a bright light in his noggin and he has to know that earl mitchell is a LIABILITY, not a starter so adding a big time talented DT wouldnt be out of the question. I think not only is rankins the perfect fit to play along side Suh to free him up from double and tripple teams, rankins will be even better getting the one on one match ups Suh will give him when he's getting teamed.
Rankins is my favorite defensive player in this draft. Not our most glaring need, but the big time lb's i think that fit us and are worth the #13 will be gone or way to big of an injury risk. I dont think a corner worthy of the spot will be there either. Teams know you have to have starters across the board, big talent starters in the secondary and the run on them will start earlier than expected.
You have to have big time lb's who can make side line to side line plays, cover and rush the passer. Miles Jack is that guy but we wont even get a whiff!! . Theres a couple more but their injuries have pushed them to later rounds. Players who can harrass, cover and or rush the passer will be gone EARLY!!
Out side of Tunnsil, there is no OT worth taking at #13 and not so pressing we have to reach and not one guard i would take in the first. So, all that being said, Rankins likely could fall into our lap and would be BIG value at #13. He also could be gone early as teams are not blind to his talent and ANYONE who can get to the qb in this era of the nfl are coveted.
