NFL round one mock draft: Miami Dolphins go offensive line
By Pablo Rosero
Northern Iowa. TrevorPenning. 21. OT. player. 59. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
The pick you’ve all been waiting for. The title gives away what position the Dolphins will draft, but it’s obvious when you look at how the team got here.
The Dolphins looked like they were about to hand the Eagles a top-five pick after starting the season 1-7. Now the Dolphins are the AFCs seventh seed after winning seven in a row. They became the first team to have a seven-game losing streak to then have a seven-game win streak.
The Dolphins now must win out in order to have a chance at the playoffs. The shocking part? The offensive line and run game have been essentially nonexistent this season.
The Dolphins offensive line ranks dead last in ESPN’s blocking metrics, and every other metric says about the same thing.
The Austin Jackson experiment doesn’t look positive and Liam Eichanburg will need to develop much quicker if he doesn’t want to fall in the same position. Although the Dolphins did hit on their first three picks in the 2021 draft.
Those three – Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillips, and Jevon Holland – have played major roles in the team’s current win streak.
With their pick in 2022, the pick they received from the San Francisco 49ers, the Dolphins will need to build the offensive line. That means taking Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning.
While he is an FCS prospect, the 6-foot-7, 340 pounds, offensive tackle has played both left and right tackle. The giant of a man is extremely difficult to move. Although there is a worry that his size could limit his movements, he’s quick for his size.
Miami needs to keep trying to improve the offensive line and that’ll have to be done in both free agency and the draft. Penning’s versatility and size should be intriguing, but mainly he’s the top offensive tackle on the board.