Could Phins Get Lucky At #13 Again?
Despite additions over the last two seasons, Linebacker could end up Phins best value in RD #1
Like most NFL teams, the Phins are tight-lipped about their
… But with Chris Grier in charge, the leaks to reporters have dried up.
The best bookie services are all over the map on who Miami will select with the 13th pick. Both Grier and Brian Flores have stated they will bolster the trenches in the 1st three rounds, just about every position needs help.
Whatever they have planned could change if a Top 10 player who doesn’t play on the line ends up sliding into their laps?
Miami has been lucky two out of the last three drafts. Both Laremy Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick unexpectedly dropped to give great value in 2016 and 2018. Why not a repeat this year with Linebacker Devin White from LSU?
Linebacker isn’t the biggest priority for Miami, but there’s no doubt that a stud Mike LB would be a great pickup.
White is the consensus top Inside Linebacker in either a 4-3 or 3-4 Defense. Sure we have a ton of needs and LB isn’t at the top of the list. But many analysts see White as a perennial Pro Bowler for years to come.
So if he’s available when the Dolphins select wouldn’t they be nuts to pass on a player that could be the foundation of their defense for years to come?
No one expected Minkah to fall that far last year… maybe magic strikes twice?
While it’s an unlikely scenario, White has to be a top consideration at #13. He’s a prototypical Middle Linebacker in modern football, an immediate starter, and an upgrade over McMillan or Kiko.
Even though McMillan is a former 2nd round pick and young, he was a liability for us much of last year on defense. Kiko was too inconsistent to be viewed as part of the future. Neither of the current starters
Common Man Football analytics says White is good but not Ray Lewis good
Flores is a Defensive minded Coach, it would be wise to kick off his era by adding the ‘QB of his Defense’.
I’m not inclined to believe that either Kiko or McMillan can fill this role of leadership.
White is 6’0” 237 pounds and ran a 4.42 40 yard dash and had an excellent workout at the combine. He checks all the boxes for a middle linebacker. He’s very physical against the run, can cover defend the pass, and is a team leader that brings a certain much needed intimidating violence to the Defensive side of the ball.
He’s a true 3 down linebacker that would immediately anchor the Defense.
In addition, he has all the stats to back it up with 123 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 6 passes broken up in 2018 for an LSU team that plays in the highly competitive SEC. And he isn’t a one hit wonder. His 2017 season was just as impressive with 133 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, 3 passes broken up and 1 interception. Last, his high football IQ has some analysts comparing him to Ray Lewis. This might be a little much though.
Sounds like a dream… or a nightmare?
So if you were in charge of the Draft and White was available when Miami is on the clock would you select him over another player that plays a position of a greater need?
Hello Jimmy/Admin
Time to get the Adrenalin flowing and focus on trading back twice in the 1st and once in the 2nd round.
My thoughts are the same on linebacker, there are some really good ones in the later rounds. The Goal is to stay focus, trade back a few times in the first round.
later 1st rounder Dexter Lawrence we cannot go wrong and he would be the start to addressing the core on defense. Defensive ends are all up and down the draft board. Once again its the right fit for our system, leadership etc.
What will Drew Lock bring to the Dolphins? What did Jay Cutler bring to the Dolphins?
a. Tyler Cornelius from Oklahoma State produced Wins without excuses. 6th to 7th round to not drafted.He beat Drew Lock,Wil Grier,Boise State QB Brett Rypien and came closed to beating Tyler Murray’s team.
The other QB’s we have discussed many times.
b. We need Production/results from the QB’s. We cannot draft on looking the part.
I always thought Cutler’s Diabetes affected his mindset. He had severe Type 1 diabetes… I’ve been studying Lock and listening to the pros and cons. I’m still on the fence with him… but damn, he does intrigue me. When you factor in how poor his team is and the number of drops he had… I’d just hate to pass on him and he turns out good. It would put undue pressure on this regime. But, missing on not drafting would be a TON better than missing because of drafting. I think he’ll be gone before they pick, it will be the safest situation for the Dolphins. I’m actually a bit nervous about this draft. Ridiculous… I sorta’ feel like a kid again with the hope I feel. Ridiculous that at my age and responsibilities that I’m so invested…
I was very intrigue with Lock Passing ability etc. last Fall until I noticed other College Quarterback who were refusing to lose. Like possibly 6th round to maybe undrafted QB Taylor Cornelius Oklahoma State he really impressed me by knocking off some of the big name QB’s. Drew Lock vs Cornelius https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCHMPAz6Ndw. I’m not saying draft Taylor over Lock
Admin my point is there are many QB’s after the 1st,2nd round who are possibly a better fit for the Dolphins. The Dolphins cannot draft another QB who just checked all the boxes have a strong armed, tall or looks the part But factor in How well they can rally and moved the teams towards success.
Yeah, Lock is likely fools gold… since you turned me onto Finley he has been my hope… Grier will cost too much.
Hello Admin and Dol-Fans
Nice Article Admin!
