The Miami Dolphins may not make that annual “Who the heck is that?” draft pick this year. A staple of Chris Grier’s 9 years with the Dolphins, this is Jon-Eric Sullivan’s show now. An outsider from a team with a far better draft history.

The NFL Draft is still three months away, but as time ticks and calendars flip, fans will hear words like driven, toughness, and physical. This is the new Dolphins, hopefully. Somewhere along the line, Grier got complacent in his job. Sullivan is taking on his first job as a GM. He believes he is ready for the challenge. So does everyone else who knows him.

As the Dolphins prepare for the draft, Sullivan has no choice but to rely on the Dolphins’ current scouting department. Sullivan, too, has a lot of knowledge of this draft class. It will be interesting to learn who sticks around once Sullivan gets through this one.

The Miami Dolphins have a clear vision of what types of players they want to draft

Sullivan wants football players. Not guys that can play the game, but guys that live it, love it, and prioritize it. They want players that won’t get caught up in the South Florida nightlife; they want winners.

Fans will spend a lot of time poring over mock drafts by the best media guys covering the sport. They will run their own simulations, and they will criticize most of them. What fans also need to see is which players the Dolphins are likely to target and why these five names are guys to pay attention to.

David Bailey – Edge – Texas Tech

Bailey is the second-best edge option in this draft. His current stock puts him just ahead of the Dolphins at 11, but strange things happen on draft day. If Bailey is available, the Dolphins are likely taking him over anyone else. He has the attributes that check all the boxes for Sullivan and Jeff Hafley. Miami needs edge help, and Bailey would not only provide it, but he would be the best player in the draft at pick 11.

Caleb Downs – Safety – Ohio State

Downs is the best safety in this year’s class, and Sullivan won’t have an issue drafting him if he is on the board. Physical on the field, Downs has shown a tremendous amount of leadership while with the Buckeyes. Miami needs these types of players. He makes the defense tougher, fills a need, and is the type of player Hafley has stated he wants to build around.

Mansoor Delane – CB – LSU

Delane and Jeromd McCoy are the top two CBs in this class, but neither stands out as being better than the other. McCoy’s injury history is a bit of a turnoff. Delane plays well outside, and we have to be honest: as much as Dolphins fans would love to see the offensive line beefed up, the secondary is a horrible mess.

Ty Simpson – QB – Alabama

Dolphins fans might throw up if the team drafts another Alabama quarterback, but consider this: he isn’t a product of Nick Saban. Simpson is likely to be the second QB taken in this year’s draft and may not be picked until the late 20s. If the Dolphins look at Simpson as a potential franchise QB, I might expect them to trade back and take him later. He is worth keeping an eye on, and some see him as the best “ready now” QB in this class.

Carnell Tate – WR – Ohio State

Yes, Sullivan called out Jaylen Waddle by name when he spoke about the team’s building blocks, but Tyreek Hill is all but officially gone, and the Dolphins don’t have a replacement. Malik Washington was supposed to be that guy. He showed flashes, but he is better suited to be a third receiver. The Dolphins need a receiver built to play physical, that’s Tate.

The problem is that this draft’s QB class isn’t as good as others. That will mean teams who might normally take a shot on a QB in the top 10 will now likely wait. That makes guys like Tate come off the board sooner.

Game date, time and location: Saturday, Jan. 31, 8:00 p.m. EST, Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, Chicago Sports Network

Radio: 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida), 670 AM The Score, 1200 AM (Chicago)

VITALS: The Miami Heat (26-23) and Chicago Bulls (23-25) meet for the third of four regular season matchups. Earlier this season, Miami recorded a, 143-107, win in Chicago on November 21 and a, 116-113 win on January 29th. The Heat are 66-68 all-time versus Chicago during the regular season, including 37-29 in home games and 29-39 in road games.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Kasparas Jakucionis

G Jaime Jaquez Jr.

C Bam Adebayo

F Pelle Larsson

F Andrew Wiggins

BULLS

G Ayo Dosunmu

G Kevin Huerter

C Jalen Smith

F Isaac Okoro

F Matas Buzelis

Betting Lines (via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Spread: Heat -6.5 (-108), Bulls +6.5 (-112)

Moneyline: Heat -240, Bulls +198

Total points scored: 233.5 (over -106, under -114)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

INJURY REPORT

HEAT

Davion Mitchell: Out – Shoulder

Norman Powell: Out – Personal Reasons

Tyler Herro: Out – Rib

Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team

BULLS

Coby White: Doubtful – Injury Management

Nikola Vucevic: Doubtful – Rest

Josh Giddey: Out – Hamstring

Jalen Smith: Out – Calf

Emanuel Miller: Questionable – Migraine

Tre Jones: Out – Hamstring

Zach Collins: Out – Toe

Noa Essengue: Out – Shoulder

QUOTABLE

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on the loss to the Orlando Magic: “Basically all four games we’ve had great first halves. We just have not been able to sustain it against that team. We started out flat, it’s hard to explain that.”

“We had some really deflating offensive possessions. We couldn’t guard,” he said. “We struggled to defend them, so that stacks up their paint points, and then they did a good job leveling off our drives.”

For more Miami Heat information and conversation, check out Off The Floor.

Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket