2017 NFL Draft best players available second round

The first round of the 2017 NFL Draft is over, with a break now between the first 32 selections and the next two rounds of the selection process. The first round was full of trades, surprises, and players falling on the board. Some of those falls have led to some great prospects still being available as we head into the second round.

Our friend at SB Nation, Ryan Van Bibber, has updated his big board, taking out all the players selected in the first round, to give us a “best players available” list for rounds two and three. He has about 70 players listed, so, as I did for the first round, I have grabbed his top 50 players. Below, we will see the full list, then a breakdown of some of the top targets for the Miami Dolphins in round two.

Best Available Players - Day 2 (Top 50)

Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Forrest Lamp, OT/OG, Western Kentucky
Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut
Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
Budda Baker, S, Washington
Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
Dan Feeney, G, Indiana
Chris Wormley, DT, Michigan
Derek Rivers, DE/OLB, Youngstown State
Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
Josh Jones, S, North Carolina State
Curtis Samuel, RB/WR, Ohio State
Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado
Ryan Anderson, LB, Alabama
Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA
Raekwon McMillan, MLB, Ohio State
Caleb Brantley, DL, Florida
Kevin King, CB, Washington
Jordan Willis, DE, Kansas State
Marcus Williams, S, Utah
Zay Jones, WR, East Carlina
Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma
Desmond King, S, Iowa
Pat Elflein, G/C, Ohio State
Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo
Dion Dawkins, OT/G, Temple
Tarell Basham, DE, Ohio
JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Southern California
Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington
Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn
Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland
Tyus Bowser, LB, Houston
Taylor Moton, OT, Western Michigan
Chad Hansen, WR, California
Carlos Watkins, DT, Clemson
Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Alabama
ArDarius Stewart, WR, Alabama
Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan
Dorian Johnson, G, Pittsburgh
Dawuane Smoot, DE, Illinois
Bucky Hodges, TE, Virginia Tech

Dolphins remaining needs

• Linebacker
• Guard
• Cornerback
• Defensive tackle
• Safety

Top Targets for Dolphins in Round 2

The Dolphins come into day two having filled a defensive end need, but still having plenty of places they could be looking as the second round begins. The team actually has a lot of options still available to fill needs.

Linebackers: Zach Cunningham is still on the board, despite being a popular mock draft projection to the Dolphins early in mock draft season this year. The Dolphins could look to grab him in the second round if he lasts to pick 22, though he is not the only player still available for the position. Ryan Anderson could be a good pick for the Dolphins, coming in and potentially filling the strong-side linebacker position. Another potential SAM option could be Raekwon McMillan

Guard: Forrest Lamp, who many mock drafts had projected to the Dolphins and many fans were upset the team skipped to grab defensive end Charles Harris with the 22nd overall pick, is still on the board. Miami would likely have to trade up to grab Lamp if they want him, but he is not the only guard the team could grab. Dan Feeney, Pat Elflein, and Dion Dawkins could all be options.

Cornerback: Sidney Jones tops the cornerback group still available talent wise, though his torn Achilles during his pro day will, obviously, be an issue. Teez Tabor might be the better choice, due to the injury, though both could be eclipsed by Quincy Wilson, who knows how to use his size (though he could be destined to move to safety). Chidobe Awuzie may be lower down on Van Bibber’s list, but he is among my favorite players still on the board. He is a little smaller than Wilson, but he is a highly talented cornerback who could come in and immediately be an option on either the outside or insider for the Dolphins, and would be a good addition as the Dolphins look to play more man coverage next year. Fabian Moreau is raw at the cornerback position after starting college as a running back, and he is coming off a pro day injury like Jones, though in this case it is a torn pectoral muscle. Kevin King is a taller corner who might be better suited as a safety, but he could find success as a press corner - something Miami has wanted to see from their cornerbacks. Cordrea Tankersly and Jourdan Lewis could also be options for the team, especially as depth options in the secondary.

Defensive tackle: Malik McDowell in an interesting player, because the scouting reports on him seem to indicate he might be better as a defensive end than he is as a defensive tackle, reverse of what you usually see for prospects. He has high grades and could be an exceptional player at the NFL level if he fixes some of his issues - particularly a thought that he he does not go all out on every play - but if he is destined to move to the outside, the Dolphins may not have a spot for him given their selection of Charles Harris in the first round. Caleb Brantley is a highly talented option at defensive tackle, but he might find himself off most draft boards after an arrest two weeks ago for misdemeanor simple battery that involved a woman being knocked unconscious. Monravius Adams, Carlos Watkins, and Dalvin Tomlinson are probably all good fits for the Dolphins are reserve defensive tackles, rotating into games to spell Ndamukong Suh or Jordan Phillips; Tomlinson’s strength against the run could make him an intriguing option for Miami, though they may be able to wait until the third round to make that selection.

Safety: Obi Melifonwu and Budda Baker should both be selected early in the second round, which probably makes them out of the running for a Dolphins’ pick. Baker would be a really good fit with the Dolphins, pairing him with Reshad Jones. Josh Jones might be a really interesting pick if the Dolphins were to make it, having the instincts to play either strong safety or free safety, which could give the Dolphins the flexibility to use Reshad Jones and Josh Jones in either role without tipping their hand on what the defensive scheme might be. Marcus Williams is more of a pure free safety, which would lose that flexibility, but Reshad Jones plays as a strong safety most of the time, so Williams could still be a perfect compliment. Like Awuzie above, Desmond King is a personal favorite as he has the ability to cover and work deep as a true free safety - though he played cornerback in college and would have to make a transition to the position at the NFL level.