The Miami Dolphins won't have to wait too long for their first pick to be made in the Jon-Eric Sullivan era. Barring trades that would reset the clock, the Dolphins should be on the ticker roughly 88 minutes into the draft.
Most believe the Dolphins will take one of Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, Mansoor Delane, or perhaps Jordyn Tyson, but what if someone else falls through the cracks? Will Sullivan parlay that opportunity into more draft picks and move down, or will he reap the benefit?
On Saturday night, the Giants and Bengals made a blockbuster trade that put the G-Men in the 10th position, but other teams are looking to move out of the top of the draft, while others are hoping to move into it.
Miami Dolphins should be thrilled if any one of these five players fell outside of projections
Caleb Downs - Safety - Ohio State
Fills a need? Check. Leadership? Absolutely. Loves football? Yes, yes, and more yesses. Caleb Downs would be a phenomenal fit in the Dolphins' secondary, but most draft pundits see him as off the board by pick 10. That's true, but there are mock drafts from media outlets that waffle on what teams will do at the top. Downs is a perfect fit for the Dolphins, and it isn't impossible to see him fall to 11.
Reuben Bain, Jr. - Edge - Miami (Fl)
A month ago, it was out of the question that Reuben Bain would fall outside of the top-10. Then word of a legal issue from two years ago surfaced that could make some teams question his character. Add the "short-arm" stigma to him, and suddenly, Bain's top-10 guarantee isn't so picture perfect. With the Bengals off the board now at 10, Bain could slide. It would be an epic fall for the Dolphins, who likely don't plan to take an edge-rusher at 11.
Jeremiyah Love - RB - Notre Dame
The best, if not the only, sure-thing running back has been sliding in mock drafts. Not because of pre-draft warnings, but because there are questions as to whether or not Tennessee, Washington, or the New York Giants will take him. If they pass for WR or defensive help, Jeremiyah Love could fall further than expected. It's highly unlikely that the top RB would last to 11, but if he did, Sullivan would have the trade of a lifetime sitting on the table for him, as plenty of teams behind them would start to call.
Players that could drop to the Dolphins at pick 30
C.J. Allen - LB - Georgia
There is nearly zero chance that OSU LB Sonny Styles would fall to Miami at 11, but C.J. Allen is the next best linebacker in this class, and he could fall to pick 30 if there is a late first WR run. Allen isn't a player that the Dolphins are predicted to pursue, but if Sullivan sticks to his BPA approach, the Georgia prospect would be a late-round steal.
Akheem Mesidor - Edge - Miami (Fl)
Akheem Mesidor is one of the top edge prospects in this year's class, but his 25-year-old age has some teams wondering if Zion Young is a better option. If Keldric Faulk is off the board and Young goes before Mesidor, the better defender of the three could slip to the Dolphins at 30.
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