My Dolphins' mock

No trade predictions...just the players I could see the Phins taking at their current draft spots.

1. Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
--A bit of an underachiever, but he's got the size the Dolphins covet and he fits what they want to do on defense.  He'll add size and toughness to a defense that is currently short on both.

2. Desmond King, CB, Iowa
--The Phins have reportedly had their eyes on King for a couple of years.  Should step in as starting nickle from day one, and could end up playing boundary at some point.  

3. Isaac Asiata, G, Utah
--The Phins love their Utah players.  Asiata is plug-and-play at guard, and could shift to center down the road.

5.  Lorenzo Jerome, S, St. Francis
--Small-school standout that the Phins can groom as a future starter.  I loved what I saw from him at the Senior Bowl, and he has the centerfield skills the Phins desperately need at free safety.

5. James Conner, RB, Pittsburgh
--The short-yardage back the Dolphins have lacked since they dumped Lousaka Polite.  Almost everything you read about him includes the term "battering ram".

5. Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Alabama
--Big run stuffer who surprisingly has some pass rush ability as well.  A great prospect who will fall due to injury concerns (2 torn ACLs), and we all know that the Phins love them some injury-prone players.  Should challenge Phillips for playing time immediately.  Major boom or bust depending on his knees, but a nice 5th round gamble.

6.  Ben Boulware, LB, Clemson
--Boulware will be a special teams ace the second he steps on the field, and could eventually see his playing time at LB increase as he adapts to the NFL.  One of my favorite players in this draft.  Great instincts, sure tackler and a non-stop motor.

This would be a very good group. I think someone gambles on Tomlinson before the 5th, but DT is a pretty good group this year in the middle rounds. Someone will slide.

King's something of a tweener, but a really good player. Jerome could certainly surprise people at the next level.

The Dolphins always seem to draft 1 or 2 players that I feel have no NFL future. Last year it was Lucas and Duarte. Hopefully that trend ends and we add a full slate of legit prospects!

I was a big Taco fan based on watching him play but now all the experts have me questioning my opinion. Other than that it's a solid draft. I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.

Birdmond wrote:   I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.  

In my list of picks in the first post, Jerome, Conner, Tomlinson and Boulware are all "my" picks. I personally wouldn't take Charlton or King. I like Asiata, but I can take or leave him. If the draft plays out the way I expect it too, I'd be really tempted to take the LSU CB (White) at 22. I think that dude is going to be great. I am also a big Peppers fan, but I don't think the Phins' D is flexible/creative enough to really take advantage of his skills. Another CB I like is Rasul Douglas, but obviously not in round one.

My top two players in round one would be Reddick and Willis, but I don't think either will be there at 22. And as I've said many times, Reddick isn't a great pick for the Phins because they have their two starting LBs in place for at least 2 years and rarely use 3 LBs - but I do love the player.

JMP wrote:

Birdmond wrote:   I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.  

In my list of picks in the first post, Jerome, Conner, Tomlinson and Boulware are all "my" picks. I personally wouldn't take Charlton or King. I like Asiata, but I can take or leave him. If the draft plays out the way I expect it too, I'd be really tempted to take the LSU CB (White) at 22. I think that dude is going to be great. I am also a big Peppers fan, but I don't think the Phins' D is flexible/creative enough to really take advantage of his skills. Another CB I like is Rasul Douglas, but obviously not in round one.

My top two players in round one would be Reddick and Willis, but I don't think either will be there at 22. And as I've said many times, Reddick isn't a great pick for the Phins because they have their two starting LBs in place for at least 2 years and rarely use 3 LBs - but I do love the player.

I'm kind of rooting for Peppers.

Using the first pick site, with no trades, here's what I came up with. My choices based on who was there at each spot:

1st (22) Tyus Bowser, OLB. Over Charlton, King, Baker, McKinley and others. Tough not to trade down with so many viable options on the board.
2nd (54) Dion Dawkins, OG. Over Dorian Johnson, Brantley, King, Humphrey. Both Dawkins and Johnson look like sure decade-long starters at OG.
3rd (97) Cameron Sutton, CB. Over Jaleel Johnson, Vincent Taylor, Justin Evans. Sutton is the best of this bunch IMO; legitimate man coverage ability, and can return punts.
5th (A-22) Bucky Hodges, TE. Over Jarron Jones, Joe Mathis. Just looked like the best player left on this particular board.
5th (B-34) Joe Mathis, DE. Late riser on some boards
5th (C-40) Jeremiah Ledbetter, DT. Some questions regarding physical limitations, but worth picking at this stage.
7th: Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, DT. Either him or Elijah Lee, tough call.

Needless to say, we need to trade down and get more picks.

"Big Stevie" as Mayock called him during the Senior Bowl! Dude is a beast. He'd be an excellent value in the 7th, but I think he could go much higher. He's older (26 I think?), but the 3-4 teams will love him as a pure nose tackle.

I think Boulware will be a Hell of player because of his motor and instinct for the position and I would love a defense loaded draft and also won't be surprised if we trade down or even out of the first rd to make up for the bad trade last year and get extra picks.

