2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report

The college football season is well underway and I’ve been enjoying every second of it. I absolutely love the NFL draft, and scouting players for it is just something I really can’t get enough of....... I can’t explain it. I played football all my life and after getting injured in college and not being able to play anymore, scouting became a way for me to still be a part of the game - from there my love for scouting and the draft grew.

My goal for doing scouting reviews and reports this season is for us to get to know this upcoming draft class and to obviously, hopefully, entertain you. I’ll be giving my opinion on who I think is standing out and who I believe the Dolphins should have on their radar. I remember watching a ton of tape on Minkah Fitzpatrick last year - thinking there’s no way he falls to the Dolphins and some how we ended up getting him. I remember doing a lot of film study on Gesicki and Baker, it’s fun to see guys go from college to my favorite NFL team.

So, chances are we will be talking about future Dolphins players here.

This week we will begin with...

Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi St. (Jr)

Simmons has been fantastic this season so far. He’s incredibly stout, strong, able to push the pocket, keeps his eyes on the ball and is surprisingly athletic for being such a big guy. From what I’ve seen, his tape screams first round pick. The biggest negative thing I think will hurt him is a tape of him hitting a woman back in 2016 when he was a freshman. Now, I am in no way saying it’s justified - but apparently the woman had said something negative about his recently deceased nephews. Still, obviously he assaulted a woman and this will hurt his draft stock - especially when it was all captured on film. The important thing with Simmons though (and to his credit) is he’s remained out of trouble since then and from the research I’ve done - he’s praised for being a leader and a responsible teammate.

Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Byron Murphy, CB, Washington (Jr)

Murphy wasn’t on my radar this summer - mainly because it’s a hard task to cover the entire country by myself and good players fall through the cracks. He’s certainly on my radar now; Murphy has been phenomenal this season. I love his burst, acceleration, and change of direction speed. He’s got great hips and flies to the ball. He’s also a violent hitter that loves to help out in the ground game. Murphy could be a high draft pick.

Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Dye, LB, Oregon (Jr)

Dye is an undersized 3-down linebacker with great instincts and toughness. He’s a tackling machine and an asset in defending the pass. He’s a fantastic athlete with great quickness and change of direction speed. I do worry a bit about his size though, and he struggles at times to disengage from blockers; but Dye is a versatile LB that has impressed me this season.

Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images

Collin Johnson, WR, Texas (Jr)

Johnson has also been very impressive this season. He’s a big WR that has been a terrific playmaker early in this college football season. He’s got pretty solid speed for a big guy and is great at winning the one on one jump balls. He’s also capable of making some pretty spectacular catches. I am starting to really be a fan of Johnson.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford (Jr)

Sticking with the WRs, Arcega-Whiteside is another big bodied wideout that excels at catching the jump ball. He’s strong, knows how to use his body, pretty good route runner, has tremendous body control and has reliable hands. His speed is probably his biggest weakness, but Arcega-Whiteside is certainly a playmaker that will be on a lot of team’s radars.

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Max Scharping, OT, NIU (Sr)

Scharping has some fans in the scouting community and I recently was able to watch his film for the first time. I came away very impressed. He’s a solid pass protector- I think he uses his hands well and has a great base. He’s got the ability to completely shut down defenders - it’s awesome to watch. Scharping also has a lot of experience under his belt too. Scharping is a legit NFL talent - I am looking forward to watching more of him.

Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images