Daniel Jeremiah NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Dolphins addressing the trenches

Last month, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his first 2019 NFL Mock Draft, with the Miami Dolphins selecting Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. Just shy of a month later, Jeremiah is back with this 2019 NFL Mock Draft 2.0, updating his projection following the NFL Scouting Combine. Not only does Jeremiah see Miami looking elsewhere with their first pick, he does not even have Jones in the first round anymore.

Jeremiah starts where most people assume this year’s Draft will start, with Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray being the first-overall selection, heading to the Arizona Cardinals. He adds that the Cardinals will trade last year’s first-round pick, Josh Rosen, with the Washington Redskins a possible landing spot, but nothing firm on where the 2018 tenth-pick lands.

That move then frees up Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa, someone who had been the near-unanimous first-pick in mock drafts prior to the Combine, to go second-overall to the San Francisco 49ers. The New York Jets add Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams third, then the Oakland Raiders select Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen fourth. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers use the fifth pick on Mississippi State edge rusher Montez Sweat, with the New York Giants then using the sixth pick on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

No other quarterback comes off the board before the Dolphins make the 13th-overall selection, but Jeremiah does not see them looking for their next franchise quarterback here. Instead, they target one of the consistently weak areas of the team over the past several years, looking to upgrade the interior of the offensive line. With the 13th pick, Jeremiah projects the Dolphins to add Alabama guard Jonah Williams.

Of the pick, Jeremiah writes, “The Dolphins need to address the offensive line. I believe Williams will quickly emerge as a top interior lineman.”

It is not a bad move for Miami, who have to solve this offensive line issue. Health and poor play have just crushed this team’s pass protection and run blocking over the past...decade? It seems like the offensive line is constantly a question mark, and adding a top interior offensive lineman could be a huge step in changing that.

Of course, it is not a sexy pick, and it is a high pick on an offensive guard. He has the potential to play outside at tackle, where he feels he would best play at the NFL level, if needed by the Dolphins, but he likely settles into a guard spot and begins to shore up the line. Would it be a pick to excite the fan base? No. But it could be the first step in rebuilding the foundation of the franchise.

How would you feel about a selection of Williams?