With the majority of free agent signings and off-season moves complete for this year, Last Word On Sports will be tackling each NFL team’s three biggest draft needs this April. Today’s focus will be the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins ended 2015 in last place of the AFC East with a disappointing record of 6-10. This off-season, the Dolphins made some transactions to hopefully turn things around in South Florida. They signed former first overall draft pick Mario Williams to a two-year deal. In addition to this, the Miami Dolphins also executed a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in which the teams swapped first-round draft picks in 2016. Miami also received linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell in the deal. This means the Dolphins will have the 13th pick in this coming NFL Draft in late April. The Dolphins had some key departures this off-season as well, including running back Lamar Miller, defensive end Olivier Vernon, and cornerback Brent Grimes. These departures undoubtedly leave questions and holes on the Miami roster. With that being said, let’s dive into the Dolphins draft needs.

Miami Dolphins 2016 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs

Cornerback

To start things off, defense wins championships, and the problem in Miami is that they aren’t too good on defense. The Dolphins ended the 2015 regular season with the 25th ranked defense overall, including being 21st against the pass. They gave up over 250 yards and two touchdowns per game last year in addition to allowing a QBR of 97.4 to opposing quarterbacks. The secondary also saw a key departure this off-season, as cornerback Brent Grimes left Miami and signed with Tampa Bay. This leaves a vacancy in Miami’s already weak secondary. The ‘Phins looked to address this issue with the Philadelphia trade, in which they acquired Byron Maxwell. Maxwell appears to be a good fit in the scheme that new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is running. He will presumably become the number one corner on the depth chart. Even with this addition, the secondary depth behind Maxwell is limited. Young players such as Bobby McCain and Jamar Taylor have yet to develop into consistent options for the Dolphins.

I think the Dolphins will look to address these defensive issues in this upcoming draft, especially at corner. It’s likely Jalen Ramsey is off the board by pick number 13, but there are definitely other options that still make sense. The first being Vernon Hargreaves out of the University of Florida. He has the skill set and ball skills to be an immediate starter in the NFL. He’s fluid and extremely quick in and out of breaks. Hargreaves lacks top end speed and prototypical size but has exceptional athleticism and is a playmaker, so think Ronde Barber. It is possible however, that Vernon Hargreaves is no longer available at pick number 13, and Miami may have to look elsewhere. That elsewhere could be Eli Apple from Ohio State University. Apple has prototypical size at 6’1″ and excellent speed, as he posted a 4.42 second forty yard dash time at the NFL combine earlier this spring. He’s a competitor on balls in the air and has the potential to be great, so don’t be surprised if Miami calls his name come draft day. Another guy the Dolphins may want look at is William Jackson III out of Houston. Although Jackson may not be drafted in Round 1, he is a definite playmaker on the field. Jackson snagged three interceptions in 2015 and took two back for touchdowns. He has elite speed, quickness and possesses good size, so he is another tempting option for Miami.

Running Back

The cornerback position was not the only place the ‘Phins had players depart from. During the off-season, Miami saw their starting running back Lamar Miller leave to sign with the Houston Texans. In addition to the loss in free agency, the Dolphins also failed to sign running backs C.J. Anderson and Chris Johnson as suitable replacements. It’s quite possible that the Dolphins will address this need in the upcoming draft if possible. Aside from the 13th pick overall, Miami owns the 42nd and 73rd overall draft picks, one in each of the second and third rounds.

There is only one running back this year that has the skills and upside to be taken as high as the number 13 pick, and that player is Ezekiel Elliott. Should Elliott somehow slide all the way to number 13 on draft day, I wouldn’t call it a surprise to see him playing in South Florida in the fall. If Elliott is off the board at 13, Miami may choose to select a running back later in the draft. I believe they may be looking at a few options such as Devontae Booker and Kenyan Drake. Booker played at Utah and contributed over 2,700 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career as a Ute. He’s got a compact frame at 5’11” and 219 lbs, similar to the build of Lamar Miller. Booker also possesses great balance and doesn’t shy away from contact. The other running back the ‘Phins could have their eye on would be Kenyan Drake out of the University of Alabama. Drake played in the shadow of Derrick Henry at Alabama, but when the opportunity presented itself, he seized the moment. Often showing flashes of talent and brilliance at Alabama, Drake may be able to effectively translate his skill set to the NFL. With quick lateral agility and effortless speed, Drake makes himself a potential threat in the passing game. That same speed and agility also provide him an edge in the open field, frequently eluding would-be tacklers. Miami will be missing a huge chunk of their production on offense next season with Lamar Miller heading to Houston. It is definitely possible that the Dolphins will address this potential setback during the draft. Expect Miami to take a running back in one of the first three rounds this year.

Offensive Guard

The offensive line was abysmal for Miami in 2015, allowing over 100 quarterback hits and giving up a total of 45 sacks. As a general rule of thumb, the offense runs smoother when your quarterback is upright in the pocket and not under a pile of opposing defenders. On top of a struggling passing game, Miami also only averaged just over 93 yards per game on the ground in 2015, which was 23rd best in the league. To start fixing the problem, the ‘Phins added Jermon Bushrod this off-season and there are talks of him moving inside from tackle to play guard. Branden Albert is still a serviceable left tackle, which will allow Bushrod the freedom to switch positions.

Even with the added help, Miami could definitely benefit from taking an offensive guard in the early rounds. The best guard in the 2016 draft class is Cody Whitehair. Highly regarded as consistent and dependable, Whitehair also showed above average strength and balance during his time at Kansas State. He’s efficient with his movement and has played both guard and tackle, so his flexibility to move between positions is a positive. Other guys that Miami could look into may be Joshua Garnett from Stanford and Joe Dahl from Washington State. Garnett is a punishing blocker with a large frame and excellent driving power. He has a powerful lower body and often wins the point of attack because of this. Garnett would be a definite upgrade for the running game. Joe Dahl is another good prospect at the offensive guard position. Dahl is an above average pass blocker, and is praised for his work ethic and ability to retain knowledge. Even though he played in a pass-happy offense, Dahl has shown the potential to be a serviceable run blocker at the next level as well. Both Garnett and Dahl would be good additions alongside the Pro Bowler Mike Pouncey at center. It would not be surprising to see the Dolphins add depth and talent to their offensive line this spring via the NFL Draft.

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