Three players the Miami Dolphins should consider with the 36th pick

With the first round in the books, there is still plenty of meat left on the bone in this draft class. There are several players with first-round grades waiting to be selected. The Miami Dolphins will have a crack at someone who should contribute immediately.

With the 6th pick, the Dolphins selected receiver Jaylen Waddle who’s arguably the biggest home-run threat in this year’s draft. Then at 18, landed Jaelan Phillips, the most complete edge-rusher who is a perfect fit for Brian Flores’ 3-4 scheme.

The team was able to address needs without getting cute. There are still very high-quality offensive tackles and running backs on the board. Conversely, there are no game-breakers like Waddle or Phillips left.

The 36th pick is typically the start of the range where franchises are faced with the choice of taking the high risk/reward type or the starter with a decent floor. Not this year, however. I’ve got my eye on a few players with a fresh chip on their shoulder that have real pro-bowl potential.

Adding a Swiss Army knife to the defense with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Possibly the most surprising day-one snub, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is in the top 15 of both Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah’s big board. He is an extremely versatile linebacker/safety hybrid, a la Isaiah Simmons.

At his pro-day, the All-American ran a 6.81-second three-cone drill and a 4.15-second 20-yard shuttle. These times would’ve been good for the fastest and second-fastest times at last year’s combine, respectively. He sat out the 40-yard dash due to hamstring tightness.

Owusu-Koramoah is a Swiss Army knife on defense having played snaps at outside linebacker, safety, and even nickel corner while at Notre Dame. He can cover out of the backfield, chase down plays, and blitz off the edge.

At 6’1″, 221 lbs., he isn’t exactly your grandma’s outside linebacker like a K.J. Wright or Lavonte David. Owusu-Koramoah isn’t going to power through a pulling guard, but he can beat blockers to their spots with his speed.

He projects as more of a weak-side linebacker in a 4-3 scheme, but will have a role in any system because of his versatility. With New England beefing up its offensive personnel this offseason and Buffalo scoring every which way, the Dolphins could use a hyper-athletic defender with his skillset.

Getting Tua Tagovailoa some much-needed protection with Teven Jenkins

With Ereck Flowers having been sent to Washington, the Dolphins have a hole to fill at guard. It’s been hypothesized that Robert Hunt will slide inside to right guard, and Solomon Kindley will shift over to left guard, where he played his best football last season (filling in for Flowers). This leaves a hole at right tackle, protecting Tua Tagovailoa’s blindside.

Jesse Davis is still with the team and D.J. Fluker was signed last week, but neither guy is a long-term solution. The team could use a player who brings some nastiness in the trenches. Teven Jenkins out of Oklahoma State has it in spades.

At 6’6″,  317 lbs., Teven Jenkins is an absolute bully at right tackle. Imagine Ryan Ramczyk, but with rabies. It’s surprising his highlight reels haven’t been censored due to excessive violence. Forget the fact he’s a lineman, Jenkins is fun to watch.

Jenkins always plays up until (and occasionally past) the whistle. He plays with such tenacity that it rubs off on his teammates. But make no mistake, it’s his technique that allows him to weaponize his aggression. Jenkins has a consistently quick get-off. He adeptly handles speed rushes, bullrushes, and long-arm moves. In the run game, he’s a bulldozer. In the game against Texas this past season, he manhandled fellow day-2 prospect Joseph Ossai.

Jenkins is the kind you hate on the opponent’s team but love on your team. He’d be a dogged protector of Tua and a worthy pick at number 36.

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Could Javonte Williams be the Miami Dolphin’s answer at running back?

The Miami Dolphins running back room could use an upgrade. To be frank, Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown, and Salvon Ahmed are all complementary backs. None of them have demonstrated the ability to carry a major workload nor have the physical traits to strike fear in a defense.

While Najee Harris and Travis Etienne are the headliners of this running back class, Javonte Williams out of North Carolina is flying under the radar as a quality player. The former two players have the gaudy stats and big-game pedigree. Williams has tape that stacks up just as well and has a year less college football mileage.

Williams ran for 1,140 yards and 19 TDs on 7.3 yards-per-carry in 2020. He split carries with Michael Carter who’s also projected to be a 2nd-round pick. At his pro-day, Williams ran a 4.55 40-yard dash to go along with an excellent 36″ vertical.

He’s 5’9 1/2″, 212 lbs. of pure thickness who runs low to the ground and behind his pads. This combination of size and style makes him a tackle-breaking machine. Williams broke 76 tackles on only 157 carries last year and averaged 4.59 yards after contact.

One knock on the former Tar Heel is his lack of workload. Williams only averaged 15 touches per game in his final two seasons. Also, he wasn’t effective against the best defense he faced all last season, Notre Dame. Then again, he torched my Miami Hurricanes for 236 yards. Maybe he can light up The Hard Rock again, this time for the good guys.