With the offseason coming to a close soon, we’ll take a look back at some of the history of the NFL Draft that has shaped the Dolphins franchise, good and bad. Over the next couple weeks, we will count down the ten best and worst draft picks in Dolphins history; today we look back on a Super Bowl MVP and a defensive back on opposite ends of the spectrum leading up to our #1 selections tomorrow. 

#2 Best: RB Larry Csonka – 1968 – First round, #8 overall
Going back through history, it’s very evident that the Dolphins shaped their early 1970s success in just two drafts. 1967 saw #3 on our list of best draft picks, QB Bob Griese, and 1968 would bring Miami the complement to him in Csonka. One of the most punishing runners the NFL has ever seen, Csonka would batter his way through opposing defenses for eight seasons in Miami spanning 106 games as well as three Super Bowl appearances and back to back Super Bowl wins. Csonka would be named Super Bowl MVP in 1973 and still is the franchise’s all-time leading rusher with 6,737 yards and 53 touchdowns on the ground. He also won Comeback Player of the Year in 1979 and finished with five Pro Bowls and was a two-time NFL All Pro. He currently sits in second in Dolphins history with 15 100-yard rushing games in the regular season, however, he saved his best for when it mattered most with his career-high in rushing yards a 145-yard performance in Super Bowl VIII. He also ran for over 100 yards in the Super Bowl the year before and ended his career with four playoff 100-yard games, another Miami record. In 1987, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

#2 Worst: S Jason Allen – 2006 – First round, #16 overall
The 2006 Draft was not especially loaded with Hall of Fame talent; however it was loaded with solid Pro Bowl caliber players, some of which were found in later rounds, so it would seem that finding one in the middle of the first round would be a fairly easy task. Unfortunately for Miami, that’s not how it worked out. Allen was a player taken to fill a need, rather than a talented player that could add something to the roster at the time. He would last in Miami for five seasons, play in 71 games, and register eight interceptions, force and recover just one fumble, and combine for less than 150 total tackles in his Dolphins career. Hardly top 16 value. To date, there have been 29 Pro Bowl players taken after Allen at 16, not including one Super Bowl MVP as well in WR Santonio Holmes. Even if Miami were to ignore all other players or positions in the draft, two Safeties were taken later in the draft that would become Pro Bowlers, Roman Harper a second-round pick, and Antoine Bathea a sixth-round pick, and both would win Super Bowls with their respective teams. Other high profile players that Miami passed on for Allen’s five years of service include; RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WR Greg Jennings, WR/KR Devin Hester, WR Brandon Marshall, DE Elvis Dumervil, (both Marshall and Dumervil were selected in the fourth round by Denver, both picks supremely better picks than Miami managed in the middle of the first-round) as well as WR Marques Colston, who was taken in the seventh round. Though not singularly Allen’s fault, the fact that the 2007 Miami Dolphins went 1-15, some of that could be derived from the draft choices made in the early rounds of 2006 and 2007.

In this week’s Inside the War Room, John Blair names his offensive players for his preseason All-Sleeper team. He also explains why a productive WR is not on his draft board, looks at the 2014 center class, answers this week’s question of the week and keeps you up-to-date on the latest news involving NFL Draft prospects.

All-Sleeper Preseason Offensive Team

Now that I have my initial offensive player rankings done, it is time to name my offensive players for the All-Sleeper Preseason Team. In order to be named to this team, a prospect has to currently be projected as no higher than a third-round draft pick and have the potential to make a significant impact in the NFL.

QB Casey Pachall-TCU

Pachall is a pocket passer with a very strong arm. He has been very productive at TCU, and is the nation’s leader in career passing efficiency with a 163.1 rating.

Current Draft Projection: Fifth round

RB Dri Archer-Kent State

Archer is one of my favorite players in the 2014 NFL Draft. He has outstanding quickness and is one of the best playmakers in the draft. I see Archer having a very solid career in the NFL as a change-of-pace back, and kick returner.

