The Senior Bowl, held annually in Mobile, Alabama, is a chance for teams to network, coaches to talk to each other, free agents to try to garner some interest, and, most importantly, for scouts and general managers to get a closer look at the potential prospects heading into the spring's NFL Draft. A lot of the evaluations will be done on the field, with every repetition in a week of practice being watched, broken down, and scored. The other piece that will happen throughout the week is a team meeting with a prospect.
These are short meetings, just for the front office of a team to get a better feel for the player. Could they demonstrate a team's interest in drafting the player? Of course, but it could be a smoke screen, or it could simply be a chance to the front office to see if they want to add a player to their draft board. It is nearly impossible to know for sure what a meeting means, but that does not mean we cannot know which meetings have occurred.
As of Wednesday morning, here are the players with which the Miami Dolphins are known to have met (names link to report of the meeting):
Josh Garnett, guard, Stanford
Garnett was recognized as the best interior lineman in college football in 2015, winning the Outland Trophy. A senior, Garnett has been a starter on the Stanford offensive line since mid-way through his Freshman season, so he has the experience NFL coaches will want. He is 6-foot-5, 315 pounds and he has good technique. He pulls well, though he is not as effective getting to the second level as he should be. Garnett is likely a second-day draft pick.
Jeff Driskel, quarterback, Louisiana Tech (Florida)
University of Florida fans know Driskell, who spent his final season at Louisiana Tech after being a graduate transfer from Gainesville. He never appeared comfortable at Florida, where he only started nine games as a junior; in four years with the Gators, Driskel threw for 3,411 yards on 59.4 percent completions with 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Moving over to Louisiana Tech, he threw for 4,026 yards on 62.3 percent completions with 27 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Was the drastic change due to leaving the SEC and facing Conference USA defenses? Was it the offensive system being used? He has all the right measurables (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and looks like an NFL quarterback. His success in the league is going to come down to coaching and his ability to turn last year's success into the confidence to keep growing as a passer. Driskel will likely be a third-day pick, somewhere in rounds six or seven.
Braxton Miller, wide receiver, Ohio State
Miller may be one of the most intriguing prospects this week, with teams looking at his one year as a wide receiver for their projection of his NFL potential. After four years as a quarterback at Ohio State, including a medical redshirt season in 2014, Miller came into the 2015 season in a three-way battle for the Buckeyes starting quarterback position. Over the summer, however, Miller announced his move to wide receiver, finishing the season with 26 receptions for 341 yards a three touchdowns, as well as 42 rushing attempts for 260 yards and a score. Miller has the tools and athleticism to be a successful weapon in an NFL offense, playing a hybrid wide receiver, running back type of role. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, he is identical in size to the Dolphins' Matt Hazel, and just a little taller than Jarvis Landry (5-foor-11, 202 pounds) and Kenny Stills (6-foot, 198 pounds). As a quarterback, Miller rushed for 715 yards as a freshman, 1,271 yards as a sophomore, and 1,068 yards as a junior. He is raw, and it is going to take some time for a coaching staff to turn Miller into a true receiver, but the potential is there. Miller will likely be a second-day pick, probably in the second round.
Paul McRoberts, wide receiver, Southeast Missouri
McRoberts is not a name that is going to immediately jump out at people, but he is definitely a prospect to watch this week at the Senior Bowl. McRoberts has some college basketball experience, and he goes up after a pass like he is trying to grab a rebound. He basically goes up and gets any pass, and he is quick to transition from the reception to turning up field for yards after the catch. He has outstanding hands, and he runs crisp routes, when he wants. He does seem to lose focus at times, and he has to answer questions about playing at a small school, especially when it comes to game speed and the physicality of NFL cornerbacks.