The tension in the Miami Dolphins offices has to be getting quite thick. Not between new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, and not because Troy Aikman will be in the room. It's because this is the first time Sullivan will send in the card in his NFL career.
The Dolphins have needs at just about every position. That gives them control over who they want to draft. If a player is gone, it's an easy pivot. Most in the media covering the draft do not believe the Dolphins will trade any of their seven picks in the top 100 to move up in round one. There is simply too much talent.
Sullivan controls everything in this year's draft, but he doesn't control the teams that are picking ahead of him.
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It's a forgone conclusion that the Raiders will use the number one overall pick on quarterback Fernando Mendoza. That will leave nine more selections before the Dolphins are on the clock.
Sullivan could opt to move out of the pick and drop down, but he has to be sure that the guy he wants will still be available if he does. The word "covet" will come into play a lot over the next two weeks. Does Sullivan "covet" a specific player?
For Sullivan, his dream draft might be to stay put and take the best players available with each draft pick. That won't be easy, as those other nine teams start taking players off his board. It's uncertain what those teams will do, and with the consensus top-10 player continuing to fluctuate, his board is going to change.
Many assume that his first target will be at cornerback. Only two are set up for a top-15 slot, Jermod McCoy and Mansoon Delane. There are other teams that covet those players as well, and knowing the Dolphins are in a position to take one, others may work to jump ahead of them.
There are also more than a few offensive line talents that could be off the board when Miami picks. Green Bay had a habit of drafting corners and linemen early, so it's entirely possible that remains the same.
What Sullivan has to do is balance it all. With seven picks in the first 100, obtaining more would help, but it isn't 100% necessary. There are several players that Sullivan could have at the top of his board.
- CB Mansoor Delane
- Safety Caleb Downs
- OT Francis Mauigoa
- WR Carnell Tate
- CB Jermod McCoy
Those five are the most commonly mocked or mentioned players when discussing the Dolphins' draft. They would represent five of the 10 who could be drafted before the Dolphins are on the clock, leaving four other players that need to be drafted before Sullivan makes a pick.
It is also assumed that these four players will be drafted in the top-10 along with Mendoza.
- LB Sonny Styles
- Edge rusher Arvell Resse
- Edge David Bailey
- RB Jeremiyah Love
If one player is drafted that is not one of the five players presumed to have interest from the Dolphins, one of them would slide, but if all 10 are gone, the Dolphins still have quality players to choose from should Sullivan decide to make the selection.
- WR Makai Lemon
- OT Caleb Lomu
- WR Jordyn Tyson
- TE Kenyon Sadiq
- OT Spencer Fano
This is where Sullivan will balance what's on the board, how much he "covets" a certain player, and who might be available if he trades down.