Honestly, I have no idea right now. Let's see what Thursday holds.

 

As much as I love Solomon Thomas, it would absolutely flooring to see him drop to our pick, let alone out of the top ten. Jacksonville (No. 4) is a likely destination for him. Plus, Derek Barnett is probably out of our reach, and Raekwon McMillan would be an egregious reach at No. 22.

Realistic schematic fits, in my opinion:

Guard

• Dan Freeney, Indiana
• Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky

Both would be questionable reaches at our current pick, but are the best at their respective positions and fill glaring needs on the roster. Ideal in a trade-down scenario.

Defensive Tackle

• Malik McDowell, Michigan State

McDowell is profoundly versatile, but he wouldn't do much to alleviate our run defense woes. His presence would provide a boost to the pass rush and the defensive rotation. Not my favorite option, but his projected fit in the wide-9 almost feels destined to be.

Defensive End

• Taco Charlton, Michigan
• Takkarist McKinley, UCLA
• Carl Lawson, Auburn
• Charles Harris, Missouri

Charlton is lightyears ahead of the other names on this list, but with so many good defensive ends in this historic class, it's conceivable that he's there for the taking at No. 22. Not many teams would dare running to the right of the defensive formation with him there. McKinley, Lawson and Harris are essentially Cameron Wake-esque players. Speed is the name of their game, but the run defense would suffer with one of them starting opposite of Wake.

Linebacker

• Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt
• T.J. Watt, Wisconsin
• Jarrad Davis, Florida

Having drawn comparisons to Luke Kuechly, Davis is the most mechanically gifted of the bunch, but injury and motivational concerns will keep him at bay until the latter part of Day 1. Cunningham and Watt would, in my projection, be at their best on the strong side of the formation. All three are solid options.

Cornerback

• Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
• Jalen Tabor, Florida
• Sidney Jones, Washington

Barring a blockbuster deal for a big-name cornerback, Miami would be foolish not to draft Marlon Humphrey at No. 22 -- if he's available. He has all of the traits of a future shut-down corner. Tabor, meanwhile, has some character concerns about him, but his ballhawking skills are legitimate. Jones isn't bursting with upside like his counterparts, as he feels more like a reliable No. 2 zone corner (Sean Smith, anyone?), but he is a fairly safe selection.

Safety

• Jabrill Peppers

Safety wasn't an option a few days ago, but with Isa Abdul-Quddus's neck injury apparently worsening and his future becoming less certain, it needs to be considered on draft day. Peppers is widely known for his athletic ability, but teams aren't sold on him just yet. The majority have given him late first-early second round projections. At his worst, he projects to be utilized like Arizona's Deone Bucannon. At his best, he projects to be utilized like Reshad Jones. I would only be hesitant to draft him because I think the back end of our defense needs a reliable cover man at free safety, similar to Eric Berry or Earl Thomas, but Peppers' versatility is enough to warrant consideration.

 

I may have misjudged his abilities against the run. I'll definitely have another look, but he will need to get stronger if he's going to hold his own against NFL offensive linemen. I'm afraid he's too tall to maintain any leverage in the interior. Very good player nonetheless.

Also, I'd love it if Thomas did somehow make it to our pick, but I think someone's going to have to hack his Twitter account for that to happen. :whistling:

 

I think this is great, but the short list gets shorter after this frenzy this weekend