My draft is going to be based off our current picks, without any theoretical trades.
1. 8th pick in the draft: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Dontari Poe has the potential to become an absolute beats. I have read some articles stemming from the Dolphins' website speculating how our greatest need (other than QB and WR) is a pass rusher. Poe is not your typical OLB or DE pass rusher, but the guy has the potential to reek havoc up the middle for years to come. Here is some food for thought:
Now before I throw up this comparison, let me be the first to tell you that I am very skeptical of judging players' NFL pontential and draft stock based off of personal workouts and combine results (I believe a player should be judged based off their college tape). But once you see this, you might see why I want our front office to take Poe so much: Haloti Ngata Combine stats: Height 6'4, Weight 338 lbs., 40 Yard Dash 5.13 secs., Bench Press 37 reps, Broad Jump 110 inches, Vertical Jump 31.5 inches, 20 Yard Shuttle 4.69 secs.m 3 Cone Drill 7.97 secs.; Dontari Poe Combine stats: Height 6'4, Weight 346 lbs., 40 Yard Dash 4.98 secs., Bench Press 44 reps (most in this years' Combine), Broad Jump 105 inches, Vertical Jump 29.5 inches, 20 Yard Shuttle 4.56 secs., 3 Cone Drill 7.9 secs.
Haloti Ngata was the 12th overall pick in the 2006 draft and he's arguably the best DT in the game. If Poe can develop into a player of similar capabilities, he will give offensive lines nightmares year in and year out; and he would also take pressure off of the other players around him, which would make it easier to collapse the pocket and get to the QB (as long as it is not Cam Newton/RG3/or Vick)


2. 42nd pick in the draft: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers University
Mohamed Sanu is going to be a beast, mark my words. I recently graduated from Rutgers and I strongly believe if Sanu is available in the second we should grab him immediately. The guy has all the potential in the world to become great. He was not a highly touted player coming out of high school, but since his freshman year he has gotten better and better as each season passed.
I believe he one of those players that still has not even scratched the surface of his potential. In my opinion, with the right coaches, he can achieve greatness. My reasoning: he is 6'2 but plays bigger; he is 211 and uses his size to dominate smaller DBs when going up for the ball; like I said before he is big and physical (like an Anquan Boldin type of WR); he runs his route with precision and if he were in Madden I would give him 100 on spectacular catching abilities, I mean the guy goes up and snags passes out of the air with one hand (seen him do it on multiple occasions); and finally, he has a good head on his shoulder and plays for the right reasons [he has never faced any off field issues throughout his college career and he plays with the thought of bettering his family's life (not just his own). Personally I think he is going to be a force to be wreckoned with and an absolute steal as a second round pick.

3a. 72nd pick in the draft: Kellen Moore or Brock Osweiler



Personally, I believe Brock Osweiler has the greater upside; with a couple years of NFL coaching under his belt he could be a special talent. He has the size at 6'7, he has a strong arm and can make all the passes an NFL QB needs to make, and he is deceptively agile and can escape from the pocket to gain yards with his feet. Like I previously said, I would prefer Osweiler here because in my opinion he has greater potential to improve, but if he is not available I would love to see the Dolphins take a chance on Kellen Moore.
First off Kellen Moore is a flat out winner. People say he is too small and doesn't have a big enough arm, but that's what they said about Brees coming out of Purdue and now look at him. Moore has been a consistent winner his entire four year college career [he beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl with a late 78 yard 4th quarter drive to win 17-10; he also beat Virginia Tech with a 1:47 left on the clock to win 33-30; and then this past year he answered his critics and picked apart an SEC defense (Georgia Bulldogs) with ease] They guy sees and anticipates windows opening up like a pro and time after time he picks apart defense like a surgeon.
Like I said before, I prefer Osweiler because in my opinion he has a higher ceiling than Moore; but if we miss out on Osweiler, I will be satisfied with taking Moore.
3b. 73rd pick in the draft: Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State
I realize that the likelihood of Sanders being here at this point is very slim; and that most mock drafts have him going somewhere in the second round. Either way though we need help on the right side of our offensive line. So if Sanders is gone, I still think we should take either a RT or RG at this point of the draft.

