NFL Draft: Crimson Tide players in Miami Dolphins Mock Draft
By Cj Dew
Round 5
No. 153 – Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF – Miami has back to back picks in the 5th round. They can task a risk, reward type approach. To help their wide receiver core, Gabriel Davis from UCF only strengthens them. Davis knows how to create space, find the deep ball, and also has the size at 6’2, 220 pounds. If taking Davis is a risk, the reward could be very high.
No. 154 – Benito Jones, DL, Ole Miss – Once again, Miami found themselves ranked dead last in another category, this time the defense line. In this case, Benito Jones could potentially come from the SEC and find playing time right away. At 6’1 329 pounds, talk about a nice run-stopper. After posting 30 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one interception in 2019, Jones would be a great addition to an area that desperately needs help.
No. 173 – David Woodard, LB, Utah State – Woodard is one of my favorite players in the draft because he is so vastly underrated. He projects to play either inside or outside linebacker at the NFL level, and as mentioned before, the Dolphins need all the help on both sides of the ball. You can’t go wrong drafting a former All-American who had 93 total tackles,2 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in the 5th round
Round 6
No. 185 – Lamar Jackson, CB, Nebraska – Lamar Jackson to the Dolphins–No not the MVP QB, but the cornerback from Nebraska. The Dolphins have Byron Jones and Xavier Howard on the corner right now, but Jackson could eventually turn himself into a role player. Howard has a bigger size than most corners in the league at 6’2, 208 pounds. Some more weight on his frame and safety could end up being a spot for him as well.
Round 7
No. 227 – Rodrigo Blankenship, K, Georgia – The majority of people think that players who are drafted in the 6th and 7th round are useless Not Rodrigo “Hot Rod” Blankenship. Jason Sanders is not the answer for the Dolphins. Hot Rod made 82 percent of his kicks last year, with a long of 50. His sophomore year he made 87 percent of his kicks with a long of 55, so the potential is definitely there.
No. 246 – Caleb Kelly, LB, Oklahoma – Once again, the Phins dive into the defensive pool and snag a player who is extremely raw, but has the potential to be a solid NFL player. What is holding him back is a potentially serious lower-body injury. Kelly could possibly recover and have an incredible story down the road. His stats were not bad before the injury, as he started 13 games in the 2017 season and had 56 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles. He also had shoulder issues, so that could be a huge risk, but with multiple picks at this point, it can’t hurt.
No. 251 – Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan – With the last draft pick the Dolphins have in 2020, they go out on a limb and pick up former 5-star quarterback Shea Patterson out of Michigan. Patterson completed nearly 60% percent of his passes in 2019 with only to 23 touchdowns, but only eight interceptions. Say something did not work out in the Dolphins locker room, maybe Patterson becomes a solid backup. It never hurts to have depth on the roster.
I have done probably 100 different mock drafts for the Miami Dolphins over the past year, and this one makes the most sense. With arguably with the worst team in the entire NFL, 14 draft picks, and a 2nd-year head coach, the Dolphins time to shine is now.