The NFL Draft will kick off Thursday night, and the Miami Dolphins will have a couple of hours to weigh their options.
For the most part, fans, media, draft experts, and everyone else have an opinion on who the Dolphins should draft with the 13th overall pick. Rumors continue to swirl that the Dolphins have interest in Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, while another rumor says it is tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Still, others are predicting cornerback.
It's not easy to make a prediction and see it come to fruition, but one thing no one seems to be talking about is the Dolphins making a move that gets them out of the 13th overall spot. This should be discussed more.
Miami has 10 draft picks this year, so the team doesn't "need" more draft capital. Dropping from 13 to, say, 20 in a trade with Denver might bring it an extra Day 2 selection. Dropping further would most assuredly get a Day 2 pick. The Dolphins need more of those types of picks if they want to fill the glaring needs along the roster.
Chris Grier's smartest move would be to trade the Dolphins' 13th pick to anyone willing to take it
The Dolphins need to look at the value of the return and forget for a moment about the players on the board. If a player dropped who wasn't expected to be available, Grier should strongly consider making that move, but overall, this class is consistently even outside of the top 10.
At 13, the Dolphins could draft Will Johnson of Michigan, or Grant, or Banks, or maybe they go with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. For example, the drop-off between 13 and 20 is such that Miami would still likely be able to land one of those four players and should have the opportunity to choose between at least two. Yes, this year's draft could work in Miami's favor.
If the Dolphins take that risk, would they actually lose if one of those four players is gone? Not at all. Tyler Booker is considered the best guard in this year's class and is expected to be drafted in the early-to-mid-20s. Malaki Starks fills a need at safety, and several defensive tackles are considered NFL-ready.
There has been speculation that the Denver Broncos want to trade up. The Pittsburgh Steelers, as well. There will always be teams making calls to gauge the interest in a move. Chris Grier has to look at this draft as one to manipulate, and he must not get so hung up on a specific player at a spot of need without realizing he can still fill it a few picks or more later.