New head coach Adam Gase has entered the building and wasted no time in putting his mark on the team. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has made it clear that he expects to make the playoffs within three years or Gase and his crew will be looking for work. This is a good thing and every NFL team owner should take this view from here on out. The three-year new coaching contract should be the norm.
The Dolphins have a lot of pieces in place now after working plenty of trades and the free agent market. All they need now is the perfect draft and I have taken the trouble to put one together for them.
To see every team’s perfect draft, go ahead click right here. Right on this spot.
Round 1, Pick 13 – Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
2015: 289 carries, 1,821 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 23 touchdowns, 27 catches, 206 yards, 6-foot-0, 225 pounds
Elliott is a stud player and future NFL star and a decade or so ago, he would have easily been a top three or four pick. Now I have him going at No. 13 to the Dolphins because that’s where the NFL is. It’s better than it used to be. There were a couple of drafts where running backs were nowhere to be seen in the first round. Teams have rediscovered the value of a great back, but they also know if a guy isn’t Todd Gurley or Adrian Peterson, you can still wait a little while before you pick him. Is Elliott those guys? I don’t think so, but he’s right behind them.
Round 2, Pick 42 – Vadal Alexander, OG, LSU
2015: Four-year starter, first team All-SEC, 6-foot-5, 326
If you want to run inside in the NFL, you need a mauler at guard and Alexander is just that. He’s used to having an elite running back behind him in Leonard Fournette so he also knows how to block, then get the hell out of the way.
Round 3, Pick 73 – Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
2015: 25 catches, 340 yards, three touchdowns, 43 rushes, 261 yards, one touchdown, 6-foot-1, 201 pounds
Somebody is going to take Miller in the third round based on his athleticism, talent and versatility and for his sake, we all better hope it’s Gase. Miller has some work to do to continue his development as a receiver, but he can contribute immediately as a special weapon on offense and on special teams. Miller could run every trick play any coach could think up and I have to believe Gase could think up plenty.
Round 4, Pick 107 – Bronson Kaufusi, DE, Brigham Young
2015: 57 tackles, 18.5 for a loss, 10 sacks, one interception, two passes defended, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, 6-foot-6, 285 pounds
Kaufusi is an incredible athlete and even played basketball at BYU for a season before turning his attention to football full time. He’s quick, strong and has a 30-inch vertical to bat down passes. His production was off the charts and he could be ready to rotate in on the Dolphins defensive line on day one.
Round 5, Pick 147 – Willie Beavers, OT, Western Michigan
2015: All-MAC in 2014 and 2015, 6-foot-5, 321 pounds
Beavers has all the tools to be an NFL starter. He’ll just need to be coached up in the pro style and especially in front-line run blocking. Beavers should be able to step into the rotation at the end of the season and should have no trouble picking up pro pass blocking schemes.
Round 6, Pick 186 – Daryl Worley, CB, West Virginia
2015: 49 tackles, two for a loss, six interceptions, 12 passes defended, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles, 6-foot-1, 204 pounds
Worley may end up being a steal in this draft with a sixth round grade. Everything about his size and production says he should be ranked higher. Of his 49 tackles last season 46 were solo tackles, meaning the Mountaineers put him on an island in coverage and left him alone. Remember this kid’s name. He’ll be int he Pro Bowl in a couple of years.
Round 7, Pick 230 – KeiVarae Russell, CB, Notre Dame
2015: 60 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, one sack, two interceptions, four passes defended, two forced fumbles, 5-foot-11, 192 pounds
Russell is a fantastic athlete with similar production as Worley. His stock took a little hit when he suffered a broken leg with just two games to go in the season. Not only did it cost him three games worth of stats (counting the bowl game), it likely knocked him into the seventh round.
Round 7, Pick 234 – Antwione Williams, OLB, Georgia Southern
2015: 107 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, four sacks, three passes defended, four forced fumbles, 6-foot-3, 247 pounds
Williams hits like a semi as his four forced fumbles should attest. Georgia Southern used him for everything on defense, so that should make him an impact player immediately as a pro, especially as a third-down blitzer.
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