New Early Mock after Hill Trade

While I am psyched to see how McDaniels uses his Hill and Hill-lite, there is no doubt, the draft has now become a bit LESS EXCITING for Phin fans.

Although after running some mocks thru with the few picks the Phins have, there is a chance some good things will come out of the draft.

Here are three Mocks I did, and I used MY VALUE BOARD (since I have no idea how Grier sets his up... but I sincerely HOPE Grier Understands how he sets up his board)...

First one I traded down to get more picks. Ignored Matt Waletzko OT at #102. And bypassed Troy Anderson LB for more picks.

125. Zyon McCollum CB Sam Houston State - I think the Phins need a big CB
130. Alex Wright EDGE UAB - I imagine somebody is going to pick this DE higher than this? His videos show a combination of power and speed moves.
158. James Empey OC BYU - Jurgens was gone, so...
168. Max Mitchell OT Louisiana - OT in the mix
179. Dohnovan West OG Arizona State - OG in the mix
224. Chance Campbell LB Mississippi - Big LB in the mix
247. Tayland Humphrey DT Louisiana - Big Big DT in the mix

In this one, I stuck with the picks the Phins have... I suspect Grier would go for Darrian Kinnard or Waletzko at #102, but maybe not...
I waited too long and missed out on all the Centers I liked.

102. Troy Andersen LB Montana State - I like this LB. If he is anywhere close to Vrabel-esque, the Phins need him.
125. Alex Wright EDGE UAB - DE the Phins need
158. Akayleb Evans CB Missouri - The Big CB
224. Jean Delance OT Florida - OT in the mix.
247. Blaise Andries OG Minnesota - OG in the Mix

In this trade down, the trades were not as good as I wanted, but...

118. Alex Wright EDGE UAB - Troy Anderson Lb got snagged one pick above, so I grabbed the DE
125. Leo Chenal LB Wisconsin - I don't want to say Zach Thomas, but a big LB I think might could play
158. Akayleb Evans CB Missouri - I doubt he will be there at #158
202. Cordell Volson OT North Dakota State - Big OT
224. Luke Wattenberg OC Washington - Got a center, but not Jurgens or Empey
247. Blaise Andries OG Minnesota - OG

So, if the draft falls the right way, maybe the Phins will luck out and have a shot to pick up some players who can help THIS SEASON.

Still a long way to go this offseason, and I keep hearing the Phins may not be thru looking to swing another big deal???

A part of me thinks that Grier traded away as much of this draft as he could just in case that Flores lawsuit thing (that literally nobody's talking about anymore) doesn't work out. Can't get docked draft picks you don't have, right?

I have officially given up doing mocks until at least 2 weeks before the actual draft. MAYBE by then I will know which picks this team has and doesn't have. Maybe.

LB is now the one gaping hole on the team so Anderson is my guy. Other than that, everyone else at that stage of the draft is pretty meh to me. I did always used to take Dameon Pierce with one of the late picks but now I don't even think a RB will be drafted at all.

Interesting theory DF and no doubt that's in the mind of the front office for certain.

Tampering / tanking / integrity of the game from the owner definitely equals lost draft picks. So push them into the future as much as possible.

I think I like your third attempt best, FF. I really like Chenal and Wattenburg, in particular.

Pass rush, inside LB, center, big WR, CB that can one day replace Howard or Jones, maybe RT...these are the primary needs IMO.

They will need to set up some Alarm System at the Dolphins Draft Room to Wake Everyone up this Year. I agree ILB is our Biggest Need on this Team.

I did one mock where Quay Walker was there at #102!

But he will go much higher IMO.

I suspect Grier will have his board set up WAY DIFFERENT than we think.

But we shall see.

I agree with DF316; this is way too early.

Okay... I wanted to throw this out there and see what everyone thinks...

I talked with a good friend the other day who has been uncannily accurate with his Phins rumors for a few years. He was the one who first started talking about how "some" folks in the Dolphins org were unhappy with Flores.

