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This is my fourth and final mock draft for the Miami Dolphins. This started about a month ago with a position mock draft, then I put players in the first two rounds, then players in the third and fourth round. Now, I put players in the remaining rounds and also tweak up the draft a bit.
Therefore, if Matthews isn't available, the next tackle on the board would be Morgan Moses. Zach Martin makes a ton of sense too but he will most likely be gone by the time Miami picks.
Moses is 6'6 and weighs 325 pounds. He was a team captain at the University of Virginia and played in 47 games, starting 43 of them. While Moses isn't as athletic as the other top tackles, he has a solid frame and has great fundamentals. His punch is very good and knocks defenders backwards. Keep in mind that one of the reasons why the Dolphins chose Branden Albert over Eugene Monroe was because of his explosive punch. Moses can be just as good with his.
Moses would be able to come in and start right away and be an anchor on the right side of the line for the next decade, especially since he has no injury concerns coming into the NFL.
That's why I'm going with Seferian-Jenkins in round two. He is just about 6'6 and would be a nightmare for opposing teams to cover. He played in 37 games at the University of Washington and started in 35 of them.
He is a well-rounded tight end who is a great run blocker but also a huge mismatch in the passing game. He has long arms and makes catches that you wouldn't expect him to make. His ability to separate himself from defenders in traffic allows him to be dynamic. While he doesn't have a ton of speed, he will catch just about everything that is thrown his way and would immediately become one of Ryan Tannehill's favorite targets.
Starr is not a big name but he is a great athlete who will be able to compete for a starting position right away and would likely replace Philip Wheeler. He is 6'4 and weighs 249 pounds. He played in 35 games and started 32 of them and was the captain of the football team.
Starr has an explosive jump off the ball and seems to always find a way to effectively navigate through traffic. In fact, his three cone drill was better than any defensive back at the Combine. While he is still raw, his instincts and physical acumen will make teams give him a hard look. For the team that gets him, which I'm hoping will be the Dolphins, they won't be disappointed as I feel that Starr will become a solid NFL player.
Cody Hoffman fits that role. He is just about 6'4 and weighs 218 pounds. He played in 49 games at Brigham Young University and started in 40 of them.
His size compares to players such as Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin. Obviously, his upside right now isn't as large as theirs, which is why I'm projecting him to be drafted this late. However, he can become a mismatch on the field, especially in the red zone. In traffic, he is able to get up at the highest point and catch the ball. After the catch, he is very hard to bring down.
The downside to Hoffman is that he comes from a small school and wasn't up against the best competition. In addition, he has limited athletic upside. While he can improve his fundamentals and technique to become more polished, he will always be a big bodied possession receiver who doesn't have breakaway and game-changing speed.
Dakota Dozier would be a good insurance policy who will be able to effectively compete for the starting position. Dozier is just about 6'4 and weighs 312 pounds. At Furman University, he played in 44 games and started 43 of them. He was a team captain and there are no injury concerns with him.
Dozier turned some heads at the East/West Shrine Game despite some inconsistency on film. His foot speed isn't great but at the guard position, that can be masked. He's flexible and athletic, which Joe Philbin likes his linemen to be.
If it is in fact Thigpen, De'Anthony Thomas would make a ton of sense. He is from Oregon and played in 37 games while starting 11 of them.
When Thomas is in open space, he is the most dangerous man on the field. His ability to avoid defenders while maintaining his speed is something that not everyone can do. His ability as a kickoff returner is off the charts as well.
Thomas won't be a featured back but he's a great change of pace back who can catch balls out of the backfield while also being thrown in the slot to run slants across the middle. He won't run anyone over but he will juke the hell out of them.
If the Dolphins truly are unhappy with Thigpen's development, Thomas would be a good replacement and can do everything Thigpen can and then some.
A player to strongly consider is Donald Hawkins from the University of Texas. Hawkins is just about 6'5 and weighs 301 pounds. He played in 25 games and started 24 of them.
Of course, anyone selected in the seventh round is a project so he would be for depth and development purposes. The interesting thing about him is that he can develop into a player on both sides of the line due to the fact that he has pretty good footwork.
Hawkins needs to play with more toughness and not rely solely on his football moves. He needs to spend a year or two putting on muscle and really learning the anchor positions on the line. Doing so will allow him to possibly contribute one day in a key position.
Matthew Cannata is a columnist for The Phinsider. Be sure to follow him on Twitter: @PhinManiacs
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