Current Draft Projection: Fourth round

FB Jay Prosch-Auburn

Prosch is your traditional hardnosed lead blocker. He will fit best with a team that has a power-running game.

Current Draft Projection: Fifth round

WR Eric Ward-Texas Tech

Ward is a very productive undersized player, who should be able to play the slot position in the NFL.

Current Draft Projection: Fifth round

WR Andre Debose-Florida

Debose makes this team based off of his return ability. He currently holds the Florida career record for kickoff return average with an impressive average of 27.4 yards.

Current Draft Projection: Seventh round

TE Trey Burton-Florida

Burton’s best asset will be his ability to create mismatches in the NFL. He is too quick and athletic for most linebackers, and has the size advantage over most safeties. If an offensive coordinator uses Burton like Urban Meyer did, look for Burton to have a solid career in the NFL as a situational player.

Current Draft Projection: Sixth round

OT Michael Bamiro-Stony Brook

Bamiro is still a very raw player, but he will impress teams with his potential.

Current Draft Projection: Sixth round

OG John Urschel-Penn State

Urschel doesn’t have the NFL skills that will blow teams away, but he does have the smarts and work ethic to make him a very solid NFL player.

Current Draft Projection: Fifth round

C Matt Paradis-Boise State

Paradis really impressed me with his ability to use his hands as a blocker. He also understands leverage as a blocker, and uses this to his advantage most of the time.

Current Draft Projection: Sixth round

OG Andrew Norwell-Ohio State

I project Norwell to have a solid career as a backup lineman in the NFL.

Current Draft Projection: Seventh round

OT Bryan Witzmann-South Dakota State

Witzman has NFL size at 6-7, 312 pounds, and is regarded as one of the top players in FCS football.

Current Draft Projection: Seventh round

Not on My Draft Board

The only player I have come across so far in my initial player evaluations that has NFL talent, that I will not put on my draft board is Kansas WR Nick Harwell. Harwell has the talent to make an NFL team, and I am sure some team will take a risk on him. However, I refuse to put him on my board due to his character.

His most recent incident occurred on April 2nd of this year. According to the Miami of Ohio police report, Harwell was mad that his ex-girlfriend had his cap and gown for graduation. She was holding onto this since she had paid for it, and was waiting for Harwell to pay her back. Harwell became enraged when she did not give him his cap and gown and kicked in the girl’s front door of her place at Miami Commons. Harwell was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, vehicle trespass, criminal damaging and theft when police arrived and was taken to the Butler County Jail. Harwell, later pleaded guilty to attempted theft for this charge, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 89 of the days being suspended.

There are several things that really disgust me when it comes to this incident. I consider myself a very forgiving person, and that most people deserve a second chance. However, in this case I would not bring Harwell onto my team.

On the field, Harwell ranks second in Miami (Ohio) history in career receptions and yards and third in receiving touchdowns.

Look at the 2014 Center Class

The 2014 center class has some outstanding Pro Bowl caliber players in Oklahoma’s Gabe Ikard and Arkansas’s Travis Swanson. This class also solid depth, and a team could find solid players at this position late in the draft. The Dolphins are set at this position with Mike Pouncey entrenched as their starter. They could draft a center late in the draft if the right player fell to them.

Top Five

1. Gabe Ikard- Oklahoma

Ikard is considered one of the top prospects in the Big 12 and could slide into the late part of Round One.

2. Travis Swanson-Arkansas

Swanson is one of the most athletic linemen in the draft. He has Pro Bowl potential, and will be a very good pick for a team if he drops to the second round.

3. Bryan Stork-Florida State

Stork was the highest graded offensive lineman at Florida State last season, grading out at 85 percent. Stork also is a versatile player having played center, guard and tackle in college.

4. Tyler Larsen-Utah State

Larsen is the leader of the Utah State offensive line, and was named First Team All-WAC in 2012, and 2011.

5. Matt Paradis-Boise State

I am higher on Paradise then most people are. I really like the fact that he is a very fundamentally sound player.

