Miami Dolphins 2018 draft class looking good so far

The Miami Dolphins have added three players in this years draft class and it is obvious that they are going with athletic type players with high upsides.

No question that Minkah Fitzpatrick was a solid pick in round one. The free safety can play all of the secondary positions and potentially move up to the line to play a coverage linebacker hybrid. The Dolphins need that kind of help. A day one athlete with leadership potential who loves to play and study the game.

Nick Saban said of the former Alabama safety: “He is the best player I have ever coached”. That is saying something like Saban or not. Last year the Dolphins passed on LB Reuben Foster another Saban player. Adam Gase and Saban are close friends so you have to believe that Gase trusted his former mentor in both cases.

In round two the Dolphins added tight-end Mike Gesicki and that has some fans thrilled and others dissappointed. The reality is simple. The Dolphins added a freakish athlete who can move around among the linebackers with very good speed and even better hands. While he struggles at run blocking, the Dolphins didn’t draft him for that ability and will need to coach him.

Miami didn’t want a blocking tight-end and when looking at their running backs Miami is better off having a tight-end that can move down field and use his body to block if needed at the next level. Gesicki is strong and should improve the teams red-zone.

He is also smart and should have no problem picking up the Adam Gase offense. Thus far he is the first and only offensive player selected.

In round three the Dolphins according to some reached for Jerome Baker. Baker is a smaller framed linebacker that is built for speed. Another big school addition, Ohio State, Baker is very good at pass coverage but his struggles come with taking on blocks and shedding them. He tends to try and go around instead of through. That may have worked at college but offensive lineman in the NFL tend to be faster.

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This shouldn’t be a problem because like the previous two picks, he is athletic as hell and will contribute immediately to the defense but likely in a rotation of some sort. Some believe that Baker is a reach but he was projected as a third round to day three draft pick so while he may have gone a little higher than some expected, the Dolphins think he has the value that they need at the position.

It appears that the Dolphins are targeting athletic players who fit withint the scope of their system which is built to be faster. The Dolphins are hoping that the addition of Robert Quinn and the return of William Hayes will help against the run and with the addition of Baker, the Dolphins have a linebacker who can chase down a runner from the edge.

More work needs to be done in this draft and there is a lot of talent still on the board as the NFL enters day four. Miami has four picks remaining. Two in the 4th round and one in the final two rounds.

Miami is expected to draft a kicker, potentially Florida’s Eddie Pineiro. The 6th round seems like a good spot for him but whether the Dolphins, without a 5th round pick would wait that long is unknown. There are other options should Pineiro go in round five but it would be too high to take him in round four with either pick.