With Illinois defensive tackle Corey Liuget going off the board to the St. Louis Rams, we move on to the Miami Dolphins, who hold the rights to the 15th pick after a 7-9 season.
The Dolphins are a tough team to peg as they have plenty of needs. Foremost is quarterback, where it looks like Chad Henne isn't the long term answer after he lost his job, albeit briefly, to Chad Pennington last season on the heels of some rough play. It may seem too high for a quarterback at this juncture, but signal-callers are often overdrafted – it's also a reason why the Dolphins could be one of the prime candidates to trade down. But even if they do covet a quarterback here, it's tough to say which of the second tier guys it could be. They've been linked for a while to Arkansas' Ryan Mallett, who has a big arm but a lot of character and mobility concerns, but TCU's Andy Dalton, Washington's Jake Locker and Nevada's Colin Kaepernick could also be in the mix.
For a long time, the Dolphins were considered the perfect landing spot for Mark Ingram, as both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are set to become free agents. But Ingram is perceived to be falling down draft boards a bit because some teams are balking at his arthritic knees. But is that just a smokescreen?
On the offensive line, the Dolphins are set with tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey, but there's a big opening for an interior lineman to step in, which would make Mike Pouncey a very intriguing option. Even with Long and Carey and their touted running back tandem, the Dolphins were 30th in the league in rushing yards per play, so an upgrade in the trenches could certainly be in the mix.
Then on defense, the Dolphins' 3-4 defense puts them in prime position to land a 3-4 defensive end like J.J. Watt or an attacking, pass rushing linebacker like Missouri's Aldon Smith to pair with Cam Wake. Add that Smith could be considered the top player on the board here and it makes him all the more intriguing.
So who gets the nod with the 15th overall pick? You make the call.
Needs: QB, RB, OG
All Good: OT, S, CB
Previous PicksNo. 1 - Carolina: QB Cam Newton, Auburn
No. 2 - Denver: DT Marcell Dareus, Alabama
No. 3 - Buffalo: LB Von Miller, Texas A&M
No. 4 - Cincinnati: QB Blaine Gabbert, Missouri
No. 5 - Arizona: WR A.J. Green, Georgia
No. 6 - Cleveland: WR Julio Jones, Alabama
No. 7 - San Francisco: DE Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson
No. 8 - Tennessee: DT Nick Fairley, Auburn
No. 9 - Dallas: DE Cameron Jordan, California
No. 10 - Washington: QB Jake Locker, Washington
No. 11 - Houston: CB Patrick Peterson, LSU
No. 12 - Minnesota: DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina
No. 13 - Detroit: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
No. 14 - St. Louis: DT Corey Liuget, Illinois
