Evaluating the Latest National Mock Draft Predictions for Dolphins

With the Miami Dolphins sitting at 2-7 and already having parted ways with general manager Chris Grier, it’s best to look ahead to the offseason. That means the NFL draft and all of the mock drafts that come with it.

Two national outlets, The Athletic and CBS Sports, released new predictions Thursday for the first round of the upcoming draft. Those predictions feature the Dolphins making some interesting selections that are worth breaking down, even if we’re far out from the draft in April.

Evaluating National Media Mock Draft Selections for Dolphins

The Athletic: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

We covered Caleb Downs’ fit with the Dolphins in depth a few weeks ago, and nothing has changed since then.

The debate around Downs should center on drafting the best player available vs. positional value. The Athletic has the Dolphins selecting Downs fifth overall, which would be incredibly high for a safety.

They tend to fall into the teens or even into the second round altogether.

Minkah Fitzpatrick went 11th, Kyle Hamilton went 14th, Antonie Winfield Jr. went 45th, and Brian Branch also went 45th. Pretty much every draft analyst had Fitzpatrick and Hamilton as top-five players, and Winfield and Branch as first-round picks.

So Miami swinging on Downs that high in the draft would make him an outlier. That said, Downs will likely be a top-five player on most analysts' big boards when the season is over.

He’s got an elite pedigree and has three years of stellar tape lining up all over the defense for Ohio State and Alabama, where he spent one season before transferring to the Buckeyes.

Miami should have a need at safety, too. Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu signed one-year deals this offseason and have hardly made a big impact on the defense.

Again, will the Dolphins focus on taking the best player overall, or will they be more concerned about positional value?

CBS Sports: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

Spencer Fano isn’t a player we’ve covered so far, but he’ll likely get mocked to the Dolphins quite a bit in the next few months. The 6-6, 308-pound junior has played pretty well this season and definitely has the measurables to hold up in the NFL.

There are two interesting lines to draw with Fano and the Dolphins. The first is that he plays right tackle, which means the Dolphins would have to replace Austin Jackson. Jackson has struggled with injuries throughout his career.

Jackson played in just 27 games across the last four seasons, including appearing in just one game this season. The Dolphins could move on from Jackson and plug Fano in without forcing him to change his position.

The other point in Fano’s favor — at least for now — is that he’d be an excellent scheme fit for Miami. His movement skills would translate well to a heavy outside zone scheme.

Of course, that could change depending on who is coaching the Dolphins next season. But for now, Fano is a good fit.

Fano seems to be the consensus top tackle in the class, but it’s also not regarded as an overly impressive tackle class by most draft analysts. If the Dolphins do decide they want to address tackle, they might have to take a player like Fano inside the top five.

It should also be noted that this mock had the Dolphins passing on EDGE/LB Arvell Reese, who is considered to be in contention for the draft's top-overall player.

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