5 Alabama players that could be Miami Dolphins targets in the 2021 draft

Alabama and Ohio State will play for the NCAA Championship and the Miami Dolphins could have Bama players on their radar.

With the national championship on the horizon, let’s take a look at some of the Alabama prospects that could be appealing for the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins have a history of taking Alabama players in their draft classes. The last few drafts have netted the Dolphins the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Raekwon Davis, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Kenyan Drake.

Similarly to every year, Alabama also has a ton of top-line prospects coming out in the 2021 draft and Miami should be looking at their draft class very closely, as there are a number of names on this list that could help the Dolphins out immediately.

let’s look at 5 players that could become Dolphins in 2021.

Devonta Smith, WR

This would be a match made in heaven.

It is clear to everyone that watched Miami play this season that they are in desperate need of playmakers at the receiver position. DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki are both decent receiving threats, but they need some help. Preston Williams can’t stay healthy and Jakeem Grant can’t be counted on in a larger role on offense. Miami needs to get a quality wideout in the draft.

DeVonta Smith is one of the two possible answers to that issue.

At 6’1” and 175 pounds, Smith may seem a little small for his body, but don’t let that deceive you. He is a quality route runner and can make plays by both catching the ball in the open field and making somebody miss and going up and getting the ball at its peak. Most importantly, he has good hands, which seems to have been something of a struggle for the 2020 receiving corp.

DeVonta Smith should be a dream come true for Dolphins fans if he falls to them in the middle of the first round and would be a welcome sight for Tua Tagovailoa.

 Jaylen Waddle

Answer number 2 to the receiver question.

The argument could be made that Miami should take Waddle over Smith if they have their choice of the two. Waddle runs a little heavier than Waddle (182 lbs) but is shorter (5’10”). The biggest difference between the two, however, is speed.

Smith is not slow by any means, but Waddle has game-breaking speed that is just what this Dolphins offense needs.

With Parker and Gesicki, the Dolphins have two guys who are big athletic threats, but they don’t have a true speedster that can take a ball from the middle and turn it into a touchdown on speed alone. Waddle could be a perfect complement to Parker’s skill set and would be much more reliable than Jakeem Grant could ever be.

Najee Harris

Najee Harris should be another dream come true for Dolphins fans. That comment is not a slight to Myles Gaskin, who turned out to be a gem for the Dolphins in 2020. Yet, Harris’ bulkier frame and strength as a runner would be an incredible compliment for Gaskin’s shiftiness.

Harris is an athletic freak who can run between the tackles, bounce plays outside, and take catches out of the backfield with ease. Oh, and he can also hurdle defenders like it’s easy.

Harris would be a perfect running back to put behind Tagoviloa and help take the pressure off the young quarterback.

Alex Leatherwood

Leatherwood would be an interesting pick for the Dolphins. Most mock drafts have him going late in the first round so it might be a bit of a reach for Miami to take him with either of their first-round picks, assuming they keep their picks.

If Miami does take Leatherwood, they would get a solid tackle prospect who could round out a young and developing offensive line. Leatherwood has also shown that he could play guard, which is the versatility that Brian Flores loves in his players.

This would definitely be a luxury pick, but the Dolphins may have the assets to pull it off.

Dylan Moses

I wanted to put Patrick Surtain II on this list for both the elite play of the talented corner and the nostalgic feeling it will create in so many Dolphins fans. But, I decided to go a different route instead.

One of Miami’s weaknesses on defense was at linebacker and Moses could immediately help improve this unit. He has made some mistakes on defense, but he has elite speed at the position that can help him overcome any challenges he creates for himself. He is a strong, athletic prospect that has the potential to grow under Brian Flores’ leadership.

Moses might be on the board in the second round and, if Miami has addressed it’s offensive woes adequately, they could like to bring in Moses and round out a solid linebacking position for this talented defense.