The Sporting News released a full 7-Round Mock Draft, and with 10 draft picks, they have the Miami Dolphins selecting.
Round 1, Pick #13: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
“The Dolphins need to address this position behind Jalen Ramsey, who turns 31 in October. Johnson is a big corner with real shutdown potential.”
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Teams love big, fluid cornerbacks with ball production and that is exactly what Johnson offers. He’s instinctive and plays with good body control and change of direction in space. He can play man coverage, but he’s at his best when playing with his eyes forward instead of chasing routes downfield. Johnson displays good pre-snap recognition and can read and anticipate routes/throws at a high level. While he plays the role of thief in coverage, he needs to balance that mentality with a healthy respect for NFL route-runners, as he might lack the recovery speed to close the distance at a desired rate. He has coveted traits and his areas of concern fail to stand out as impediments for what could become a long, successful career as a future Pro Bowler.
Strengths
- Big, smooth and instinctive.
- Presses with patient feet and strong re-routes.
- Connects quickly from press and can run with the route.
- Good body control and change of direction in space.
- Pre-snap play recognition makes it seem like he was in the offensive huddle.
- Reads passer and anticipates routes for takeaways.
- Transitions are fluid and well-timed from his pedal or off-man.
- Digests combinations and balances versus high/low concepts in zone.
- Races downhill to strike pass catchers with force.
Weaknesses
- Suffered a season-ending turf toe injury in October.
- Ball greed makes him susceptible to double-moves.
- Struggles to factor once he’s stacked by receiver.
- Average recovery burst and speed when beaten inside the route.
- Can afford to become more aggressive in block take-on and run support.
- Open-field overruns lead to missed arm tackles in space.
Round 2, Pick #48: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
“The Dolphins have seen Austin Jackson disappoint at right tackle and could use a depth upgrade behind Terron Armstead, who turns 34 in July. Conerly can start in time by putting it all together.”
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Two-year starter whose in-season improvement and performance against Penn State’s Abdul Carter make it easier to project his future. Conerly is proportionally built but lacks ideal play strength. He strains at the point of attack but needs to get his hips and hands synced to improve as a finisher. He moves easily in space and gets to his angles to help spring the run. Conerly sets with smooth slides and ready hands but gets caught over-setting. He has anchor troubles against power that might be challenging to correct. He sees twists and blitzes developing and recovers with athleticism when beaten. Conerly is young and needs more development, but he should become a good starter at tackle or guard.
Strengths
- Showed vast improvement as the season progressed.
- Movements are composed and relatively athletic.
- Accelerates hard into down blocks.
- Works with strain at the point of attack and is rarely on the ground.
- Consistent, well-balanced slides both diagonally and back inside.
- Throws a sudden punch with good pop.
- Squeezes B-gap and scans for incoming when rusher voids.
Weaknesses
- Lacks pace to collect linebacker on work-up blocks.
- Needs to improve his play strength and play bigger.
- Oversets open up the inside door in pass protection.
- Average bender who relies on forward lean to brace up.
- Has trouble anchoring against speed-to-power rushers.
Round 3, Pick #98: Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas
“The Dolphins need to explore some options at tight end in the draft, and Helm makes sense as a well-rounded young backup for Jonnu Smith. “
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
A combination tight end with good size and soft hands, Helm developed rapidly in the high-scoring Texas offense. He is a capable route runner who can be used on all three levels but was allowed free releases and frequent open looks that he won’t see as a pro. His size, hands and feel for space make him a quarterback-friendly target capable of moving the sticks at opportune times. He’ll need to thicken his lowers and improve his hand usage to handle in-line blocking chores in the NFL. Helm projects as a future TE2 with three-down potential.
Strengths
- Maintains good play speed through his route transitions.
- Allowed to run more complex routes with additional wrinkles.
- Gets eyes back to the quarterback as soon he uncovers.
- Catches the point of the football with soft mitts.
- Light on his feet as a runner but finishes behind his pads.
