This column was last updated on May 8, 2014 at 10:25 PM EST. Check back often as I will be updating this page throughout the entire draft! Be sure to also follow me on Twitter: @PhinManiacs. I will have wall-to-wall coverage on my twitter feed with rumors, updates, reaction, analysis and more over the course of the draft.
Player Ranking Charts
- Click here to view my horizontal draft board. A horizontal draft board lists players by each position and ranks them in each round. As each pick goes by, the teams using this type of board cross the names off. When it's their time to pick, they can look at their board and choose from a handful of names. This allows the team to fill needs of their team while picking one of the best players available.
- Click here to view my offensive player rankings. These players are ranked by position and are a reflection of my horizontal draft board.
- Click here to view my defensive player rankings. These players are ranked by position and are a reflection of my horizontal draft board.
Miami Dolphins and NFL Draft Rumors
Update at 10:25 PM EST
- Offensive Tackle Ju'Wuan James is the newest member of the Miami Dolphins. He played right tackle his entire career in college and will step in and start right away. While there were others rated higher than him, the Dolphins absolutely needed a right tackle and filled a huge need there with that pick.
Update at 7:12 PM EST
- Linebacker Ryan Shazier has been linked to the Dolphins in the first round. He came to the draft dressed in all aqua! Click here to view the picture. Does he know something?
- As quickly as the rumors popped up regarding Mallet and Glennon, both have been shot down within 30 minutes. There is interest in regards to Mallet but it's not looking like a trade will get done.
Update at 5:00 PM EST
- Various reports are now stating that Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Mike Glennon will be traded to the Patriots by the end of the night.
- Jadaveon Clowney is expected to be the first player taken tonight by the Houston Texans. At this time, the Texans have decided to hold onto the first pick in the draft, but that can obviously change.
- Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Falcons would move up to the #4 spot and take Khalil Mack if he is still on the board. The Browns hold the fourth pick.
Update at 11:00 AM EST
- According to @NFLDraftBites, the Dolphins would target Offensive Linemen Zack Martin and Morgan Moses along with Outside Linebacker Ryan Shazier if they stay with the 19th pick. Martin would be their first choice, followed by Shazier and then followed by Moses.
- The Dolphins are interested in Jace Amaro in the second round but are also interested in Wide Receiver Marqise Lee. Lee is rated higher on their board than Amaro and they would feel comfortable taking either player in round two.
- According to various reports, the Dolphins have explored trading down and possible partners include the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
- Mid-round prospects that the Dolphins are high on include Dolphins High on Robert Herron, Rob Blanchflower, Luke Bowanko, Shamar Stephen, Tenny Talepoi and Eathyn Manumaleuna.
- According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins prefer to draft an offensive lineman early and a wide receiver later in the draft. They would like to fill in other positions in between with their priorities being Linebacker, Safety, Cornerback, and Tight End in no particular order.
- Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post has reported that the Dolphins have heavy interest in Offensive Lineman Cyrus Kouandjio and that he is going to be their first round pick either at 19 or if they trade down a few spots.
What to Watch For
There are numerous storylines regarding the Miami Dolphins and there will be plenty of things to look out for over the next three days. They are as follows:
- Will the Dolphins trade up to the top 10? This is the hot rumor right now. Numerous names have been thrown around, including Offensive Linemen Jake Matthews and Zack Martin, Tight End Eric Ebron and Wide Receiver Mike Evans. Could Outside Linebacker Anthony Barr be in play in that spot as well? If the Dolphins do trade up, the most likely partner will be the Minnesota Vikings. It's rumored that the price would be a swap of first round pick, the Dolphins third round and sixth round pick this year and their second round pick next year. Is that worth the trade up? For Matthews, Ebron and Evans, I would say yes. It would not be worth it for Martin and I would be on the fence about Barr as Shazier isn't a huge drop off from him and can be most likely had with the 19th pick.
- If the Dolphins don't trade up, will they trade down? Of course, this depends on who is left on the draft board. If Martin and Ebron are gone, they will most likely consider it. They would be able to pick up an extra third round pick and possibly a late round pick while still getting their offensive tackle or wide receiver at the end of the first round
- There could be numerous players that the Dolphins trade away during the draft. General Manager Dennis Hickey has zero ties to the players on the roster and don't owe them anything! Players who could be on the move include Dion Jordan, Matt Moore, Jared Odrick and Daniel Thomas. The cap hit for Jordan would be $10M but the Dolphins would save $5M. The cap hit for Moore would be $1.5M but they would save $4M. The cap hit for Odrick would be $1.14M with a savings of $1.640M. The cap hit for Thomas would $213K with a savings of $816K. Do I think this is a smart move to trade away some of these players? Absolutely not, especially Dion Jordan. However, there always is a possibility that it happens.
- The positions the Dolphins select will tell a lot about their thinking for the future. For example, if they take a Wide Receiver in the first two or three rounds, it most likely signals the end of Mike Wallace after this year. If the Dolphins take a Linebacker early, Philip Wheeler is losing his job. If they take two Linebackers early? There goes Ellerbe to the bench. What if the Dolphins take a Quarterback in the middle rounds? It means they're adding competition for Tannehill and want him to step up his game.
Draft Coverage
- The NFL Draft will be televised LIVE on ESPN and the NFL Network. Both networks have agreed that their employees will not tip the draft picks on Twitter for at least the first two rounds. In addition, both networks have agreed that they will NOT show any players talking on cell phones in the green room prior to the pick being announced on television.
- The Phinsider will have wall-to-wall coverage of the draft throughout the remainder of the week and over the weekend. Updated mock drafts will be posted on Friday and Saturday morning. Instant reaction to the draft picks will be posted on the main page. In addition to all of that, we have a story stream on the main page now that collects all of the articles on the site regarding the draft. Tomorrow night, we will also have Phinsider TV live talking about the draft.
- Sammy Watkins is taking over the NFL Instagram account beginning at 1:00 PM EST today. You can follow the NFL account at http://instagram.com/nfl
- Click here to read this great story from Mike Silver about his draft day experiences with various players, including Dez Bryant