If you take someone in the first he needs to be a day one starter in my opinion. At 22 we absolutely can find a starter for sure, but in the grand scheme of things we need to load up on players to solidify the depth. We are better off trading out of the first and getting more picks specifically in the 2nd and 3rd

The best option I see is to get on the phone with Cleveland. They have so many needs and 2 2nd round picks. 1st and a 5th to Cleveland for their #2's would be awesome

Umix10 wrote:If you take someone in the first he needs to be a day one starter in my opinion.  At 22 we absolutely can find a starter for sure, but in the grand scheme of things we need to load up on players to solidify the depth.  We are better off trading out of the first and getting more picks specifically in the 2nd and 3rd

The best option I see is to get on the phone with Cleveland.  They have so many needs and 2 2nd round picks. 1st and a 5th to Cleveland for their #2's would be awesome

This roster is not built to have a day one rookie starter...except at guard. I HATE the idea of taking a guard in the first, even though I do like Lamp. Good teams can find guards anywhere in the draft...no need to take one in the first when there will absolutely be better players available.

I'm with you - I'd LOVE to get a day one starter at 22. But unless it's a guard, it ain't happening. Every other starting position has been filled - not filled the way I'd like it to be done, but it is what it is. That's why I'd prefer a DE in round one, because at least at that position the player will be in a rotation and he will see the field. BUT...if the draft plays out the way I expect, the better value at 22 may in fact be a CB - and I'm fine with that, because I am not sold on Lippett, and Maxwell will not be a Phin in 2018.

As for Cleveland, they have a ton of picks and I don't see why they'd need to trade back into the first. They already have two first round picks plus the first pick in round two. There's really no reason for them to trade. Regardless, there are plenty of other teams that would like to trade down too - so the Phins will have competition.

And - I'm telling you, don't be surprised if Tannenbaum trades UP throughout the draft and we only end up with 4 or 5 picks.

JMP wrote:

Umix10 wrote:If you take someone in the first he needs to be a day one starter in my opinion.  At 22 we absolutely can find a starter for sure, but in the grand scheme of things we need to load up on players to solidify the depth.  We are better off trading out of the first and getting more picks specifically in the 2nd and 3rd

The best option I see is to get on the phone with Cleveland.  They have so many needs and 2 2nd round picks. 1st and a 5th to Cleveland for their #2's would be awesome

This roster is not built to have a day one rookie starter...except at guard. I HATE the idea of taking a guard in the first, even though I do like Lamp. Good teams can find guards anywhere in the draft...no need to take one in the first when there will absolutely be better players available.

I'm with you - I'd LOVE to get a day one starter at 22. But unless it's a guard, it ain't happening. Every other starting position has been filled - not filled the way I'd like it to be done, but it is what it is. That's why I'd prefer a DE in round one, because at least at that position the player will be in a rotation and he will see the field. BUT...if the draft plays out the way I expect, the better value at 22 may in fact be a CB - and I'm fine with that, because I am not sold on Lippett, and Maxwell will not be a Phin in 2018.

As for Cleveland, they have a ton of picks and I don't see why they'd need to trade back into the first. They already have two first round picks plus the first pick in round two. There's really no reason for them to trade. Regardless, there are plenty of other teams that would like to trade down too - so the Phins will have competition.

And - I'm telling you, don't be surprised if Tannenbaum trades UP throughout the draft and we only end up with 4 or 5 picks.

I normally hate the idea of taking a guard in round one but IMHO Lamp is such a beast. We saw what this team did when the OL was healthy.
That being said, I believe Lamp gets picked in the top 15.

I still love the idea of Peppers at 22. We instantly have the best return game in the league and on D we get another piece for my Big Nickel dream .

As of now there are 3 players I love at 22.

1) Lamp
2) Peppers
3) Bowser

And I believe each player would play significant snaps or start.
As for Tannenbaum trading up my bet would be he trades up in the third to get Isiata.

As for trading down I absolutely do believe there will be a market for the 22nd pick and as of now I'm betting if Lamp is gone we do not pick at 22.

I'm not sure there's any incentive for a team to trade up to 22, with the Giants and Raiders picking after the Dolphins. I think the Raiders at 24 have the best chance of trading down, because they pick right before the Texans - who need a QB. If a team needs a QB, the Raiders are the obvious trading partner.

Birdmond wrote:I was a big Taco fan based on watching him play but now all the experts have me questioning my opinion.   Other than that it's a solid draft.   I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.  

I don't know if you should question your opinion, Bird. You've been pretty damn good when it comes to college prospecting.

Degarmo wrote:

Birdmond wrote:I was a big Taco fan based on watching him play but now all the experts have me questioning my opinion.   Other than that it's a solid draft.   I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.  

I don't know if you should question your opinion, Bird. You've been pretty damn good when it comes to college prospecting.

Thanks but Taco's mediocre combine also has me spooked.

I think Taco is playing the field. I don't think he wants to go to a shitty team.

I am not sold on Taco, but if Tannenbaum thinks the draft is longer on DBs than DEs, he might go DE in the 1st and look to get a DB in the 2nd.