Intriguing Prospects

Dillon Farrell-New Mexico

The thing that stands out to me about Farrell is his versatility. He has played RT, LT and C at New Mexico, and could be a swing backup offensive lineman.

Weston Richburg-Colorado State

Richburg is a former high school quarterback, who brings athleticism to the offensive line position.

Question of the Week

Do you think all of the players you have ranked in your player rankings will be drafted? Ryan

No, I just listed all of the players I would consider drafting or signing as a free agent if I was a General Manager. I also want to point out it is very early in the evaluation process, and right now I am in the first stage of evaluating prospects. These rankings will change throughout the year, and I am sure some players will be added and deleted from my rankings as I continue to gather information on prospects.

Notes

West Texas A&M QB Dustin Vaughan was named the 2012 Star Conference Fred Jacoby Academic Male Athlete of the Year. … Michigan QB Devin Gardner has been working with private QB coach George Whitfield. … Nebraska QB Taylor Martinez has been working with private QB coach Steve Calhoun this summer. …Former Houston RB Charles Sims is looking at transferring to West Virginia, or California. … The following draft prospects were named to the 2013 CFPA Linebacker Award Watch list Tyler Starr South Dakota, Grant Olson North Dakota State, and Stephon Robertson James Madison. This award goes to the top linebacker in the FCS. … Florida State WR Greg Dent was arrested last weekend on charges of sexual assault. … Florida’s Dominique Easley will switch back to DT this year. He played DE in 2012. … QB Danny O’Brien has left the University of Wisconsin. … Florida QB Jeff Driskel was drafted in the 28th round of the MLB draft, by the Boston Red Socks. He has not played baseball since high school. … According to Tradition Sports Online the top rated player in NCAA Football ’14 is Jadeveon Clowney with a rating of 99. Other NFL draft prospects with high rating on the game are QB A.J. McCarron (97),  LB C.J. Mosley (97), OT Jake Matthews (96),  QB Aaron Murray (96), OT Taylor Lewan (96), QB Tahj Boyd (95), and LB Denicos Allen (95). … According to Don Banks of Sports Illustrated, the NFL is considering holding the draft in different cities. This could include holding the three day event in three different cities.

You can follow John Blair on Twitter at ITWR1

With the offseason coming to a close soon, we’ll take a look back at some of the history of the NFL Draft that has shaped the Dolphins franchise, good and bad. Over the next couple weeks, we will count down the ten best and worst draft picks in Dolphins history, today we glance at two quarterbacks, with completely different results. 

#3 Best:  QB Bob Griese – 1967 – First round, #4 overall
The first “Franchise-QB” the team had, Griese and the rest of the team struggled the first couple seasons together before things started to settle in. Griese would go on to lead Miami to three straight Super Bowls, winning the last two of them, including the undefeated 1972 season in which he missed most of the regular season but was back in time for the playoffs. When he retired after 14 seasons in Miami and 161 career games, Griese was the franchise leader in all passing categories before another franchise QB came along a decade later. Griese finished his career with over 25,000 yards, 192 passing touchdowns, and just under 1,000 yards rushing and seven TD’s on the ground. He amassed a stellar 92-56-3 record as the Dolphin QB and Miami boasted the best winning percentage in all of pro sports in the 1970s. An eight-time Pro Bowler, and two-time NFL All Pro, Griese was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Although Griese’s passing records would be surpassed, he remains the only Dolphin QB to have ever won a Super Bowl.

