11. Miami Dolphins: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Miami Dolphins just made a wild trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well as tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick and a draft pick.
Funny how things have come full-circle with Fitzpatrick, isn’t it?
The Dolphins have a lot more needs than people maybe realize at this point. They have one of the most top-heavy rosters in the NFL right now, and their secondary has been almost completely depleted.
They simply need to take the best player on the board here and Caleb Downs is being considered an almost unanimous top-5 player in this class. The only issue is, you rarely see safeties picked that high anymore. He’d be a great value for the Dolphins in this pick slot.
12. New England Patriots: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
Under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots have done a great job of revamping the roster rather quickly on paper. Vrabel himself already adds a ton of value to this team as a former NFL Coach of the Year, but then you win the bidding war for stud free agent defensive tackle Milton Williams before drafting Will Campbell 4th overall.
The Patriots are hoping for a big year-two breakthrough from quarterback Drake Maye, and Maye has given this franchise reason to hope for a bright future. The last time the Patriots had a young quarterback with Josh McDaniels in the offensive coordinator chair, things worked out pretty well.
Maye is the most talented quarterback the Patriots have had since Tom Brady, and in many ways, he’s got more tools at his disposal. It’s going to be a new era of Patriots football but Maye can give the Patriots a fighting chance at competing with the Bills in the AFC East.