I would trade down if able. It looks to me like after the first 15-18 guys, with the exception of the DBs, everyone else could be a 2nd or 3rd rounder for the next 50 guys, then they drop off fairly quickly.

But, who knows what the Phins braintrust is thinking?

Birdmond wrote:I think we should make a mock of who WE want, not who we think will be picked. It would be much more fun and provide a nice future reference for when we start to complain.  

Here's my selfish draft:

Your Picks:
Round 1 Pick 28 (DAL): David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.) (A)
Round 2 Pick 28 (DAL): Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado (A-)
Round 3 Pick 3 (CHI): Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana (A+)
Round 3 Pick 33 (COMP): Tyler Orlosky, C, West Virginia (A)
Round 3 Pick 38 (SEA): Delano Hill, FS, Michigan (A-)
Round 4 Pick 4 (CHI): Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami (Fla.) (A-)
Round 4 Pick 12 (PHI): JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Southern California (A+)
Round 5 Pick 22: Damontae Kazee, CB, San Diego State (B)
Round 5 Pick 34 (COMP): Jermaine Eluemunor, OG, Texas A&M (B+)
Round 5 Pick 40 (COMP): Dylan Cole, OLB, Missouri State (C+)
Round 6 Pick 10 (PHI): Stacy Coley, WR, Miami (Fla.) (B)
Round 7 Pick 5: Noble Nwachukwu, DE, West Virginia (C)

I decided to preemptively deal with the WR situation, try to replace/reinforce the center problem, get a QB to challenge Tannehill (and rid us of Moore), find a FS, solve the TE issue (scoring wise), get a grip of the OL, and address LBs, but got only one.  The last pick, I think is gonna be a stud, regardless of their site rating.  I think that was another steal.

Yes, heavy on some Canes.  I'm a homer, but then again, the Canes always attract talent even when they're not world beaters.  I think Stacey Coley may be the WR steal of this draft.

The Fins are making Charles Harris their first pick, whenever that is. It's a stone cold, take it to the bank lock, and you read it here first

I would literally shit bricks if this happened, seeing as how this would be an nfl draft of fantasy land with the road paved in gold as you pass Oz. The Dobbs thing was an accident.

Your score is: 15405 (GRADE: A+)

Your Picks:
Round 2 Pick 22: Marcus Sanders-Williams, FS, Utah (A+)
Round 2 Pick 26 (SEA): Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State (A)
Round 3 Pick 9 (CINN): Sidney Jones, CB, Washington (B+)
Round 3 Pick 12 (N.O.): Isaac Asiata, OG, Utah (A-)
Round 3 Pick 14 (BALT): Alex Anzalone, OLB, Florida (B+)
Round 3 Pick 22 (MINN): Dorian Johnson, OG, Pittsburgh (A+)
Round 3 Pick 23 (NYG): DeMarcus Walker, DE, Florida State (B+)
Round 3 Pick 29 (G.B.): Jake Butt, TE, Michigan (A+)
Round 3 Pick 31 (ATL): Nazair Jones, DT, North Carolina (A)
Round 3 Pick 33 (COMP): Tyler Orlosky, C, West Virginia (A)
Round 3 Pick 39 (N.O.): Eddie Jackson, SS, Alabama (A)
Round 4 Pick 27 (G.B.): Zach Banner, OG/OT, Southern California (A-)
Round 5 Pick 22: Malachi Dupre, WR, LSU (A-)
Round 5 Pick 34 (COMP): Joshua Dobbs, QB, Tennessee (C+)
Round 5 Pick 40 (COMP): Jarron Jones, DT, Notre Dame (A-)
Round 7 Pick 5: Stacy Coley, WR, Miami (Fla.) (B+)

Okay, Umix has GOT to some way, somehow to get to the draft, commandeer the Fins' war room, and start making picks. Sure he'll get arrested and jailed for a long long time, but it's still totally worth it to have that kind of draft, right?



RIGHT???

I'm now convinced if we pick at 22 it will be either Tyus Bowser or Tak McKinley. Both can play DE or SAM.

Not sure Bowser or McKinley will make it to 22. Bowser seems to be gaining some momentum heading into tonight.

Both are a bit small for 4-3 DE, and the Dolphins rarely use a SAM LB, so I don't think either one would be a great fit. McKinley especially seems more like a 3-4 OLB to me.

A lot of the top DEs are smaller than Tannenbaum would like. I know the Phins said they would consider smaller ends this year, but I'd still be surprised if they go with a 6'2" end like Tak.

I still think Taco is the target at 22. But, I think the Phins would love to get Derek Barnett and I could see them trading up for him. Barnett isn't as tall as you'd want but he looks like he could handle more weight...he's 6'3" but looks like his frame could handle at least 260, maybe even 270 if he bulks up his lower body (skinny legs).

DolFan 316 wrote:The Fins are making Charles Harris their first pick, whenever that is. It's a stone cold, take it to the bank lock, and you read it here first

Just too easy. So easy I ought to be ashamed, really. I'm not, but I should be