Top Defensive Prospects the Dolphins Will Coach at the Senior Bowl
There will be an inordinate amount of attention at the Senior Bowl this week on University of Alabama stars DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris, and the Miami Dolphins will get the chance to work closely with both of them.
But the Dolphins also will get the chance to work with some intriguing other standouts throughout the week of practice culminating with the game Saturday.
We explored last week some of the top offensive prospects on the Dolphins-coached National team, so we'll turn our attention now to the defense.
RELATED: Top Offensive Prospects the Dolphins Will Coach at the Senior Bowl
Ironically, maybe the one player who jumps out the most actually began his collegiate career as a quarterback, and that would be North Carolina linebacker Chaz Surratt.
After starting seven games at quarterback as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and then appearing in relief in one game the following year, Surratt made the decision to switch to defense, a move that paid off handsomely.
Surratt ended up finishing second in the ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2019 — albeit far behind winner Isaiah Simmons of Clemson — and was sixth this past season.
Surratt is a very active linebacker with the ability to play all three downs and he projects as a second-round selection.
He is one of four defensive players on the National team at the Senior Bowl ranked among the top 100 overall prospects by CBSSports.com, Dane Brugler of The Athletic and ESPN.com.
The others are Washington interior defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike, Pitt edge defender Patrick Jones II and Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning.
Onwuzurike sat out the 2020 season because of COVID-19 considerations after earning All-Pac-12 first-team honors in 2019. Listed at 6-3, 290 in college, his dimensions would suggest he'd be better suited for a team employing a 4-3 alignment. Onwuzurike's upside makes him a potential second-round pick.
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Jones earned consensus All-America accolades in 2020 when he finished with 44 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks and a fumble recovery on the season. He was voted as a Pitt captain by his teammates. Jones' size and skill set is a bit reminiscent of that of Dolphins defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah. Jones projects as a potential second-round pick.
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Browning went to Ohio State as one of the most highly ranked high school recruits and closed out his collegiate career with a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery in an otherwise forgettable national championship game against Alabama. Browning, who projects as a second- or third-round pick, is a good fit as a 3-4 inside linebacker. His playing time at Ohio State interestingly increased after Jerome Baker was selected in the third round of the 2018 draft by the Dolphins.
Other highly rated defensive players the Dolphins will coach this week include: Michigan CB Ambry Thomas, Notre Dame DL Adetokunbo Ogundoji, Oregon State LB Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon CB Thomas Graham Jr., Cal CB Camryn Bynum, Penn State DL Shaka Toney, Notre Dame DE Daelin Hayes and Pittsburgh S Damar Hamlin.
It should be noted that Bynum was coached at Cal by Dolphins defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander from 2017-19.
Senior Bowl practices begin Tuesday and the game is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
