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The Miami Dolphins made several splashy moves this offseason. They gave Ndamukong Suh the biggest contract ever for a defensive tackle and jettisoned wide receiver Mike Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings. The Dolphins need to make more news by hitting on their first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
This draft has six or seven elite players, then a group of about 20-30 players with equal talent. That should allow the Dolphins the luxury of drafting for need with the No. 14 overall selection. Miami has serious holes at receiver, cornerback, inside linebacker and offensive line, and they could also could use some depth along the defensive front. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each draft can help in formulating a plan on when to attack each area of need. This draft is deep at wide receiver, defensive tackle and offensive line, but not very deep at cornerback. The draft’s two best wideouts – Amari Cooper and Kevin White – will be long gone by the time No. 14 rolls around, so the Dolphins don’t need to reach for a receiver.
That’s why the Dolphins should draft Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson in the first round and then target receivers beginning in the second round. I have Johnson edging out Washington’s Marcus Peters and Michigan State’s Trae Waynes as the best corner in this draft. While Waynes and Peters deservedly get plenty of attention, I prefer Johnson’s all-around ability. He has good speed and is physical, but it is his short-area quickness that really separates him from the pack.
At 6-foot and 188 pounds, Johnson would give the Dolphins a talented option opposite Brent Grimes. Miami also has Jamar Taylor, Brice McCain, Will Davis and R.J. Stanford in the mix at cornerback, but none have proven to be top-line starters in the league and are best suited as backups or nickel corners. Johnson can play both press and off-man coverage. He also has experience as a zone defender and is quick to come up in the running game. He has good length for the position and shows the ability to match up with bigger receivers.
While I could certainly envision the Dolphins taking a wide receiver at No. 14, I think the better play would be to take Johnson, then address receiver and other areas of need later in the draft.
Nick Sardina is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow Nick on Twitter@nicksardina13, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
