Miami Dolphins: Early 2021 NFL Mock Draft nets top-10 defensive studs
By Zach Cohen
Miami Dolphins mine for late-round value to wrap up 2021 NFL Mock Draft.
UCLA. 134. player. 836. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. S. Quentin Lake
As it stands, the Dolphins’ candidates for the starting safety jobs are Eric Rowe, Bobby McCain, Adrian Colbert, Clayton Fejedelem and third-round pick Brandon Jones. Outside of Jones, none of those options instill a ton of confidence. Miami’s biggest defensive need is arguably at safety and, while Jones has the makings of a potential star, his injury history is concerning.
Ironically, Quentin Lake is in a similar situation after missing most of last season due to an injury. Prior to that, Lake flashed a skillset that could make him a first-round pick in 2021. He’ll just need to stay on the field to prove it.
Scouting Report. EDGE. Miami (FL). Jaelan Phillips. 183. Pick Analysis. player. 834
How about two Hurricanes staying in Miami? Considering the Dolphins’ earlier selections of Rousseau and Parsons, Jaelan Phillips would be more of a secondary option for the team. Flores and Grier love stockpiling talent along the defensive line, so you can expect them to add depth in the later rounds of the draft.
None of the interior options seemed too delectable, so the Dolphins settled with the recent UCLA transfer. Phillips had trouble staying healthy during his two seasons at UCLA, so this selection would be solely based on Phillips’ upside he displayed in his 10 career games.
IOL. 187. player. 819. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Notre Dame. Tommy Kraemer
There’s no need to repeat the phrases from earlier here. We all know Miami needs more bodies to fix their offensive line woes. While Tommy Kraemer was a late sixth-round pick in this mock draft, there was actually a time when he was considered a possible first-round pick. Unfortunately for Kraemer, a season-ending knee injury knocked his draft status and forced him to return to school.
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With a (hopefully) new season ahead of him, perhaps Kraemer could return to the stellar play that earned him a spot on the Outland Trophy Watch List in 2019. If he stays healthy, we could be laughing at the idea of Kraemer being a late-round selection in April. The team currently doesn’t own a seventh-round pick.