A Great Draft Fit For The Miami Dolphins
Tonight the Miami Dolphins have an opportunity to get better. While many people will be looking for Miami to add play makers to an offense in need of them, the Dolphins are better served fortifying their defense. The saying “Defense Wins Championships” could never be more true and the Dolphins, while having obvious strengths on that side of the field, have fielded an average defense that has cost them games in crunch time; leading to the perpetual mediocrity that back to back 8-8 seasons represent.
In looking to the draft tonight, the real opportunity for the Fins is drafting a plug and play defender that fortifies a defense that has a better chance of becoming an elite unit quicker than the offense. With the addition of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to compliment defensive ends Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon up front with studs like weak-side linebacker Jelani Jenkins and strong safety Reshad Jones in the back seven, the Miami Dolphins can really sure up their defense with a couple of good selections.
When looking at the starting front seven, there is one glaring hole in the linebacking core and it’s debatable whether that hole is at strong-side linebacker or middle linebacker, either way there’s a hole none the less. Taking that into account along with the success of picking JaWuan James last year in the first round as a plug and play type player at right tackle, I wouldn’t mind a similar approach to this year’s first round pick with UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Even though his draft value has been projected all over the place from the mid first round to the mid second round; one thing I truly believe is he’s a perfect fit for the Miami Dolphins.
The 2015 Butkus Award Winner would complete Miami’s front seven allowing linebacker Koa Misi to return to his natural strong-side linebacker position and provide the Dolphins with an every down linebacker capable of pairing up with Jenkins to form the best coverage linebacking tandem in the league.
A player with Kendricks’ combination of speed and instincts behind a defensive line like Miami’s would be pretty dynamic. With Suh and fellow defensive tackle Earl Mitchell eating up blockers and creating havoc, Kendricks will be able to flow to the ball with Jenkins and Misi flanking him as the defense’s clean up crew.
Well aware of Kendricks size limitations, I’m confident his instincts and athleticism will translate to him having the ability to play in the middle in the pros. With the offensive transition of the league to more spread zone concepts; his fluidity in open space, coverage ability and propensity for diagnosing screens quickly is an asset to any team in the league. His play making skill set and penchant for turnovers is an element sorely lacking on the Miami Dolphins defense.
While it would be a better value if the Dolphins were able to trade down, pick up a third round pick, and acquire Kendrick; I wouldn’t mind a quote on quote “reach” for this type of player because he will be in contention for defensive rookie of the year at season’s end, and that’s plenty of good value at a clear position of need.
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