- Good grip strength and effort in second phase of the block.
- Used on slide protections and as one-on-one pass protector.
Weaknesses
- Average body control with a wide base fitting the block.
- Hands fly way outside the frame as a run blocker.
- Too passive coming across to wham the edge on split zone.
- Catch total bolstered by play-action, misdirection and checkdowns to the flat.
- Rarely challenged by targeted coverage due to weapons around him.
Round 4, Pick #116: Billy Bowman, S, Oklahoma
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
The only things keeping Bowman from a higher grade is a lack of NFL size and his inconsistencies as a tackler. He’s fluid and athletic to man up over the slot. He’s meddlesome to float around looking for playmaking opportunities in zone coverage. He’ll struggle matching on big bodies and will get beat on jump balls downfield. He loves to rocket downhill to support the run but he lacks stopping power and will miss his share of tackles. His size and tackling inconsistency might be a concern for some teams, but he’s too instinctive and versatile to overlook as a safety/corner hybrid with starting talent.
Strengths
- Instinctive and opportunistic with 11 career interceptions, including three returned for scores.
- Versatility to move around in a variety of coverages.
- Speed and quickness allows for more pre-snap disguises.
- Above-average recognition and eye balance in all forms of zone.
- Hips and feet for smooth transitions in man coverage from the slot.
- Determined to pull free from blocks and make tackles.
- Instant diagnosis and trigger to meet run plays near the line.
Weaknesses
- Lacks height and weight associated with the safety spot.
- Can get big-bodied by receivers posting him up.
- Tall targets can play over the top of him on jump balls.
- Active in run support but results are uneven.
- Comes in hot and fails to break down as an open-field tackler.
- Drag-down tackler lacking functional play strength as a solo stopper.
Round 4, Pick #135: Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Productive three-year starter with an impressive blend of power, dexterity and decisiveness. First and foremost, Martinez is truly a “big back” who proves he can find yards after contact on most carries. He lacks speed to win outside but does a nice job creating alternate routes using vision and agility when it’s congested inside. Despite a lack of breakaway speed, Martinez averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 514 career totes. He can catch passes here and there but could be best dialed in as a complementary banger capable of taking on the lion’s share of the carries if needed.
Strengths
- Above-average athleticism for a big, powerful runner.
- Tempo-based runner with sudden acceleration.
- Takes it quickly from eyes to feet when scanning the front.
- Nimble inside with ability to set up defenders to miss.
- Has aptitude for stacking cuts back to back.
- Runs with concrete in his pads, knocking tacklers backwards.
- Adequate hands as checkdown option.
Weaknesses
- Takes time to gather his weight and cut on stretch plays.
- Average speed shrinks the width of the field for him.
- Fails to cut it tight off blocker’s hip and elude the linebacker.
- Struggles adjusting to off-target passes.
- Poor footwork when squaring up blitz pickup.
Round 5, Pick #150: Willie Lampkin, G, North Carolina
Bleacher Report Draft Profile
HEIGHT: 5’10” 3/8
WEIGHT: 270
HAND: 10⅜”
ARM: 32″
WINGSPAN: 78⅛”
— Outstanding natural leverage and contact balance with good play strength.
— Very good athletic ability to close space in a blink on climbs and pulls and when uncovered in pass protection.
— Refined all-around footwork and use of hands.
— Keeps elbows and hips connected with a tight, firm punch and excellent grip strength.
— Sticky run blocker who strains as hard as any blocker in the nation to finish blocks.
— Strong week of practice in Mobile at guard and center.
— Uniquely undersized in terms of height and weight
— Will get stacked and pulled into overextension here and there if unable to establish first meaningful contact.
Round 5, Pick #155: Sai’vion Jones, EDGE, LSU
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
A 4-3 defensive end who fits the NFL mold with size, toughness and effort. Jones has good bend and a couple of reliable moves to unlock the top of the rush. He rarely works beyond pocket depth and has an instinctive secondary rush to cook in the pocket. His hands are twitchy and violent but he allows blockers into his frame a little too often. Maximum energy is exerted on every rep but he might need to improve pacing to become more consistent against the run. Jones’ translatable traits and rush talent make him an ascending prospect who could see early third-down reps before taking on a starting spot in the future.
