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The Dolphins and the Early 2021 Mock Drafts

The Miami Dolphins again will be major players in the 2021 draft, and there already are several projections as to which players they'll take in the first round
Alain Poupart|
Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports

It's not even been a month since the end of the 2020 NFL draft, but as usual that hasn't stopped media members from already speculating about what will happen in the 2021 version.

And there's one player who seems to be connected with the Miami Dolphins more than any other, and that's University of Miami pass rusher Greg Rousseau.

Based on five mock drafts, who used Super Bowl odds to determine the selection order, the Dolphins will be picking anywhere from second to seventh overall in 2021 and three of those had the choice as Rousseau.

The 6-foot-7 defensive end earned Freshman All-American honors in 2019 after finishing with 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. The sack total tied for second in franchise history and came within 1.5 of the school record of 17 set by Daniel Stubbs in 1986.

The 19.5 tackles for loss represented the highest total for a UM player since 2006 when current Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell had 20.5.

"The former three-star recruit had a monster season in 2019, finishing with 15.5 sacks," Tom Fornelli of CBSsports.com wrote in his 2021 mock draft, published Monday. "There isn't a Chase Young type in this draft class as far as the obvious pass-rusher is concerned, but Rousseau could easily emerge as that guy."

For those wondering, the Dolphins have selected three players from the University of Miami in the first round — wide receiver Randal Hill in 1991, wide receiver Yatil Green in 1997 and offensive lineman Vernon Carey in 2004.

Among the other college prospects mentioned in the connection with the Dolphins in the first round of the 2021 draft, either with their own pick or they one they acquired from the Houston Texans in the Laremy Tunsil trade are wide receivers JaMarr Chase from LSU, Justyn Ross from Clemson and Jaylen Waddle from Alabama; running back Travis Etienne from Clemson; Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood; Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons; and Oregon safety Jevon Holland.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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