Top 10 Dolphins Draft Prospects

Jul 29, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins helmets are seen prior to a scrimmage at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This is not a list of who the Miami Dolphisn have tabbed as their top ten prospects but instead the top ten prospects I would like to see in Miami at some point come next week when the NFL Draft kicks off.  First however, I want to paint you a picture of the where exactly the Miami Dolphins “war room” is at.  And maybe a little of what it looks like.

I always thought that the teams draft room was located off in some corner of the teams two story training facility.  I envisioned it tucked behind two big wooden doors that opened into a spacious office style room lined with tables and phones.  A window allowed the staff to gaze outside as they pondered their next selection.  This past season I was able to tour the very off-limits second floor of the Dolphins training center and got a glimpse of what had to be the “War Room”.

As you exit the elevator or climb one of the two half-spiral staircases below hanging banners and pictures you enter the facilities office spaces.  Great quotes from Don Shula and others are boldly displayed along the walls.  We have all seen the images of the facilities practice squad and nestled in the very middle over looking the field is the head coaches office.  It’s smaller than one would think.  Around the corner is a room that is centered by four halls running from the coaches office to the general managers and other coaching offices.  This is the draft room.

We could not turn on the lights so it was only lit by the two doors on opposed corners that light entered the room.  A large white board was on the far end which has now likely been replaced by the touch screen television employed by Dennis Hickey.  Tables came together to form a square in the center with computer equipment and cables.  Along the walls were smaller work stations.  We could not take pictures but to the best of my memory, this is what the draft room looked like.

Next Thursday night the NFL will kick-off the draft with round one followed by two and three on Friday night before finishing on Saturday.  Here is a closer look at the names I hope to hear called during that draft for the Miami Dolphins.  These are in no particular order although my last two are my top two choices.