Strengths
- He’s tough, physical and relentless.
- Locates runners and works around blocks to tackle.
- Rushes with explosive get-off and good forward lean.
- Plays with an excellent feel for pocket depth.
- Fluid chop-and-rip move pairs with a spin counter.
- Bends and corners hard to constrict pocket at top of the rush.
- Motor and change of direction to stay on the quarterback’s scent.
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve timing to avoid punch in both phases.
- Below-average recognition of inside rush opportunities.
- Generates average speed-to-power push for his size.
- Inconsistent to separate and set a sound edge.
- Forward-charging style leads to missed tackles in space.
Round 7, Pick #224: Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Productive inside/outside receiver with good instincts but below-average play strength. He’s too easily knocked around and needs to play with better care for eluding trouble inside the route. White is smooth in space with an easy stride but won’t light it up with separation speed — though he does have a feel for positioning and adjustments to create late catch space. A lack of size and catch strength will become exacerbated on the pro level, so refining his route-running as a slot option is a must. His lack of traits and explosiveness could overshadow the production and punch his ticket as an average NFL backup.
Strengths
- Quick deceleration opens windows on comebacks.
- Works back to the quarterback and the throw when needed.
- Works through zone with good pacing and feel for soft spots.
- Times up late separations to win deep fades.
- Effective jamming gunners and rushing punters.
- Punt-blocking machine in 2024 with four blocks.
Weaknesses
- Tall but slender and lacking play strength.
- Doesn’t push corners onto their heels in the drive phase.
- Average separation burst out of route breaks.
- Too easily jostled and rerouted.
- Lacks size and hand strength to finish when contested.
Round 7, Pick #231: Karene Reid, LB, Utah
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Undersized linebacker with a revved-up motor and instincts that take him to the action. Reid comes from NFL bloodlines and plays the game with passion. He diagnoses quickly and is focused on getting to where he needs to be, but his lack of size and length will make it hard to leverage his gap as a pro. He’s below average in coverage but shows some instincts and talent as a blitzer. He saw limited reps on special teams but has the motor and play demeanor for the job.
Strengths
- Two-time team captain.
- Reads keys and consistently finds his run fits.
- Combines a hot motor with good body control in space.
- Hustles past climb blocks to avoid being walled-off.
- Able to slip blocks and make tackles in the box.
- Pursues with leverage and closes the distance before tackling.
Weaknesses
- Built more like a bigger safety than a linebacker.
- Can be engulfed and carried out of the gap by size.
- Runs hard but pursuit burst and speed are average.
- Needs to play with better downhill flow to plug the fit.
- Lacks range and lateral quickness as a zone defender.
Round 7, Pick #253: Isas Waxter, CB, Villanova
NFL.com Draft Profile
Overview
Waxter is big, strong and aggressive. He plays with a great deal of intensity and passion. He’s limited in man coverage, relying more on his physicality than his footwork, but his coverage experience will be beneficial. He’s very physical in attacking catch points, blockers and running backs as a downhill player. He has the size and toughness for a move to safety but needs to clean up inconsistencies as a tackler and stand out on special teams.
Strengths
- Possesses NFL frame and length for a move from cornerback to safety.
- Effective face-guarding when it’s necessary.
- Accelerates and hammers into pass catchers to jar throws free.
- Play strength to quickly get rid of blockers.
- Has stopping power as a hitter and tackler in run support.
Weaknesses
- Leggy and upright getting out of his backpedal.
- Will grab and lunge in coverage when it gets challenging.
- Lacks speed to stack with NFL receivers at the break point.
- Slow coming to balance to tackle from aggressive pursuit.
- Might need to raise entry point as a tackler in run support.
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