NFL Draft: Best day 2 linebackers for the Miami Dolphins

Penn State’s Brandon Smith will be the guy who can give the Miami Dolphins the best coverage from the 2022 NFL Draft.

Brandon Smith is a guy the Miami Dolphins could take at pick 102 in the 2022 NFL Draft, but this pick is more of a projection that your coaching can get this guy in the right spot. He is built for the NFL and clearly can produce, but he is not fundamentally there yet.

The Miami Dolphins can get exactly what they are searching for with Brandon Smith. A big rangy coverage linebacker who on film can lock down the best of the tight end position with his size and strength, as well as be fast enough to stay up with quick wide receivers downfield.

Coming in a 6 foot 4 inches 250 pounds, Brandon Smith has the size to be much more than just a coverage linebacker. He could be an every-down linebacker that pushes to be one of the best mismatches for the defense for any NFL team. We are hopeful that the lucky NFL team is the Miami Dolphins.

Brandon Smith is very proven in coverage, but his issues lie with his inconsistency to be a presence in the run-stopping game. He often does not play with the effort and intensity it takes to beat a run-block.

I do not think this is a huge issue though and am very comfortable with him being put into this locker room and competing with guys at the NFL level every day to improve. He has proven he can do it, it just has not been consistent.

The only other issue some scouts have had with Brandon Smith is the inconsistency he shows in wrapping up someone rather than just going for the big hit. This does give Miami Dolphins a little bit of fear, but with Brandon Smith having sideline-to-sideline speed the element of adding a coverage piece with this size might be too hard to pass up.