Filling the holes on both sides is the Miami Dolphins priority.
The Miami Dolphins missing out on the playoffs led to one positive in terms of their draft capital. In this mock, Miami will fill the obvious holes on the roster.
With the Miami Dolphins season over, it is now clear which picks they will hold in the first three rounds of the draft next season. Sitting at the third overall pick, Miami will have tons of options available to them. While I would love to see the Dolphins trade the third overall pick, for this mock, I won’t predict any trades. That being said, what are some of the options Miami has when it’s their turn in April?
Similar to my first mock, I will be using Pro Football Network’s Draft Simulator to make these picks.
Round 1 Pick 3: DeVonta Smith, WR Alabama
Ok, let me be honest: if Miami doesn’t trade this pick it will be a mistake.
With the number of valuable quarterbacks on the board at this point, there are many suitors who should be calling Miami trying to move up to this spot. Whether it’s Atlanta, Carolina or another team, Miami should seriously consider trading this pick away for more draft capital. This would be best-case scenario.
If they stay at this pick, there are three ways I could see the Dolphins going. The first is with Penei Sewell, the generational talent at tackle from Oregon. They could go with Micah Parsons, the incredibly athletic and versatile linebacker. Finally, they could reach for a receiver at this position. For me, Sewell may be the safest pick, based on his play and talent but tackle isn’t a need yet. Micah Parsons is an athletic freak and Miami needs a linebacker. But, wide receiver is a definitive need and there is no guarantee that there is a top guy in the second half of the first round.
I know this might be a reach, but, coming off his Heisman winning season, it’s too hard to pass up on a talent like DeVonta Smith at 3 overall. Smith is an incredible talent at receiver, who has great hands and can get separation, two things Miami’s receivers have lacked this season.
There hasn’t been a receiver in the top 3 in a long time, but pairing Tua Tagovailoa with a familiar weapon is too much to pass up at number 3.
Round 1 Pick 18: Gregory Rousseau, Edge Rusher, Miami
This is a very different pick than my first mock, which had Rousseau going in the first half of the first round.
There was a lot of temptation to take Najee Harris here. Miami desperately needs a running back who can compliment Myles Gaskin’s skill set and Harris is that guy. But, with a quality edge rusher on the board and the chances of taking a running back in the second round very high, I decided to pull the trigger on Rousseau.
Rousseau opted out of the 2020 season because of Covid-19, but put up dominant numbers and play in 2019 that had him billed as an early first-rounder. Rousseau had 15.5 sacks in 2019, which was a huge number for a guy who was playing in his first year (stats courtesy of ESPN.com)
The biggest knock on Rousseau is that he hasn’t played enough football to garner that first-round attention. He only played a full season in 2019 and hasn’t had enough time to work on his technique on the field in meaningful games.
That being said, he is an athletic pass rusher who is the perfect type of guy for Brian Flores. Flores could take him and put him at outside linebacker and he could become an instant compliment to Emmanuel Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel coming off the edge.
Round 2 Pick 36: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
My gamble in this mock paid off!
In reality, based on how he plays in the national championship and how the combine plays out, I don’t think he will be available at 36. But, in this simulation, he was and I am thrilled. Miami’s rushing offense was not good in the 2020 season and Harris could help solve that problem instantly.
In my first mock draft, I had Miami taking Harris here as well, because he is a game-changing type of back, with athleticism that few have at the position. He is good running the ball outside of the tackles and getting down and dirty through the interior offensive line. He is also a great receiver out of the backfield, which was an important part of the Dolphins offense in 2020.
Harris will be a dynamic compliment to Myles Gaskin and will be threatening enough for defenses to bite on a few more play action calls. This is a perfect pick to help this entire offense and give Tagovailoa another weapon to help take the pressure off of him during games.
Round 2 Pick 50: Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL, USC
I followed a similar trend in this mock to my first one taking an interior lineman with my second pick in the second round. This may not be the “sexy” pick, but having a good, quality offensive line is crucial to long term success in the NFL.
Vera-Tucker has the strength and athleticism to play guard in the NFL. Now, Miami did invest a significant amount of draft capital in offensive linemen in the 2020 draft, so this move is bolstering a unit that already has some young talent. There are still question marks, however, about some of the now second-year offensive linemen and Vera-Tucker could easily play his way to a starting role next season.
While the offensive line was not terrible in 2020, the lack of a running attack wasn’t just on the guy’s running the ball. Throughout some games, Miami’s offensive line failed to generate any type of push allowing for their backs to get to the second level of the defense. Vera-Tucker could help in that regard. But, if the Dolphins take him here, that means they may have to move on from one of the younger linemen that they took in last year’s draft or one of the more established veterans (Ereck Flowers, Ted Karras or Jesse Davis).
Round 3 Pick. Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
Tagovailoa could use all the weapons he can get in the 2021 offseason.
I already took a receiver in the first round with the third overall pick, but Miami’s receiving corp was poor last season and an infusion of talent across the board is just what that unit needs.
Schwartz has the potential to be one of the fastest receivers in this draft and would be a great compliment to the skill sets of Smith and DeVante Parker. His speed sets him apart from other receivers in the class and he could easily be an across the middle threat in this offense for Tagovailoa.
This pick may be the signal of the end of the Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson eras in Miami, which wouldn’t make me sad in the slightest. Albert Wilson can’t stay healthy and Jakeem Grant doesn’t have reliable hands and can’t be trusted to make the plays that he needs to on the field. He’s a great returner, but Miami’s offense needs more consistency from their receiving corp and Schwartz provides just that.
Tagovailoa is going to have all the weapons he needs to prove that he is the answer at quarterback.