Five players I love in this year’s NFL Draft and you should too

The NFL Draft is loaded with talent so it’s a great year to have a plethora of draft picks.  I’ve done several mock drafts and am excited about the possibilities. 

Let’s be clear, I am not saying the Miami Dolphins will draft any of these players, but I certainly wouldn’t be upset if any of their names were on the Dolphins’ card come the NFL Draft in April.

• Isaiah Simmons – LB – Clemson – Simmons has distanced himself as the top linebacker in this draft.  Simmons would be a true weapon in a Brian Flores defense. He’s the epitome of the Swiss Army Knife metaphor.  Simmons played 5 different positions for Clemson this past season. He played a total of 635 defensive snaps.  He lined up as a slot corner 40% of the time, safety 27%, outside linebacker 20%, inside linebacker 11% and 2% as a boundary cornerback.  Imagine the opposing quarterback having to figure out where he is every time they come to the line?  Simmons had 104 tackles last season with 8 sacks and 3 interceptions.  If he’s there and the Dolphins draft him at #5 overall, I would be extremely happy.

• Antoine Winfield Jr. – S – Minnesota – On paper Winfield’s measurables don’t jump off the page. It’s between the white lines where he excels. Winfield is a smart, instinctive player who processes the field quickly.  That may have something to do with being around football his entire life as the son of former NFL player Antoine Winfield Sr. Junior had a very good senior season.  He finished the year with 83 total tackles with 3 sacks and 7 interceptions, including one defensive touchdown. He is a ball hawk. He’s not the highest-ranked safety in this class but may well turn out to be the best.  I’ve seen Winfield mocked as high as a late first-round to early third. I would love to see the Dolphins grab him in the second round, unfortunately, I don’t think he will be there.

• Tyler Johnson – WR – Minnesota – Tyler Johnson is another guy who’s not going to wow you with his speed or route running, but again on game day all he does is produce.  He’s been described as having “sufficient overall athleticism”. When you look at the numbers though, it’s obvious this guy can play. During his junior season, Johnson caught 78 passes for 1169 yards and 12 touchdowns.  He followed that up with a senior season where he caught 86 passes for 1318 yards and 13 touchdowns. Numbers like this against Big 10 competition are impressive. Johnson has been all over the board in mock drafts. In early mocks, Johnson could be had in the 5th round, but later mocks have him going in the 2nd round.  Depending on how the draft plays out I see him going in the late 2nd to early 3rd round. Many feel the Dolphins already have a solid wide receiving corps, but if they decided to add Tyler Johnson to it, this fan wouldn’t be upset.

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• A.J. Dillon – RB – Boston College – Dillon is an interesting prospect.  Production-wise there are no doubts about this kid. In three seasons at Boston College, Dillon rushed for 4382 yards and 38 touchdowns.  He went over a thousand yards all three years including two seasons over 1500. The problem may be that he’s already rushed the ball 845 times during those three years.  That’s a lot of usage already. Fortunately, he has the body to handle that kind of workload. Dillon is 6’0” 250 pounds. Even though he has a large frame he has enough athleticism to keep him from solely having the label of a “power back”.  The days of a bell-cow running back are just about over in the NFL. I think Dillon is an ideal fit in today’s two back systems. Imagine chasing a guy like D’Andre Swift around all day only to have to deal with a guy Dillon’s size in the fourth quarter. Most mocks have Dillon available in the 5th and even 6th rounds. I think someone is going to get a steal with AJ Dillon later in this draft and I’m hoping it’s the Miami Dolphins.

• Ben Bredeson – OG – Michigan – Can you be any more of a lineman?  Born in Wisconsin and played at Michigan. Bredeson played in 50 games at Michigan, starting at left guard in 46 of them.  Bredeson has a solid resume. He’s got typical Michigan size, standing 6’5” tall and weighing 325 pounds. He’s received All-Big Ten honors three times and was third-team Associated Press All American in his senior season.  In 2018 Bredeson was voted Michigan’s toughest player, a good characteristic for an interior offensive lineman. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the highest-rated guard in pass protection in 2019 as he pass protected on 451 snaps without giving up a sack or a quarterback hit.  Look for Bredeson to come off the board in the 3rd round and if it’s to wear aqua and orange, that’ll be even better.

It’s an exciting time to be a Miami Dolphins fan.  The future seems to be looking bright.  The hardest part may be waiting for March and April to get here.