Miami Dolphins: 5 First round targets in the 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft has arrived and the Miami Dolphins hold the No. 11 pick — here are five prospects the Fins should target in the first round

The Miami Dolphins fan base is understandably worried about what their team might do come the night of the 2018 NFL Draft. It’s a franchise that hasn’t been bad enough to get a top-five pick, and not good enough to be 10+ win team consistently.

There are a lot of holes on a team that just a year ago made the playoffs in Adam Gase’s rookie season. Despite the number of holes, Miami Sun Sentinel reporter Chris Perkins believes that linebacker, defensive tackle and tight end are the three positions the Dolphins will target in the draft.

With so many players and so much movement that’s bound to happen, it’s hard to narrow things down to just one guy, so we’ll give you the five prospects the Fins should target in the first round.

5. Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

There was nothing note worthy about the Miami Dolphins linebacker core which suffered from injuries and poor play throughout the 2017 season. No disrespect to the guys that were out there busting their hides, but facts are facts: the Dolphins linebackers didn’t live up to their billing. The trade for Stephone Anthony hasn’t worked out and it may never happen. Even if it does, he looks to be more of a replacement for the failed experiment that was Lawrence Timmons.

Kiko Alonso needs some help; he’s more of a chase linebacker than someone who’ll change the complexity of a defense especially from a coverage standpoint. Because of the many deficiencies at the position, the Fins need someone who is athletically gifted and can drop into coverage. With the 11th pick of the NFL Draft, the Fins would be wise to take a look at linebacker — ore specifically, Roquan Smith from Georgia.

Smith is a great athlete who could bring some versatility to a core that desperately needs it. What he does well is change direction and disrupts in the passing game as well as against the run. Smith’s a dynamic playmaker who can come in and help right away. He’s ideally suited to play in the type of 4-3 defense Maimi plays as an inside  backer because he can drop into coverage in addition to slipping blockers. He’s 6-1, 236 pounds with a compact build and the versatility to play multiple positions. 

4. Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

There’s arguably no better linebacker who come in and dominate on the inside like Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds. He’s a 6-5, 253-pound powerful linebacker with length to keep guards off of him and engulf running backs. Additionally, Edmunds has NFL bloodlines as his father, Ferrell Edmunds, was a Pro Bowl tight end for the Dolphins. So maybe that plays a role in the possibility of the Fins drafting him.

It’s not like they don’t need him, either. Edmunds will help to improve a lackluster run defense immediately and add something a little extra with his ability to blitz and drop back into coverage. Edmunds’ ability to blitz allows him to play the sam in a stacked formation and be used as a pass rusher.

Edmunds may be most effective for the Dolphins on the inside because of his ability to stack and shed, which allowed him to make plays behind the line of scrimmage for Virginia Tech. Edmunds’ high ceiling could mean he’s a potential Pro Bowl player. If used correctly, he could be in the talks for Defensive Rookie of the Year.