Posted below are the allegedly the top Linebackers from the start of the 2018 College Football Season. That being said, Which linebackers will performed better in the Dolphins system and who has the Smart to handle adversity etc. The performances of these players changes from season to season.
Top Five LIneBackers 2019 Draft
2019 NFL Draft: Top 5 LBs | PFF
https://youtu.be/HjpRKcjiqpc
1. Dakota Allen https://youtu.be/d99_eNGWZOc
2. Devin Bush https://youtu.be/bhyECMmdjJo
3. T.J Edwards https://youtu.be/STic6kXMQ1g
4. Joe Giles Harris https://youtu.be/Et_9TUM9DBQ
5. Paddy Fisher https://youtu.be/KIx337mN0FE
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2018/08/07/college-football-best-linebackers-2018/914575002/
1. Devin White, LSU
White’s vision and awareness matched up with his athleticism during a breakout 2017 season, which saw the junior earn first-team all-conference and second-team All-America honors. Despite those accolades, you can make the case that White was unrecognized — possibly due to former Georgia star Roquan Smith’s excellence within the same conference. But this is obvious: White looks like the Tigers’ next great linebacker.
2. Cameron Smith, Southern California
Smith is the heart of a USC defense capable of carrying the Trojans to a Pac-12 title and the doorstep of the College Football Playoff. Few linebackers in the FBS are as experienced as the former five-star recruit, who slid into the starting lineup early in his career and has been a rock against the run. The All-America favorite has led USC in tackles in each of the past two seasons.
3. Devin Bush, Michigan
The reigning Butkus Award finalist was one of the great surprises from last year’s Big Ten. After dabbling in limited duty and focusing primarily on special teams as a freshman, Bush took on a starting role heading into last season and helped Michigan rank sixth nationally in yards allowed per play despite breaking in a nearly brand-new cast. Credit the Wolverines’ star with remaking his physique since arriving on campus and transforming himself into one of the top defenders in the Big Ten.
4. Mack Wilson, Alabama
Wilson needs to show that he can remain healthy, but his toughness isn’t in question: Wilson played on an injured foot for nearly the entirety of the 2017 regular season and still led the Crimson Tide with four interceptions. Wilson’s athleticism isn’t in question either, obviously. He’ll take on the role as the Tide’s “alpha dog,” as Wilson said after a recent practice, following in the footsteps of a long line of All-America defenders in the middle of Nick Saban’s defense.
Wisconsin Badgers linebacker T.J. Edwards chases Michigan
5. T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
Already a vital cog in Wisconsin’s quest for the Playoff, Edwards will become even more irreplaceable as the Badgers’ defense undergoes a bit of a rebuild heading into September. There’s no doubting his All-America credentials: Edwards stops the run and defends the pass as well as any inside linebacker in the country. Barring injury, he’s almost a lock for postseason accolades.
6. Troy Dye, Oregon
At his current rate, Dye might leave Oregon as one of the top defenders in program history. He led the Ducks in tackles in each of his first two seasons. He has produced at an all-conference clip since moving into the starting lineup midway into his true freshman season in 2016. Dye does it all for Oregon’s defense and does it with little fanfare, though that might change come September.
7. Shaq Quarterman, Miami (Fla.)
Quarterman seems ready to take off. One of the team’s leading tacklers in each of his first two seasons, Quarterman enters his junior year as one of the top overall players in the ACC and one national defender poised to take his game to a higher level.
8. Joe Giles-Harris, Duke
A starter since the first snaps of his redshirt freshman season in 2015, Giles-Harris enters the coming season as one of just eight linebackers in the FBS with at least 200 career tackles, 25 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Giles-Harris posted at least 10 tackles in five games last fall and saved some of his best performances for November and bowl play, helping the Blue Devils close the 2017 season with wins against Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Northern Illinois.
9. Te’von Coney, Notre Dame
Coney grabbed a starting role a month into Notre Dame’s 2017 season and quickly blossomed into one of the top tacklers in the FBS —a surprise given Coney’s uneven offseason and backup status heading into September. But he showed next-level ability down the stretch and during the Irish’s bowl win against LSU in particular, when Coney played like the best linebacker on the field.
10. Joe Bachie, Michigan State
That Bachie was named Michigan State’s team MVP for 2017 — the first sophomore to win the honor since 2004 — gives you an idea of just how integral he is to the Spartans’ quest for a Big Ten title. Bachie led the team in tackles and forced fumbles and finished second in tackles for loss and interceptions while chipping in 3.5 sacks. The junior sets the tone for what should again be one of the nation’s best defenses from his spot in the middle.
FIVE JUST OFF THE LIST
Khalil Hodge, Buffalo
Joe Dineen, Kansas
Jahlani Tavai, Hawaii
Dakota Allen, Texas Tech
Josh Allen, Kentucky
This was Jimmy’s. I’m not crazy about the LBs in RD 1. I really am interested in Lawrence or Tillery. Lock has me intrigued again for some reason. Sweat too. His name kinda’ annoys me though.