Five options for Miami Dolphins at 13

With the NFL Draft now weeks and not months away the Miami Dolphins really need to start thinking about their options. Now that the Dolphins are picking at 13 instead of 8, the players who might be available haven’t really changed.

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While the Dolphins will no longer have a shot at players like Myles Jack or Jalen Ramsey, the truth is they never really did. Both of the top players are expected to be off the board by the time the Dolphins pick at number 8. Or would have. The rest of the field widens at that point with a myriad of players going anywhere between 9 and 20. If the Dolphins are in love with a specific player or even a specific position, they have a good chance at 13 to get them.

The only question really is who those players might be. Here is a look at five potential options for the Dolphins at 13 overall.

Trade down

It goes without saying but the reality here is Miami may not be in love with anyone at 13. So if another team is, why not move down? This years draft is deep in talent but that talent is broad so not much stands out between a guy taken in the top 15 compared to the top 25. If Miami believes the opportunity exists to move down a few more spots they should consider it. Adding an extra selection will help the team turn the corner faster in their “we really are not rebuilding but we are” situation.

Many of the players that are being linked to the Dolphins at 13, Mackensie Alexander, Reggie Ragland, etc…, all could still be on the board at say 17 or 18. Naturally in order to move back you need a trade partner and while it’s easy to speculate on who may or may not want to jump up there is really no way to know what player would be at that spot enticing enough to make a team move up. At least this far in advance.

Jack Conklin

There are some within the local media who will point out quite quickly that the Dolphins are not going to spend a first round pick on an offensive lineman. That might very well be true but Conklin could be the best option for the Dolphins. Conklin is ready to play at the NFL level now and more importantly he can play both left tackle and guard. Why should Miami consider him? For starters he would enter the 2016 season as the starting left guard and then in 2017 when the Dolphins will try to save money by either restructuring or releasing Branden Albert, they already have the replacement on the roster if Albert leaves. This is smart football and smart roster management. Instead of allowing a hole to develop, you find the cure for it before it starts.

Naturally there are a lot of other needs and tackle/guard isn’t a first round priority but honestly, it should be to some extent.

Mackensie Alexander

There is a lot of media members who believe that Alexander is the selection for the Dolphins. He may very well be but there is also growing talk of Ohio State corner Eli Apple. The common thread between the two is of course they are both corners. The Dolphins are in obvious need of cornerback help. Frankly they have yet to really touch the secondary. The trade for Byron Maxwell comes with a blemished 2015 and questions about whether he can be an asset or a liability. Making the secondary worse is that the Dolphins released Brent Grimes so there is still a big need at corner.

Alexander has a quick recovery speed but he is losing some ground in recent mock drafts. In fact, both Apple and William Jackson have leapfrogged Alexander as the next best corner to Vernon Hargreaves, III who Miami will not likely have a shot at.

The Dolphins need to fix the corner position and 13 doesn’t put them in a great position to get a player that is a sure thing. Alexander, while physical, reportedly has issues with his ability to turn with receivers despite having good instincts. Apple on the other hand has the size and speed but is still a little raw for the NFL. Miami can’t afford another project in round one and while Apple could be one of the better corners in this class, if selected Miami may need to be patient. Apple has a tendency to grab the jersey of receivers he is covering.

Reggie Ragland

The Dolphins linebacker group isn’t as much a mess as it was prior to the start of free agency. That being said, it hasn’t gotten a lot better. Kiko Alonso is a big question mark and making the little dot in that question mark is his salary. Playing on the final year of his rookie deal, Alonso will be a free agent in 2016 so the Dolphins won’t have him long if he plays really well unless they overpay to keep him.

Ragland is a solid linebacker out of Alabama. The biggest knock on Ragland is that he isn’t a “special” player. Teams don’t view him as a game changer like they did with Patrick Willis but everyone views Ragland as a solid football player. An all around football player. That is something that Miami needs. Ragland could develop into a leader in the middle of the group but this year he would be competing for time with Alonso and that may be the drawback this year of drafting him. He simply isn’t guaranteed to start day one.

While not being a day one starter won’t sit well with Dolphins fans it’s important to note that Alonso is often injured and will be a free agent after the season. Ragland would be the future of the team at that position.

Kevin Dodd

This Clemson defensive end had a breakout year in 2015 after being buried on the depth chart. His stock has risen higher than fellow Clemson DE Shaq Lawson. The Dolphins need to address the DE position now that Olivier Vernon is gone. Even with Mario Williams on the team, Miami needs to make preparations for their future with Cam Wake 34 and slowing down. DE is a real possibility for the Dolphins in this years draft but the position is deep and Miami could find a starter in round two.

This is also an area that Miami could address if they went with option one. Trading down. If the Dolphins pulled off that kind of trade, playes like Robert Nkemdiche, Emmanuel Ogbah, or Noah Spence could all be had later in round one and likely have the same impact both short and long term.

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