Miami Dolphins high on Cyrus Kouandjio
Alabama Crimson Tide left tackle Cyrus Kouandjio (71) on the line of scrimmage. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama Crimson Tide offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio was a sure-fire first-round prospect for much of the pre-draft process, but that all changed due to a poor combine performance and significant medical concerns. Those medical issues could cause Kouandjio to have a shorter career, which would make him a gamble in the first round if his medicals don’t check out. Most people have him going in the second due to those issues, but there’s still a solid chance he could end up in the first round. I mean, he is a very talented tackle prospect who could be better than Alabama rookie OT standout D.J. Fluker, and a team like the Carolina Panthers could pull him in the late first due to his talent and their need at tackle.
The Miami Dolphins came into the offseason with desperate needs on the offensive line, and they still need some big-time OL help even after giving Branden Albert a large sum of money to be a massive upgrade as a franchise left tackle. They have the 19th overall pick, and it looks like Taylor Lewan is the dream pick for them, whereas Zack Martin, who can play at guard or tackle, is the player mocked the most often to the Dolphins in the first.
But don’t rule out Cyrus Kouandjio as an option for the Dolphins. In fact, it looks like it could be reasonable to expect the Dolphins to take him in the first, as the Palm Beach Post’s Andrew Abramson reports that new Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey is high on Kouandjio but only sees Martin as a guard- not a tackle worth a first round pick. I would disagree with him on that, but it isn’t surprising to see that he is high on Kouandjio. A few other evaluators seem to be big fans of him despite his falling stock in the pre-draft process.
A source tells Abramson that Hickey “has got a love for Kouandjio”, and they could even draft the Alabama product if Lewan slips to them. While I wouldn’t pass up on an elite tackle talent like Lewan- unless if I were that scared of his character concerns- it’s good to see that someone still views Kouandjio has a worthy first-round pick. I’d prefer Martin or Lewan, but he Hickey could look like a genius if he pulls the Bama OT and gets top RT out of him. Before news of medical issues, Kouandjio was usually mocked to the Arizona Cardinals with the 20th pick overall, and I would prefer him to Morgan Moses.