My "One Week Before the Draft" Dolphins Mock Draft

First Round (#1) - Chris Long, DE/OLB, 6030, 272, Virginia

I know all the talk in the media right now is putting either Jake Long or Vernon Gholston to the Miami Dolphins with this pick. There may be some validity to that, and I may be completely wrong with this pick. With that said, when the Miami Dolphins sealed up the first pick in the draft when the season ended, my first instinct for who they would pick was Chris Long. I've learned over the years to trust my instincts in pretty much everything I do. I truly believe that when you combine everything that Bill Parcells looks for in a player and you add it to his strong tradition of drafting defensive players, in particular pass rushers, high in the draft, I think you cannot come up with any player other than Chris Long with this pick. Let's go down the Bill Parcells check list. From an athleticism and position standpoint, does Chris Long fit the profile of the type of player Bill Parcells takes? Yes. Chris is 272 lbs with great athleticism. He had 14 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 75 total tackles at Virginia during his senior season, so the production is there. Overall, he had that production while essentially playing out of positon as a thirty front defensive end. Al Groh admits that Chris Long is a better fit as a rush linebacker in the thirty front defense, and he would have played linebacker at Virginia if Al had the talent along the defensive line to support it. Is Chris Long oversized for the position he is going to play in the NFL? Yes. On a Bill Parcells team, he is going to be a strong side linebacker in the thirty front defense, and for that position, at anywhere from 268 lbs to 272 lbs, he will be oversized for the position. To add to his size, Chris is a terrific athlete. His athleticism stood out on film when watching him play, and it was verified by his testing numbers at the combine. He definitely has the athleticism to project to the outside rush linebacker position in the thirty front style of defense. Does Chris Long have a passion for the game? Yes. He may be the most passionate player in this draft when it comes to football. Chris loves the game, and he loves do the work that is necessary for him to be the best player on the field. I don't believe this can be overlooked, and I believe the Dolphins brass value this quality a lot. Is he a leader of men? Yes. Chris Long was the captain of the Virginia defense for the past two seasons, and his passion for the game, work ethic, and natural leadership ability show when he's on the field. Chris is going to be a leader by example the very first day he steps onto the practice field. He will eventually become the emotional leader of the team, and I believe he will also become the vocal leader of the team in time. When you are bad enough to draft someone with the #1 overall pick, you are in need of a new face of the franchise. I think Chris Long is a player that will be the new face of the Miami Dolphins, and I believe Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland, and Tony Sparano feel the same way even though it isn't being talked about in the media.

Other Possibilities: Jake Long, OT, Michigan; Vernon Gholston, DE/OLB, Ohio State



Second Round (#32) – Trevor Laws, DT/NT, 6006, 304, Notre Dame

This pick has been a very tough pick to project. I’ve gone through several different scenarios in my mind, and I have finally found one that I’m comfortable with and it seems to fit the modus operandi of Bill Parcells and those that follow his philosophy. Defense is the name of the game when it comes to this philosophy. I know some strongly believe that the Dolphins should go with an offensive lineman at this pick, and they very well may do that in the long run. Sam Baker from USC is a guy that seems to fit the Bill Parcells philosophy, and he could be a strong option at this pick. In fact, as I was working on this mock earlier in the day, I projected Sam Baker to Miami with this pick. Well, in less than 10 hours, I have changed my mind. I now have reason to believe that Miami will draft Trevor Laws with this pick. Trevor Laws may not immediately come across as the typical nose tackle for the thirty front due to his size to many people reading this. There are a lot of teams that believe he is a great fit for the nose tackle position. Trevor is a defensive tackle that is built low to the ground. He has a background as a wrestler, which gave him great experience with using leverage techniques to grapple with guys who may have been bigger than him. Trevor was an All-State wrestler and the team captain of his wrestling team in high school. Another thing that helps with the projection of Trevor to the nose tackle position is the fact that he is extremely strong. The only players to lift 225 lbs more times than Trevor Laws at the combine were Jake Long and Vernon Gholston. Some have compared him to Kelly Gregg, the stout nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. At Notre Dame, Trevor played in a two gap 34 defense as a defensive end. Physically, he tested out very well with a 5.09 forty time, 35 reps on the bench press, and very good agility drill times. Off the field, Trevor is another player that fits the mold the Dolphins are looking for. He is a high character guy who has a lot of natural leadership ability. As a junior, Trevor served on the team’s leadership committee that Charlie Weiss set up. He was also a team captain as a senior, when he had over 100 total tackles on the season from his defensive line position. Much like Chris Long, Trevor is a relentless player that is a self motivator with an excellent motor. I believe this will be a theme among the Dolphins picks this year and in future years. In Miami, I believe you will see Trevor Laws split time with Jason Ferguson at the nose tackle position, ultimately supplanting Jason before the year is over.



