Will Miami go linebacker in 1st round?

The Dolphins have not selected a linebacker in the first round since 1992. With a glaring need inside, will Miami finally do it again in 2016?

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The Miami Dolphins have a lot of needs going into the 2016-2017 season. Cornerback, linebacker, and running back, are the more important positions that Miami must address in the upcoming draft. According to various mock drafts, Miami could go in any direction with their first round pick at number 13. That includes not selecting any of those primary needs. Some mock experts have the Dolphins taking a defensive end in the first round with a few even believing that they could go with an offensive lineman.

With a deep corps of cornerbacks, it’s highly expected that the Dolphins will take a cornerback at 13 if running back Ezekiel Elliott is already off the board. However, the likelihood of Miami drafting a linebacker with their first pick this season is not far off. Miami received Kiko Alonso as part of the Philadelphia trade but the Dolphins need depth at the position, primarily on the inside. Traditionally, Miami is not a team that likes to draft linebackers in the early rounds.

In fact, the last time Miami selected a linebacker was Marco Coleman in 1992. The Bodyguard and Unforgiven were the top overall movies and the national average for a gallon of gas was $1.13. It’s hard to even consider Coleman as a linebacker since he was moved to defensive end a few short weeks into his rookie season and played there throughout his career. The majority of active Dolphins linebackers went undrafted. Koa Misi is the lone linebacker selected by the Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft. Alonso was also a 2nd round pick, selected by Buffalo in 2013.

There’s a good possibility though that Miami’s long run without a first round linebacker could come to an end. There are reports that UCLA’s Myles Jack could fall out of the top 10 because of concerns with his knee. Jack is widely considered the best linebacker of this class but could he fall to Miami at 13? If he does, you can surely pencil him in. Even if he doesn’t, there are other options for Miami that could come in and make an immediate impact.

Ohio State’s Darron Lee is another intriguing name for Miami. Lee doesn’t quite have the size that most teams would like but neither did a guy by the name of Zach Thomas. Lee has great athleticism and is excellent in coverage. The Dolphins could also look at Alabama’s Reggie Ragland, particularly if they manage to trade down. Ragland was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. Don’t count out the Dolphins taking a look at Georgia’s Leonard Floyd either. Floyd is listed as an outside linebacker but Miami could move him to the inside.

Any one of these guys could step in and improve Miami’s defense. The Dolphins have had trouble with the middle of their defense the past couple of seasons. From being unable to stuff the run to poor coverage in the open field, Miami needs a linebacker who can step in now. Alonso’s history with injuries marks him too risky to be solely counted upon.

It’s still most likely that Miami drafts a corner in the first round with the amount of options available but it could go either way. It’s tough to recall a time when the Dolphins were linked to so many different positions in the first round of the draft. Normally, Miami has one position locked in and it’s a matter of who will Miami take, not what. This year Miami is in a clear position to select the best player available and it could very well be someone to man the middle.

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