2018 NFL Draft: Miami Dolphins 7-round mock draft in November
Round 1: Derwin James, SS, Florida State
I said in my last mock draft article that Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson would likely be my selection in the first round for the Miami Dolphins in most mock drafts going forward. I still believe that Nelson would be the best decision for the Dolphins. The interior of the offensive line has been a disaster this season.
Cutler has faced immense pressure up the middle, and has largely folded in the face of it. The running backs, whether it be Jay Ajayi, Kenyan Drake, or Damien Williams, have had minimal holes to run through. Nelson would fix both of those issues immediately. He’s a big part of the answer to what ails the Dolphins right now.
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Unfortunately, I also believe that the reality of the situation is that the Dolphins front office isn’t going to value the interior of the offensive line in the first round. Guard isn’t typically seen as a position that you spend a high first round pick on, and I believe the Dolphins would agree with that line of thinking. Nelson wasn’t available with the 10th pick in this mock draft anyway, so the point is moot.
Believing that the Dolphins won’t select a guard with a pick this high, I came into this draft looking for a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball. I was targeting Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick with the selection, but he too was already off the board. So for my money, I got the next best thing in Florida State S/CB Derwin James.
Both James and Fitzpatrick remind me a lot of another former Seminole in Jalen Ramsey. All three guys are defensive back prospects who I believe are just as adept at the corner position as they are at safety. The Dolphins defense could do wonders with that kind of versatility across from Reshad Jones.
Not only can you line up James across from Jones in a base defense, but James has the skillset to slide outside to corner in the Dolphins nickel and dime packages. With Tony Lippett returning from injury next season, and the emergence of rookie Cordrea Tankersley, it’s possible that James could take over Xavien Howard’s responsibilities in those situations. But the versatility that James provides doesn’t stop there.
At 6-3 and roughly 215 pounds, James fits the mold of a Deone Bucannon-type player. One who can play both the second and third levels of the defense. With the Dolphins linebackers struggling immensely in coverage this season, adding James to the mix at that level could be a massive improvement. If it allows the team to get Kiko Alonso off the field in obvious passing downs, I’m all for it.