Second Round (#57) – Carl Nicks, OT, 6047, 341, Nebraska

Jeff Ireland recently said that he doesn’t mind taking any chances in the draft, but don’t expect him to take too many. Well, here is that chance that Jeff Ireland will take, as the Dolphins address the enormous need along the offensive line with their second pick in the second round. Carl Nicks is a player with enormous talent, but he is also a player with some off the field baggage. When I looked into his history, I only see one incident where he got in trouble with the law, and that is still pending at this point. When Jeff Ireland said that he felt second chances were good in many cases, I believe he could have been thinking about Carl Nicks. On the field, Carl is a massive man with tremendous strength and long arms. He has the ability to swat defenders out of his way like they are flies. He can be a devastating drive blocker in a power oriented scheme. Carl has bounced around a few different colleges during his time. He started out at New Mexico State but was forced to transfer to Hartnell Junior College due to academics. At Hartnell, he became a first team All American and earned a scholarship to Nebraska. Carl ended up playing the role of the 6th lineman in rotation before earning a couple of starts at the end of the season at the right tackle position. As a senior, Carl started 11 games at left tackle and came off the bench after being suspended for one quarter for disciplinary reasons. In 481 pass plays, Carl gave up only 1 sack on the year. His measurables are off the chart. Carl stands at just a shade under 6’5”, tall and 341 lbs. He shows good lateral agility on film and in drills. His strength is a major plus. At the combine, Carl had 31 reps on the bench press. His arms are 35 inches long. He owns a 435 lbs max on bench press, 580 lbs max on squat, and 335 lbs max on power clean. Carl started out as a defensive tackle, so he still has a lot to learn about being an offensive tackle. If Carl doesn’t blow his second chance and listens to the coaching staff, he could be considered a steal at this pick. I think the Dolphins will look to take a chance on Carl Nicks with this pick after taking two extremely high character players with their first two picks. The hope is that both Chris Long and Trevor Laws can help Carl Nicks along in his path to improve himself.



Third Round (#64) – Tyvon Branch, DB, 5113, 204, Connecticut

Much like the offensive line, it doesn’t take a football genius to know that Miami is in desperate need for defensive backs, in particular cornerbacks. Will Allen is probably the only legitimate starter at the cornerback position that is currently on the team. The Dolphins did address this position somewhat in free agency by signing former Dallas Cowboys special teams standout Nate Jones and another former Cowboys in Joey Thomas. Joey Thomas was a third round pick a few years ago that has fallen off the map, but he has spent some time with new Dolphins secondary coach Todd Bowles. Todd is considered to be a top notch teacher when it comes to coaching defensive backs, and the general feeling is that Miami can probably draft some players that need technical refinement and have him coach them up. If a cornerback is going to play on a Bill Parcells team though, the one thing he absolutely has to be able to do is force the run. He has to be able to tackle. Well, Tyvon Branch is probably the best tackling cornerback in this draft. He has the size that this regime will be looking for in a corner. Tyvon tests out extremely well athletically, but his coverage skills do not yet match his athleticism because his technique is very raw. I believe this is the area where the Dolphins believe Todd Bowles will be able to help Tyvon. Some scouts and draft experts believe Tyvon may be better served as a safety, but I think his has too much raw athleticism to make the move at this point. I believe the Dolphins feel that they will have a starting cornerback on their hands once they coach him up on his technique. Tyvon’s coach at Connecticut, Randy Edsall, is familiar with the Parcells philosophy as well, as he was Tom Coughlin’s secondary coach in Jacksonville for a period of time.



