Examining Dolphins Round 2 Options on the Line

The Miami Dolphins are scheduled to pick 55th in the second round

The Miami Dolphins head into Thursday's NFL draft with the 21st selection in Round 1 and then 55th overall in Round 2.

At that second-round spot, several quality players should be available. Of course, depending on what the Dolphins do in Round 1, there are viable options at offensive and defensive lines, areas of significant need for Miami.

This draft is top-heavy in offensive tackle talent, with potentially five being selected before Miami’s 21st pick. With solid day two depth at tackle as well as the interior of the offensive line, the Dolphins could target a lineman at 55 should they go another direction Thursday — or maybe even double up.

OFFENSIVE LINE CANDIDATES FOR ROUND 2

Looking at those candidates on the offensive side of the line, Miami could go with immediate plug-and-play help at guard, which would scream UConn’s Christian Haynes. The pure right guard is an excellent run blocker, especially in wide-zone schemes, perfect for Mike McDaniel’s offense.

Haynes may not have the biggest size and frame, but he is an intelligent and technically sound player. At the NFL Combine in March, he was in the 90% percentile of offensive linemen running the 40-yard dash. He was clocked at 5.03 seconds, a top-10 time among all offensive linemen.

At 55, there is a solid chance Haynes will be available for Miami, with ESPN Analytics' Day Predictor putting at 75 percent the chances he'll still be on the board.

ESPN Draft expert Mel Kiper’s recent mock has Haynes at 55th, while his overall player rank is #69 per the chart. Reid has Haynes as high as 35th in his most recent mock.

Based on this analytics tool, other names projected to be available in this area within the offensive line would be Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier. Beebe is a guard prospect who is a force as a pass protector. Perhaps the class's best interior lineman in pass pro, Beebe is nearly as skilled in run blocking as well.

Like Haynes, he has good speed for a guard with a 5.03 40-yard dash and position flexibility. While an NFL guard in all likelihood, he does have tackle experience. Like Haynes, there is a 75% chance he could be there for Miami at pick 55.

Frazier, perhaps the class’s best center along with Jackson Powers-Johnson, is less likely to be available for Miami. Currently, at a 60% chance of being there at #55, per ESPN analytics. Frazier has spiked upwards in mock drafts and is ranked as the draft’s 64th-best player. He has even been mocked in the first round on some boards.

Staying on the offensive line, but with pure tackles, following the top-tier of this year’s class, plenty of value remains in Round 2. A prospect to keep an eye on is BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia.

Analytically, there is a 55% chance he is available at number 55. However, if Miami goes with another area in Round 1, Suamataia is a potential future franchise left tackle. Veteran Terron Armstead could have limited games left in the tank, and Miami must be thinking about his successor.

As a Round 2 prospect who could even go as high as 38th per ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid’s last mock, Suamataia is a gifted and freakish athlete. He was ranked 6th in Athleticism Score at the NFL Combine among offensive tackles. Kiper mocked him at 64th, and his overall player rank on ESPN is 47th.

Suamataia could be appealing to the Dolphins because of his quality and fundamentally sound pass protection to go with his knowledge of RPO and zone-based blocking schemes. He has the ability to play either right or left tackle and could be a viable emergency play as a rookie for Armstead, and a fixture at tackle for Miami when the veteran hangs up the cleats. Which could be next season.

Roger Rosengarten of Washington is another fast offensive tackle in this range for Miami. The Huskies prospect actually was the top speed offensive lineman at the combine, putting up a 4.92 40-yard dash time. Mix that speed at the position and the fact he is familiar with protecting a left-handed thrower (Michael Penix, Jr.), he should be enticing for Miami.

Rosengarten has been mocked as Kiper’s 31st pick and Reid’s 63rd. He is appealing to the Dolphins for his familiarity with zone-blocking schemes and his ability to advance to the next level.

DEFENSIVE LINE CANDIDATES FOR ROUND 2

On the other side of the ball, Miami lost defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to free agency. He is not easily replaced, but the first round could be the best opportunity to address the vacancy with top-tier prospects Byron Murphy II of Texas and Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois.

Murphy is projected as a top 20 pick and potentially within the first 15. His chances of being available for Miami even at 21st is slim at 30%. Newton’s chances at 21 for Miami are very much viable at 90%. Following this pair, there is a slight drop-off in the next tier.

Targeting second-round prospects in this group for the Dolphins would be Florida State’s Braden Fiske and Michigan’s Kris Jenkins. Fiske was the combine’s 40-yard dash king of the defensive tackles at 4.78 and shooting up boards. His speed and power combination as a pass rusher from the interior makes him a likely top-50 player.

ESPN is projecting him as the 38th-best prospect, and Kiper has him selected at 54th and Reid to the Dolphins at 55th. ESPN analytics gives Fiske a 40% chance to be available for Miami at 55.

A bit better in odds for the Dolphins would be collegiate champion Kris Jenkins at 60% availability at pick 55. Coming off of a national championship year in Michigan, Jenkins is the son of an NFL Pro Bowl lineman. He has a very similar size and frame to Wilkins at 6-3, 299 pounds, and like the former Clemson national champion, he enters the draft months removed from hoisting a trophy. ESPN’s analytics give Jenkins an overall player ranking of 45th, and he is mocked at 48th by Kiper and 42nd by Reid.

Another name to look for would be Texas teammate to Murphy, T’Vondre Sweat. A massive size anchor for any rush defense, Sweat stands at 6-4, 366. ESPN ranked him the 48th best prospect, and there is a 75% chance he remains on the board for Miami in the second round.