He told me several things and I did not think too much about them, then I saw the USA Today thing today about how Punter might be a target for the Phins at #102!?!?! And I remembered my friend saying the Phins are scouting the punters in the draft HEAVILY this year?

The USA Today guy was talking about this "Punt God" Matt Araiza from SD State.

After researching him a bit, I could see why the Phins would want him, but at #102???

Anyway, Araiza's stock has been on the increase, but in this mock I managed to trade down for #102 and get Araiza at #148. He never seems to make it to #158.

Another way too early mock, but this one has PUNTER as a need.

130. Zyon McCollum CB Sam Houston State
148. Matt Araiza P San Diego State
150. Myron Cunningham OT Arkansas
158. Jeffrey Gunter EDGE Coastal Carolina
192. Mike Rose LB Iowa State
224. Luke Wattenberg OC Washington
2023 CHI 4th Round Pick

When I did mocks I always picked Ariaza when I had the chance. But not as high as 102. If any team's dumb enough to take him at 102 then they can have him.

As low as all the picks are now, Ariaza might be the only player Grier drafts that excites me even a little.

Personally, I would only take a punter or kicker in the 6th or 7th. But punters are definitely important...you find that out really quickly when you have a bad one!

I have seen some good things about Ariaza but don't know much about him. He nailed a 75-yard punt at the Combine! I'm sure that made a lot of teams take notice!

ok, 4 weeks til our first pick, why not....

Nicholas Petit-Frere is on the board at 102, but Dallas is offering a trade up.  I counter the original offer asking for a 2023 4th and 129 to move down and take it.  I'm real big on recouping a 2023 pick or two if we can.

Top player at 125 is Khalil Shakir, but I take:

125. EDGE Dominique Robinson, Mia-OH

A lot of potential here.  Time for him to develop.

129. Khalil Shakir, WR, Boise St.

Cole Strange or Cade Mays (he's already gone) would normally be my targets here, but Shakir is here unexpectedly.  Makes a WR trade before camp more likely, but Shakir is a versatile piece for this offense (I doubt he makes it to 125 much less here though--most likely he's not, and I'm taking Strange)

At 158, Dare Rosenthal and Cam Jurgens are both still there.  I take

158. OC Cameron Jurgens Nebraska

I think he's more NFL roster ready at this time, good backup right away. (If I have taken Strange already, though, I use this pick elsewhere)

224. Logan Bruss OT

Just as good a prospect as Rosenthal, maybe better.

247. Clarence Hicks, LB UTSA

So we recoup a 4th for 2023 and come away with two potential playmakers and two O-linemen to develop.

Nice Hal.

The more I look at Hicks the more I like him.

I have been using Chance Campbell from Ole Miss as the lat round MLB, but I think Hicks might be better.

I also heard a rumor that grier may try and trade up into the early 3rd if the LB (???) he wants drops.
The rumor teller says it is a LB, but he is not for sure.

Grier does love to trade up... which I kind of don't understand? He wheels and deals to get more picks then the draft starts, and he's trading picks to move up and draft Eichenburg...

Sometimes I wish he would stay pat and let the draft come to us. Make the picks and increase your odds you'll land on a good player.

Hard to complain though after last year draft, he did an excellent job getting some real talent.

white1 wrote:Grier does love to trade up... which I kind of don't understand? He wheels and deals to get more picks then the draft starts, and he's trading picks to move up and draft Eichenburg...

Sometimes I wish he would stay pat and let the draft come to us.  Make the picks and increase your odds you'll land on a good player.  

Hard to complain though after last year draft, he did an excellent job getting some real talent.

I think the trading up had to do with the stockpiling of picks last year. We had a ton of picks and there was no way all those guys were making the team - so why not trade some picks to get the guy you want? The jury is still out on Eich, of course, but that picks certainly made sense at the time.

This year we are in a similar situation, where there just aren't a lot of roster spots available. For that reason, if the opportunity to trade up comes again, I think we will pull the trigger.