Fourth Round (#100) – Thomas DeCoud, DB, 6013, 207, California

“I’ve been hit by everybody on the team, but when Thomas hits you, it isn’t something you want to remember,” says California running back Justin Forsett. When I read that, the first thought in my head was that Thomas DeCoud is a safety that Bill Parcells will love. Thomas has the size, athleticism, and the tackling ability to be a player in a Bill Parcells secondary. He started out as a cornerback and special teams player at California. In his first two years at Cal, Thomas blocked six kicks on special teams. He played as a reserve cornerback as a freshman before shifting to free safety as a sophomore and played well as a reserve in both capacities. Thomas was named a defensive captain as a senior and had 116 total tackles. He brings a lot of natural athleticism to the table, and some teams may be tempted to give him a look at cornerback because of his quickness. I think his natural fit will be at safety, and he could become an in the box type of safety that can also play in coverage. Thomas will have a great opportunity to win a starting job as a rookie with the Dolphins, and he will at least be a solid contributor on their special teams.



Sixth Round (#195) – Shawn Murphy, OG, 6037, 320, Utah State

Bill Parcells, and Jeff Ireland by extension, both believe that you can find quality offensive linemen later in the draft. The Dolphins have shown a lot of interest in Shawn Murphy, the son of former Atlanta Braves great Dale Murphy. Shawn is a naturally strong and naturally big man who has experience starting at both left tackle and left guard for Utah State. He didn’t play football from 2002-2004 because he was serving a church mission, much like Dolphins quarterback John Beck. He’s older than your normal rookie, but his experiences should serve him well. The player Shawn draws a comparison to is right guard Justin Smiley. Shawn is another player that was a team captain.



Sixth Round (#204) – Tim Hightower, RB, 6001, 226, Richmond

The Dolphins don’t have a great need at running back, but they do have a great need to get better special teams players. Special teams will be Tim’s forte at the NFL level. He’s a strong, downhill runner that is very tough and can get the touch yardage because he has great balance, vision, and instincts. His stand out quality is his ability to play on the special teams coverage units though. Tim is the all time leading rusher in Richmond history with over 3,700 yards rushing.



Seventh Round (#208) – Jerome Felton, FB, 5115, 241, Furman


Regan Mauia is having some legal troubles that probably aren’t making the front office or coaching staff very happy right now. Over the past couple of weeks, the Dolphins have been looking at a lot of FB/H-Back types, and it is really giving off the signs that they may draft one to replace Regan or at least bring in one or two as high priority free agents. Jerome Felton has been more of a runner than blocker in college, but he has the strength to do the job as a blocker. He brings versatility to the table, as he is also a solid receiver out of the backfield. He’s a player the Dolphins could choose to line up as a full back, as a tailback in the single set, and as an h-back at times. Jerome was a captain on the Furman football team.



Seventh Round (#245) – Kroy Biermann, LB, 6027, 246, Montana

Kroy Biermann was the Buck Buchannan Award winner as the best defensive player in the non-BCS division. He has the reputation of being a hard hitter with a non-stop motor. This past season, Kroy racked up 72 total tackles, 15 sacks, and forced 5 fumbles from his defensive end position. I look for him to be moved to linebacker in Miami, possibly to inside linebacker where he will get the chance to compete for a back up spot behind Reggie Torbor and Channing Crowder this year and also play on special teams. Kroy was a team captain.

 

I found it difficult to work a tight end into the draft without using one of the 2nd round picks on a tight end.

One guy that comes across as a Parcells type of tight end initially is Brad Cottam from Tennessee, but I think his injury history will keep Bill and Jeff from pulling the trigger on him. Otherwise, I'd probably fit him in with the 64th pick.