/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49070323/GettyImages-471750478.0.jpg)
It has been a few weeks since we caught up with Dan Kadar and his weekly projection of the NFL Draft's first round. Now, with free agency slowing down after a crazy first week, it is time to go back to Kadar and check out his latest 2016 NFL Mock Draft.
The biggest change for the Dolphins is the obvious one: they are no longer selecting with the eighth overall pick. After a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami is now holding the 13th pick in the first round. Will Miami be able to get an impact player five spots later in the selection process?
Kadar continues with the standard first pick in the draft giving the Tennessee Titans Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. The second pick then sends California quarterback Jared Goff to the Cleveland Browns, followed by Ohio State defensive end Joe Bosa heading to the San Diego Chargers. The top five picks are then rounded out with the Dallas Cowboys adding Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey and the Jacksonville Jaguars picking UCLA linebacker Myles Jack.
Jumping to the Dolphins' former pick, now held by the Eagles, Kadar has Philadelphia selecting Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott with the eighth pick.
The Dolphins then use the 13th overall pick on Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander, giving them a player at a position of need and one that should be able to start from day one. It is also a pick the Dolphins had previously be mocked to make in the eighth position. That is not bad for sliding back five spots and adding two defensive starters, cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso, in the move.
About the selection, Kadar writes:
Sure, Miami brought in Byron Maxwell from Philadelphia, but he's much better as a No. 2 cornerback. Alexander can be the legit No. 1 the Dolphins have needed for a while. He's a confident cornerback with natural athleticism and speed.
The pick does make a lot of sense for Miami, though trusting a rookie cornerback is always a dangerous thing at the NFL level. The Dolphins do need to address the position, and they need to add talent to play opposite Maxwell. Adding Alexander, a Florida native, would give Miami a solid option to solidify the secondary.
Alexander, who was recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during the National Championship Game so he did not run at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, recently ran a 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Clemson's Pro Day. He also demonstrated a 37.5-inch vertical leap and spent a portion of the time showing scouts he can catch passes. Alexander did not have an interception during his final two years in college, in part because quarterback tended to stay away from him.
Would Alexander be the correct choice for the Dolphins? Would you look to address another position with the 13th overall pick?