4. 103rd pick in the draft: Tommy Streeter, WR, The U or T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International

Tommy Streeter is a big target at 6'5 and 219 lbs. He is also a great down field threat with his 4.40 40 yard dash speed. He has deceptive speed due to his long strides, which do not seem to be moving fast when he runs, but since he makes up so much ground with each stride, he is down the field before you know it. Additionally, his 33 inch vertical jump, along with his 6'5 stature, makes him a deadly redzone threat. So if he is available here in round 4, I think it would be wise to add some more depth to our receiving core.
The other viable option is T.Y. Hilton. This guy is just a flat out player who can ball with the best of them. I watched him play a couple times over the course of his career and he impressed every time. The guy just knows how to play the game by getting open and making plays. His career average for yards per reception is 15.4 yards. In addition to his receiving capabilities, he can also return punts and kicks with success. Also, I forgot to mention that he ran 4.36 in his 40 yard dash during his pro day.
The best way I can attest to his play making abilities is to provide an example of his importance to the FIU offense. As I watched the FIU's bowl game this year, during the first half they were able to move the ball up and down the field with some ease (with Hilton getting most of the looks). But then right before the half ended, Hilton left with a quadriceps injury and did not return to start the second half. It was amazing to see how obsolete the FIU offense became once Hilton was sidelined. They struggled mightily throughout the half, except from time to time when Hilton would play a series or two, trying to help his team by playing through a tough injury. After watching that game I knew that Hilton had that IT factor, that play making ability most great NFL players have, which separates them from the average player.
Now, I cannot speculate which type of receiver the Dolphins prefer, but I do not think they can go wrong with either Streeter or Hilton in round 4.

5. 145th pick in the draft: Brandon Taylor, SS, LSU

Brandon Taylor (#18) was a three year starter in an elite SEC defense. Now he might not put up jaw dropping statistics on paper (when it comes to the Combine results), but the guy obviously knows how to play if he started for Les Miles for three years. Most mock drafts have him going somewhere within the 4th and 6th rounds, so having him going in the 5th is plausible. As of now, according to CBS Sports, Tyrone Culver is our starting strong safety. Culver is a solid player, but at 28 and very little potential upside, I think it would be wise to take Taylor here and add some talented youth to our secondary. Also, taking Taylor now gives him some time to develop and learn the NFL speed.
Additionally, the reason I am leaning towards Taylor is because his background reminds me a lot of Reshad Jones' story coming out of college. Like Jones, Taylor is not highly touted coming out of college (like an Eric Berry or Earl Thomas), yet both were starters over a period of time in their respected defenses (both of which were SEC defenses). There just seems to be a lot of similarities and for those reasons, I believe the Dolphins will take Taylor if they are looking to boost their secondary with youth.
6. 196th pick in the draft & 7. 215th pick in the draft: Choosing these picks correct in a mock draft is like winning the lottery, virtually impossible.
But if I were to speculate on who the Dolphins should take, I would say they should look hard at acquiring another offensive lineman in either the 6th or 7th round; and who knows, it is possible we might strike gold with a guard being that arguably the best guard in the game, Carl Nicks, was a late 5th round pick. So I do not know who or what position on the offensive line I would take, guard if we grab a RT in the third or a RT if we choose a guard in the third, but I think it would be wise to add some youth and depth to the right side of our line.
As for the other pick, whether it be the 6th or 7th, I would be inclined to take a secondary player because of the lack of depth we have in our secondary. From what I have witnessed, outside of Vonte Davis, there is not another player in our secondary who can consistently play on a Pro Bowl caliber level.
Therefore, I realize this would be a stretch, but if Cliff Harris is available I would draft him immediately. Yes, Harris has had is fair share of off the field issues and it is possible those problems follow him into the NFL, like a Pacman Jones type of situation, but if he is still on the board in the 6th or 7th I believe he is worth the risk with one of those picks.
Reason being, the kid is an absolute ball hawk. During his sophmore year, he played in 13 games and had 6 picks, returning one of those for a touchdown. In the same season, he returned 29 punts, averaging 18.8 yards per return and returned 4 for touchdowns. Personally, when I watched him play he reminded me a lot of Ed Reed with his ball hawking skills and knack for getting to the end zone once he gets the ball in his hands. If Harris is able to return to his sophmore form, keep improving as a player both on the field and a person off of it, then taking with a 6th or 7th round pick would be a steal in my opinion. That is why I would assume another team will take the risk of drafting him higher just due to his star-like potential.
That is all I have. This draft is purely speculative and based solely off the information I was able to find through public avenues. I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you have any comments or ideas, please leave them below, I always like hearing from fellow Dolphin fans.
If you like what you read, I have another blog titled 'Finding Some Hope'