Miami Dolphins Draft Targets: Moving into the Second Round

As we continue to debate who Miami should draft with their first round pick at #8 or #9 overall, one of the discussions lost is who Miami could target with the second round pick. Miami will have the #40 or #41 overall pick and should have some solid options. It is likely some first round talents and projections will fall to Miami's second round pick. With that, who are some potential players that could slide to Miami and who should be targeted? Here are a few options:

1) Janoris Jenkins, CB: This kid could have been the top CB in the draft had he stayed at UF, but right now he's all over the place in projections. He could go as high as #14 to the Cowboys or he could slide into the second round. I doubt he gets beyond the early twenties, but with his questions as far as maturity, it's still a slight possibility. He's the most unlikely candidate on this list to fall to us in the second round.

2) Dwayne Allen, TE: The best all-around TE prospect. He could go late in the first, but he also may not even be the top TE selection. Allen is likely to go anywhere between the mid-20's and the early part of the second round, leaving Miami as a possibility.

3) Coby Fleener, TE: He's not as solid a blocker as Allen, but he could be considered a better receiving target. At 6'6 with good separation ability, he'd fit the mold for the receiving TE many fans want.

4) Nick Perry, DE: There are a lot of quality DE prospects later in the first, which could result in a player like Perry sliding a bit. New England would make great sense for him in the later first round, but so would a handful of other linemen and WRs. Perry could theoretically slide due to the amount of teams picking late in the first that wouldn't have a need for him.

5) Zebrie Sanders, OT: Still a solid option at OT, but he could fall slightly because of a deep OT class in the first round that could see up to 4 OTs selected before him.

6) Dont'a Hightower, MLB: A solid prospect for MLB. He could go in the late teens of the first round or in the second round, depending on how teams like Vontaze Burfict. How would Dolphin fans like to have a LB corps consisting of Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett on the outside with Hightower in the middle as MLB? I'd like it.

7) Vontaze Burfict, MLB: Like Hightower, he could go anywhere between the teens in the first round to the second round. He may be the most talented MLB in the draft, but he has maturity issues. If he were to land in Miami, hopefully strong veteran leadership could keep him in check, especially when he's playing between Dansby and Burnett.

8) Audie Cole, MLB: He'd be converting from SLB and his inclusion is actually not me considering he falls. I think he could be selected within this range anyways. He needs improvement against the run because he's been pretty inconsistent, but he's solid against the pass. Some of his issues he had at NC State when he lost the outside contain would be nullified by moving to MLB.

9) Zach Brown, OLB: Fans absolutely love him because of his physical gifts, but there are some concerns for teams. He's not a very big LB, but he's not much smaller than some of the other LBs in this class. He doesn't have a whole lot of experience and needs to improve in pass coverage. He's also a bit slow when reading the plays and he could be a step or two behind. Still, he's a great prospect and could be a nightmare if he catches on. With his great speed, he'd be all over the field. This could be a dream scenario for some of those that would like Dansby to remain inside as Brown could stay at OLB.

10) Brock Osweiler, QB: He's a tall and accurate QB, but he doesn't possess some of the problems many other tall QBs have. He may be 6'7, but he moves well and he doesn't have a long release. He may not be ready to start, but he if fans are willing to put up with Matt Moore for another year, he could be a solid option.

11) Ryan Tannehill, QB: Like Osweiler, he's a great prospect, but probably needs time to develop. He played WR very well early in his years at Texas A&M as he waited his chance to win the starting QB position. He's very mobile and could be a solid QB in a few years. Again, a solid prospect if fans are willing to put up with Moore next year.

12) Kelechi Osemele, OG/OT: A solid option along the offensive line, he should be available early in the second round. He has experience playing LT, but that is a position he shouldn't be asked to play in the NFL. Luckily, Miami is set at LT. Osemele is better suited as a Guard in the NFL, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him play some at RT as well. His weakness has been with explosive edge rushers and he will find some, but not too many, of those types of players at LE in the NFL. I believe if he ended up as our RT, you'd see some solid games from him, but a few games where he struggles as well because of his issues dealing with speed rushers.

13) Cordy Glenn, OG: Unlikely to fall far because plenty of teams late i nthe first round could use him, but you don't often see multiple Guards taken in the draft. Glenn is a heck of a prospect and if needed, he could even slide out to OT.

14) Dontari Poe, NT: He's the only solid NT in the draft and there are plenty of teams that may look at him in the first round, but those teams, like Pittsburgh, also have needs elsewhere. If Miami wished to still use some 3-4 alignments, Poe could be looked at if he slid to Miami in the second.

15) Lavonte David, OLB/SS: Another prospect for those that wish to keep Dansby in the middle. David is small for an OLB, but he is very instinctive and is quick to react on plays. He is a solid tackler and while he can run well with TEs and RBs, he may lose a few matchups because of a height disadvantage. While I don't think it's too likely, teams could also look to use him at Safety.