The 2015 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Last Word On Sports NFL department has been hard at work analyzing the draft needs of all 32 teams. Rounding out our coverage of the AFC East is the Miami Dolphins, who for the second straight season finished 8-8 and narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Their current postseason drought stands at six years and counting.
The Fins made the biggest noise this offseason in the free agent market with their signing of former Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. His six-year, $114.375 million contract, averaging around $19 million per year with nearly $60 million in guaranteed money, makes him the highest-paid player on the defensive side of the football in NFL history.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill had his best season as a pro in 2014, and it appears the Dolphins are committed to locking him up long-term. Reports emerged early in the offseason that they were looking to sign him to an extension before his rookie deal expires and a possible fifth-year option kicks in after 2015. He was ranked in the top half of the league in both passing yards and touchdown passes last year (11th and 12th respectively).
A trio of targets Tannehill had become accustomed to throwing to are no longer with the team. Wide receiver Mike Wallace was traded to Minnesota after two disappointing seasons in Miami that didn’t justify the five-year, $60 million contract he penned with the team in 2013. Tight end Charles Clay, given the transition tag by the Dolphins, signed a $7.6 million per year offer sheet (over five seasons) with AFC East rival Buffalo that Miami refused to match. Brian Hartline was released in late February and has since signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Cleveland Browns.
Due to various deals that have sent a handful of their draft picks elsewhere, the Dolphins only have six picks this year. Here’s a look at where they make their selections in 2015:
First round (14th overall)
Second round (47th overall)
Fourth round (114th overall)
Fifth round (149th overall) – acquired in trade that sent a seventh-round pick (originally acquired in move that sent offensive lineman Jonathan Martin to the 49ers) to Vikings along with wide receiver Mike Wallace.
Fifth round (150th overall)
Sixth round (191st overall)
The Dolphins traded their 2015 third round selection along with linebacker Dannell Ellerbe to the Saints in exchange for wide receiver Kenny Stills.
Their seventh-round selection this year was traded to the Ravens in 2013 for offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie.
Given the free agency moves the three challengers to New England made this season, the AFC East could be among the most competitive in the NFL next season. Acing the draft would help to that end as well. What needs do the Dolphins need to address as head coach Joe Philbin enters a make-or-break fourth year at the helm?
Miami Dolphins 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Wide Receiver
With Wallace and Clay no longer around, the Dolphins already tried to replenish the ranks of their pass catching corps by bringing in Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron from the Saints and Browns, respectively. That doesn’t hide the fact that Tannehill still needs a bona fide feature wide receiver. Wallace was expected to fill that role but suffice it to say, he fell short in his two years with the team.
This year’s draft class isn’t expected to be as stacked as 2014 but there should still be plenty of potential game-changers throughout the first few rounds. The two most coveted players at the position, Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White, are expected to be off the board by the time Miami picks first at 14.
Lousiville’s DeVante Parker could be a possible target but even he is getting rave reviews in some draft circles to the point that he could go top ten. He showcased good hands and big play ability during his senior year even though he missed over half the season with an injured foot. In the games that he did play, he averaged 19.9 yards per catch, good enough for tenth nationally. He also had a fairly decent Combine that included running a 4.45 40-yard dash. The Dolphins might find him too good to pass up if he’s still there when they pick first.
Offensive Guard
The Dolphins are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place with this team need. The offensive line as a whole really struggled in pass blocking in 2014. Tannehill was sacked 46 times, which was third-highest in the league. Mike Pouncey and Daryn Colledge, who received the majority of the starts on opposite ends of center, were liabilities at times. Colledge remains unsigned after becoming an unrestricted free agent this year.
Unfortunately, addressing this need in the draft means you might be hitting and hoping so to speak. Drafttek.com’s highest-ranked guard is South Carolina’s A.J. Cann, rated as the 47th best player in the draft. Ironically enough, that’s exactly where the Dolphins pick in the second round.
Given the lack of depth at guard, they could look to draft a tackle and move him inside. Florida’s D.J. Humphries and Florida State’s Cameron Irving might be viable options that could be available when Miami makes their second pick of the draft. If they decide not to look at this position in the first two rounds, they’ll have to wait until the fourth round at the earliest.
Linebacker
Beyond the defensive front, which is pretty set with Suh and defensive end Cameron Wake, there are a few areas the Dolphins could look for starting caliber talent on this side of the ball. In the secondary, they’re in pretty good shape with cornerback Brent Grimes and strong safety Reshad Jones. Plus, how many late-round picks and even undrafted free agents have come out of nowhere and excelled in the defensive backfield lately? The recently played Super Bowl was chock full of them for both the Patriots and Seahawks.
With that in mind, I’d be more focused on adding another body at outside linebacker in the Dolphins base 4-3 package. If Parker goes off the board before the Dolphins are on the clock, perhaps they should give serious thought about taking Washington’s Shaq Thompson. This could be a “best of both worlds” pick for Miami as well. There have been concerns about his size as an NFL linebacker and so he could be moved to free safety, another position of need for the Dolphins. Having said that, do you really want to be investing a first-round pick in a prospect whose positional identity is a bit of an unknown?
Other potential early round targets could be TCU’s Paul Dawson, an instinctual, sideline-to-sideline player who excels at stopping both the run and pass. Miami’s Denzel Perryman is also worth a look in the second round. Though he’s a bit undersized height-wise at 5’11”, he has immense strength. At his Pro Day, he did 30 bench press reps of 225 pounds. Scouts like his blue-collar work ethic and physicality as a run stopper.
Other AFC East 2015 NFL Draft Needs:
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