NFL Miami Dolphins

2015 NFL Draft: Pick By Pick Mock With Miami Dolphins At No. 14

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By @rickstavig

La'el Collins, NFL Draft

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, it’s officially mock draft season. Yes, mock drafts are entirely and utterly useless. It’s all speculation loosely based on rumors and projections, with no mock draft ever being anywhere near perfect. It’s like making a bracket for the NCAA tournament: you’ll get a few right but you’ll never get them all right. Still, they’re fun to make, they’re fun to read, and it fuels hope for a good offseason and a better future for whomever you cheer for.

So far in this mock we’ve gone through the first thirteen picks with the New Orleans Saints picking Dante Fowler (DE/OLB, Florida) last. For an update on who has already been selected thus far, click here. So with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, who do the Miami Dolphins select?

La’el Collins, OT/OG, LSU.

Last year the Dolphins offensive line was completely blown up thanks to the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin mess, and as a result, the Dolphins retained only one starting lineman, C Mike Pouncey (who ironically also had a hand in the Martin bullying scandal, yet came away unscathed).

LT Branden Albert signed a massive offer sheet in free agency to protect the all-important blindside, and he played at a very high level before getting hurt. RT Ja’Wuan James, the teams first round pick from ’14, predictably struggled but still has a high ceiling and will get further opportunities. The inside, however, was and is a complete nightmare.

Collins’ skill set and size remind me an awful lot of Zack Martin from last years draft. At 6-foot 4.5, 325-pounds, Collins doesn’t have elite length but is very thick with a powerful build. He’s a good athlete with a strong base who can maul in the run game but also has the feet to dance in pass pro and get to the second level.

Remember, Martin was an elite collegiate blindside protector, but had a better skill set to play inside at the next level and that’s where the Dallas Cowboys put him after taking him 16th overall last year. How did he respond? He was one of the best two or three guards in the entire NFL, and was a major component of a rebuilt line that carried the team to division title and a 12-4 record.

Collins could be similar. He has the versatility to play both OT and OG, but his highest ceiling may be inside at G, where he’d start right away for the ‘Phins. Plus, if James doesn’t progress and develop into what they want out on the edge, Collins could slide over. This just makes a lot sense for Miami right now given the current state of their line.

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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