Last week, Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan met with the media and said he was waking up in the middle of the night, moving around his draft board. As the NFL Draft begins, his dreams will unfold in real time.
Miami needs a good draft, if not a great one. Sullivan is driving the first draft of his career, but he has a long history of watching some of the best in the business conduct theirs. For now, the slate is clean, but if Sullivan wants to get off to an impressive start, there will be options he can't afford to pass on.
Miami will enter Thursday's opening act with two selections, 11th and 30th, but many believe they will work to move one of those picks to add more in this year's draft and potentially next year's. He has repeatedly stated they will listen to offers, but he made it clear he won't move simply to do so, not at the expense of drafting a playmaker that helps the roster.
Jon-Eric Sullivan's perfect Miami Dolphins draft is in his control
While there will be teams who will inevitably take a coveted player off his board, there are so many routes to go that it is almost impossible not to walk away with starters.
Jon-Eric Sullivan's first-round dream draft
- Trades - Sullivan will pick up the phone and listen. While 30 seems more likely for him to trade, the 11th pick has more value. The cluster of players at 11 can't be discounted. Unless someone drops unexpectedly, the Dolphins can still land one of their top-five players by moving down.
Pick 11 - Mansoor Delane - CB - LSU
Delane is the top CB in this year's class, but the drop in talent between Delane and second-round prospect Chris Johnson isn't a wide gap. This is why Sullivan has more options than many believe. Still on the board could be Utah's OT, Spencer Fano, and Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson. Any three of these players would make sense for the Dolphins.
Pick 30 - Zion Young - Edge - Missouri
Young still needs to develop some, but many consider him to be one of the best in this year's class despite being a late first-round prospect. With Ty Simpson likely available, the Dolphins could find an early day-two trade partner hoping to jump back into round one.
Like at 12, the Dolphins have options here as well. Washington WR Denzel Boston has been linked to the Dolphins, and Georgia LB C.J. Allen is considered one of the best in his class. With needs at safety, offensive line, and corner, Sullivan could double down on the CB position as well.
Day two is where Sullivan is going to make his money. Entering the draft, he will hold seven picks in the top 100, but five of them come on day two, with four selections in round three. Still, his ability to be aggressive and take risks later in the draft will be tied to how well Day 1 goes.
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