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.
