Miami Dolphins: Early 2021 NFL mock draft fixes offensive woes
By Zach Cohen
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 39. 851. S. Texas. Caden Sterns. player
The Dolphins just drafted one Texas safety, how about another? Sterns would immediately be an upgrade over incumbent starters Bobby McCain and Eric Rowe, though Rowe was better than people give him credit for. Still, their current safeties don’t instill that much confidence. The only reason Miami didn’t select a safety sooner in this mock was due to the positional depth.
The big board for the mock draft had five safeties ranked between No. 25 and No. 52. The drop-off between offensive linemen seemed far greater than the drop-off between safeties, so the Dolphins could afford to wait for a safety. Sterns’ biggest asset is his ability to line up all over the secondary, which is something Flores and Co. would surely love.
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Chuba Hubbard. RB. Oklahoma State. 42. player. 856
The combination of Matt Breida and Jordan Howard is good. But Chuba Hubbard could be better. The First-Team All-American posted 2,094 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his sophomore season, and then promptly put drooling NFL teams on hold. Nothing suggests that Hubbard can’t repeat his success this season, you know, unless a pandemic cancels college football or something.
Also working against Hubbard is another good-looking crop of young running backs. Najee Harris and Kylin Hill were looked at here but Hubbard was the clear choice because of his amazing 2019 season. He could make some improvements in the passing game, though his running ability alone makes Hubbard a threat anytime he’s got the ball.
Scouting Report. WR. 71. 808. Pick Analysis. USC. Amon-Ra St. Brown. player
Some people may say that the Dolphins’ biggest need is at wide receiver. While the team could easily lock onto LSU standout Ja’Marr Chase or any of the Alabama receivers, that might require an early draft pick. Like with running backs, the 2021 draft class is loaded at wide receiver. Miami should fill bigger holes early and wait on positions that could have plenty of solid options later.
With DeVante Parker and Preston Williams holding down the fort on the boundaries, the focus should shift inward. Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson are fine slot receivers, but their contracts are a bit hefty for their production. St. Brown would bring two things that Grant and Wilson don’t have a lot of: height and good health. The 6-1 receiver appeared in every game last season while snagging the third-most receptions from the slot among returning receivers (per Pro Football Focus).