Miami Dolphins 2022 mock draft round three through seven

Brandon Smith, Linebacker – Penn State:

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 240 lbs
• Class: Junior

Brandon Smith is a very raw talent as a prospect, but he has all the physical tools to find success in the NFL. At Penn State Smith showed good ability in pass coverage as well as chasing down runners.

Smith’s freakish athletic ability allows him to drop in zone or man coverage and he has the ability to intercept the football, a skill some linebackers this deep in the draft might not have.

Tackling is a weakness for Smith as he missed 15 tackles in 2021 at Penn State, but with all the physical tools at his disposal, there is no reason a team that trusts its development system shouldn’t take the chance.

If refined, Smith could turn out to be a big addition to the Miami Dolphins’ linebacker core that needs a true middle linebacker. Of course, Smith wouldn’t be a day 1 impact player but rather a project.

At the end of the day that’s where the value lies when picking in the later rounds (physical traits and upside), I would much rather take the raw talent with a high ceiling and all the tools to reach it, over the ready-to-play talent with a low ceiling.

Brandon Smith also has no glaring disciplinary red flags, he can be a little reckless by tackling late outside the field of play and it has cost him a few flags. But that is something that can be cleaned up, apart from that Smith carries himself well and stays out of trouble off the field.