Senior Bowl Stars Who Could Interest the Dolphins
The Senior Bowl is this week, which means it’s the heart of draft season. The annual Senior Bowl is an excellent opportunity for teams to get an up-close look at some of the class's best prospects.
The Miami Dolphins didn’t select any Senior Bowl players last season. However, in the 2022 NFL draft, they selected Channing Tindall, who attended the event two years ago. Tindall hasn’t worked out yet, but the event recently has produced some impressive contributors across the league.
Additionally, the Dolphins have their first-round pick (No. 21) for the first time since 2021. Let’s look at a few players the Dolphins and their fans should pay attention to in Mobile, Alabama, this week.
Top Senior Bowl Players for Dolphins
Christian Hayes, G, UConn
If the Dolphins are interested in adding a true guard, UConn’s Christian Hayes could fit nicely next to Armstead next season.
Hayes is an athletic mover with a lot of potential. He’s clearly quick enough to mirror and match rushers in pass protection, but he’s not an imposing force in the run game.
If he proves he can handle power rushers in Mobile, he could shoot up boards. Right now, he’s mostly viewed as a Day 3 prospect, meaning a small rise wouldn’t force the Dolphins to spend a premium pick on him.
Hayes has spent most of his time playing right guard, so the Dolphins would have to teach him how to play on the left side. However, Hayes is a player who could help the Dolphins more in the future than right away.
Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
Arizona’s Jordan Morgan is another tackle-guard hybrid who would fit the Dolphins. He’s a bit more of a fleet-footed pass protector but lacks Fautanu’s edge in the running game.
Morgan’s strengths rely more on pass protection. He does an excellent job using his foot speed and length to keep speed rushers at bay. Morgan made his first start as a true freshman during the 2019 season.
After that, he was a mainstay on the Wildcats’ line. However, he has dealt with some injuries, including a torn ACL at the end of the 2022 season. Morgan looked healthy playing on that knee this season, using the same quickness and athletic ability that made him a top prospect in the first place.
Morgan’s play style is more in line with the type of prospect Austin Jackson was coming out of USC. Morgan fits the bill if the Dolphins want another smooth zone blocker who could develop into a quality starter.
Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
Sticking with the offensive line, West Virginia’s Zach Frazier is a true center, a position the Dolphins might need if Connor Williams departs in free agency.
Williams significantly impacted the effectiveness of Miami’s offense, so replacing him should be a priority if he leaves. Frazier was under the radar this summer, but there’s a chance he’s the top center in this year’s class.
He’s an experienced starter who thrives on zone concepts. He understands how to manipulate angles and leverage to create movement. He’s not the most powerful player, so he has to rely on the scheme to put him in good spots.
He’s not a rock-star athlete, but he can get to the second level and seal off rushing lanes.
Frazier suffered a broken leg Nov. 25, so we’re not sure how much he’ll compete this week. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reported Frazier is running and looking good in his recovery so far, meaning the injury might not affect his draft stock much.
Assuming his medicals check out, Frazier is a perfect fit for what the Dolphins’ offense tries to do in the running game. Additionally, his starting experience at West Virginia should aid him if he needs to play immediately.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson is another name to watch at center.
The Oregon product is enjoying a late rise in most analysts' rankings. However, Frazier is a slightly better fit for what the Dolphins like in the running game.
Still, Powers-Johnson offers a little more athletic ability in space. At Oregon, he consistently showed he could get up to the second level and block smaller defenders downfield.
In pass protection, he’s a solid presence with a good anchor to eat up power rushers, maintaining the integrity of the pocket.
Powers-Johnson’s other advantage is age. He’s a true junior, meaning he’s got a lot of room for development. If the Dolphins are looking for a more long-term option, Jackson-Powers makes a lot of sense.
Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State
Tight end doesn’t seem high on the Dolphins’ list of team-building priorities. They passed on an excellent class of tight ends in last year’s draft and seemed content to get below-average receiving production from the position.
That said, Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott is a perfect fit for Miami’s offense while providing more pass-catching upside than someone like Durham Smythe.
Sinnott is a great H-back or in-line option for any Shanahan-style offense. He’s experienced blocking on the move, working double teams and running the routes those offenses love.
Sinnott took 202 snaps in line and 130 in the slot this past season, according to PFF.
He’s not a total road grader in the running game, but he holds his own well enough. That’s all Smythe does anyway, so why not upgrade the passing game a bit?
Additionally, the Dolphins likely wouldn’t have to invest a high pick into Sinnott. In reality, he could be on the board past the second round. Miami’s offseason needs to be about finding more diversity on offense.
Improving the offensive line is one way to open up the playbook, and so is adding someone like Sinnott. His versatility would make the Dolphins a tad harder to defend on Sundays.
Pay attention to how he performs in 1-on-1's and in run-blocking drills.
Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona
Wide receiver probably isn’t the Dolphins’ biggest need, but there’s an obvious drop-off in the team’s performance when Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle isn’t on the field.
Arizona’s Jacob Cowing fits Miami’s prototype at receiver to a tee. Cowing followed up two 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022 with 90 catches for 848 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023..
Cowing is an exceptional deep threat with the speed and quickness to get to his spots against zone coverage, keeping Miami’s timing-based offense on track. He’d also give them another option against man coverage with his above-average route running.
There’s a fair argument the Dolphins have enough speed on offense and should invest in a taller, more traditional outside receiver this offseason. Cowing won’t win many jump balls down the field, but he can make Miami scary even when Hill and Waddle are out.
That alone is at least worth considering. Like Sinnott, Cowing is projected to be a late mid-round pick in a deep wide receiver class. The Dolphins can invest in premium positions early and still draft Cowing a little later.
T’Vondre Sweat, NT, Texas
Trying to project defenders for the Dolphins is a little tough because the team doesn’t have a defensive coordinator. Former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley will interview for the role, and he runs a similar scheme to the one deployed by former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
If the Dolphins stick with a similar scheme, Texas nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat makes a lot of sense. That defense style needs a big, impactful nose tackle in the middle of the line, so teams can’t run the ball all day.
That’s precisely what Sweat was for Texas this season. Sweat checks in at a massive 6-4, 362 pounds, and he looks the part on tape. He’s difficult to move in the middle, even when double teamed.
Sweat is quicker than he looks, too. He made a few nice plays in the backfield in 2023, where he flashed the ability to win with a swim move right off the snap. He relies on his overall strength to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher.
Even if Miami moves away from a Fangio-style defense, its current nose tackle, Raekwon Davis, is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason. Sweat projects as a seamless replacement either way.
The Texas product won’t put up gaudy numbers, but he can be a key cog in an otherwise successful defense.
Chris Braswell, Edge, Alabama
Projecting an edge player to the Dolphins is a little tricky. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are an impressive duo, but both are coming off major injuries from last season.
Assuming both will recover in time and well enough to be highly productive players seems a bit generous. Also, we saw just how vital depth at edge rusher can be when the Dolphins had to resort to blitzing Patrick Mahomes way more than average in the wild-card round.
Alabama’s Chris Braswell isn’t getting the hype his tape deserves, but that could change this week. Braswell recorded 56 total pressures, 13 sacks and 33 QB hurries last season.
He’s the total package when it comes to rushing the passer. He can win with speed and bend on the outside shoulder and generdate power to win straight through an offensive lineman’s chest.
Braswell is an active run defender, but he still has some work to do in that area. Braswell's style might not fit, depending on who the Dolphins hire as defensive coordinator.
Despite having Phillips and Chubb, Edge is a position worth over-investing in. Chubb and Phillips both have lengthy injury histories now. Chubb has suffered multiple ACL tears, and Phillips briefly retired because of medical issues when he was in college.
Having Braswell behind those guys would help the Dolphins now and allow them to replace either player if needed.
Kalen King, CB, Penn State
Like pass rushers, there’s no such thing as having too many good cornerbacks. Dolphins fans might be wary of seeing the team invest in cornerback after Cam Smith failed to make an impact this season.
That said, Smith still has a chance to become a good player, and cornerback remains a need. Xavien Howard’s future is uncertain, and Jalen Ramsey is only getting older. Flushing the position with youth is still a good idea.
Penn State’s Kalen King was a consensus first-rounder this summer but had a rough 2023 season. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. won their matchup handily, which had a cooling effect on King’s stock.
King is still the same talented player, though. Nobody stopped Harrison Jr. this past season, and basing an entire evaluation off one game isn’t wise.
The Nittany Lions used King on the outside for three seasons, but his quickness, aggressiveness and coverage instincts project well to the slot. That versatility would help the Dolphins put the best cornerbacks on the field at any given time.
Beau Brade, S, Maryland
Safety is a sneaky immediate and long-term need for the Dolphins. Jevon Holland is due for an extension, and his 2023 running mate, DeShon Elliott, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Maryland’s Beau Brade could fill Elliot’s role long-term. While Holland patrols the deep zones, Brade would play more in the box as a traditional strong safety. To his credit, Brade played all over the place last season.
He racked up 729 total snaps, with 369 in the box, 201 in deep zones and 104 in the slot. Brade’s 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame projects well to handling tight ends in man coverage and being a force against the run.
He’s a strong tackler with an aggressive mentality that could also serve the Dolphins well on special teams. Brade is projected to be a Day 3 pick, so special teams will likely come into play for teams selecting him that late.
Assuming Holland is in the Dolphins’ long-term plans, Brade makes a ton of sense as a complementary piece.
