Ten players that Dolphins should target in Day 2.
With the first round now completed, there are still dozens of good NFL prospects left to be selected.
In the past several seasons, day two of the draft has often been the ‘achilles heel’ of the Dolphins front office. The team has had far more ‘misses’ than ‘hits’ in the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft. That needs to change this year. Here are 10 players that would improve the Dolphins team and address areas of need.
QB Luke Falk, Washington St
Falk proved he could survive, and thrive, behind a porous offensive line. He completed a high percentage of his throws (68%) but possesses average arm strength for the position. Falk will likely go mid 2nd to early 3rd round.
QB Mike White, Western Kentucky
After a lackluster two seasons at Southern Florida, White transferred to WKU and put on a passing clinic. White is extremely accurate and takes excellent care of the ball (63 TDs to only 15 INTs), however, he needs a good offensive line or else his mobility issues will be exposed. White likely goes in round 3 due to QB demand.
RB Derrius Guice, LSU
I don’t advocate the Dolphins taking a running back in round two because they have bigger needs but Guice may be too good to pass up. Guice is everything that Kenyon Drake isn’t, good AND bad. He is a speedy bowling ball that can soften up the defense and help in short yardage. On the other hand, he could be a liability on third down as both a receiver and pass protector.
RB Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
Johnson got better every year at Auburn as both a runner and a receiver. While he doesn’t provide the same ‘home run’ threat that Guice does, he’s a better all around pick. With backs like Guice, Nick Chubb and Ronald Jones getting more of the draft buzz, Johnson probably could be available in the 3rd round of the draft.
TE Dallas Goedert, South Dakota St
Probably the highest profile player on this list, Goedert would be a tremendous ‘get’ for the Dolphins in round two; maybe even requiring a trade up. If that’s what it takes, the team should do it. As a rookie, Goedert would immediately become the best Dolphins tight end since Randy McMichael (2002-06) since he can block, threaten the seam and is a solid threat in the red zone.
TE Ian Thomas, Indiana
At one point, Thomas was seen as a 4th-5th round pick but his stock has done nothing but rise this offseason. Thomas was rarely used in the passing game at Indiana so drafting Thomas would be based on his measurables, draft season testing and projections. He could go as high as late second but should be available in round 3.
DT Maurice Hurst, Michigan
Did not participate in the NFL Combine due to a medical ‘red flag’ (heart murmur) but was later cleared. If his medical no longer poses an issue, then Hurst could be a ‘beast’ on the defensive line. He’s not quite on the level of Aaron Donald but he attacks the line like him. If the Dolphins covet him, they better be prepared to select him early in round two.
DT Tim Settle, Va Tech
This is a deep class of defensive tackles but if the Dolphins are looking for a good option in round three, then Settle may be their guy. A slightly less athletic version of Vita Vea, Settle also struggles with keeping his weight in check. For the team that monitors his conditioning, they are getting a potential future Pro Bowl DT.
OLB Darius Leonard, South Carolina St
Leonard has the speed and skills to dominate as both a pass rusher and coverage linebacker. While the addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick may lessen the need for a three-down linebacker, Leonard would provide an intriguing piece to the defense. He probably goes early in the 2nd round but may fall and be a good target for the Dolphins to trade back into the end of round two.
OLB Oren Burks, Vanderbilt
Opinions on where Burks will be drafted vary (rounds 2-4), but if Miami covets him, they would need to select him in round three; as I don’t see Burks lasting till the end of round 4. Burks is an extremely athletic coverage linebacker but needs work on his run defense.
Other potential position upgrades that will be available but don’t fill an immediate need C James Daniels, CB Josh Jackson and CB Isiah Oliver.