#3 Worst:  QB Pat White – 2009 – Second round, #40 overall
The 2008 Miami Dolphins used the Wildcat to help keep defenses off balance and utilize the best players they had on their roster which included two very dynamic running backs in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. It worked for that season, but unfortunately for the Dolphins, the front office thought they could expand the Wildcat further by using a passing threat as well as the run threat it already provided. With that in mind, Miami selected White, effectively using a fourth consecutive second-round pick to grab a quarterback, to hopefully provide a dual-threat option along with Brown and Williams. The results were what you would expect, horrid. White completed zero passes in his only season with the Dolphins, and gained just 81 yards on the ground for the season. And just like that, a team that was low on overall roster depth had wasted yet another early round draft pick on the same position, weakening other pieces of the roster even more. The 2009 draft had a lot of options, and options that would have helped deepen the roster substantially and possibly begun to grow a stronger roster earlier in GM Jeff Ireland’s tenure. If the team felt Ricky Williams was getting up there in age and wanted to pick somebody up to replace him or Brown, LeSean McCoy was available at 40. Miami ended up drafting a WR in the third round after White. Had they taken that WR at 40, they could have selected Mike Wallace (whom they just pursued in the offseason) and then possibly taken a TE in the third round, like Jared Cook, another target this offseason.  That would have given the 2009 nucleus a fresher look with Pennington and 2008 second-round QB Chad Henne, RB Brown, RB Williams, Wallace, Cook, OT Jake Long, and still be able to have selected CB Vontae Davis and Sean Smith with the picks they were chosen at. Taking Pat White shoved everything back, and the quality of players picked after that slid substantially.

With the offseason coming to a close soon, we’ll take a look back at some of the history of the NFL Draft that has shaped the Dolphins franchise, good and bad. Over the next couple weeks, we will count down the ten best and worst draft picks in Dolphins history, today we look at one of the great finds in draft history, as well as yet another miss at QB. 

#4 Best:  MLB Zach Thomas – 1996 – Fifth-round, #154 overall
Jimmy Johnson’s first draft in Miami was filled with intrigue from the beginning, and after several hours, Jimmy finally made a selection that would begin a shift in how the Dolphin franchise was perceived. For years Miami was known by the right arm of QB Dan Marino and the offensive exploits. Miami’s defense was known for being rather kind to opposing offenses, giving up as many yards and points as Marino and the offense could produce on most days. In the fifth round of 1996, the Dolphins would begin to change those perceptions. Undersized MLB Zach Thomas was chosen at pick #154 and even on that day, Jimmy had no idea that pick would become one of the great all-time Miami Dolphins. Thomas was the ninth player chosen by Johnson, but quickly would become the best player of his Miami class. By training camp, Thomas had earned the starting middle linebacker spot and would remain there the next dozen years. The Dolphin defense was better than the Dolphin offense from that point on. In Thomas’ 12 years, spanning 168 games, he tallied 19.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, four touchdowns, 16 forced fumbles and seven recovered fumbles. He was named to seven Pro Bowls (most by a Dolphin defender) and was a five-time NFL All Pro. He has been credited with over 1,000 career solo tackles, and with assists included, was a part of over 1,600 tackles, more than any linebacker currently in the Hall of Fame. Thomas became the heart and soul of the Dolphins for over a decade and every Sunday with him on the field, the Dolphins had a chance to show they were no longer just an aerial show for both teams.

#4 Worst:  QB John Beck – 2007 – Second-round, #40 overall
The search to replace Marino was a long and tenuous process, tenuous mostly due to the misses that kept piling up over the years. One of those was Beck, taken early in Round Two, who lasted a total of one season on the field, earning only four career starts in Miami. He accounted for one touchdown in the air and one touchdown on the ground, as his rookie season saw the Dolphins go 1-15, the worst record in franchise history. Beck was similar to #6 worst draft pick in Dolphin history, John Bosa, in that the very next year, the Dolphins took yet another quarterback in the second round and that player would in fact surpass Beck on the depth chart causing Beck to be released in 2009. Beck played in five games total, with just 559 yards and a 62.0 passer rating to show for it. Thirteen future Pro Bowlers were taken after the selection of Beck, a trend far too prevalent in the mid 2000’s. Sadly, Beck would not even be considered the worst pick in his own draft class for Miami.

With the offseason coming to a close soon, we’ll take a look back at some of the history of the NFL Draft that has shaped the Dolphins franchise, good and bad. Over the next couple weeks, we will count down the ten best and worst draft picks in Dolphins history, with today’s focus on one of the greats of the game, and yet another letdown in the late 80’s. 

#5 Best:  DE Jason Taylor – 1997 – Third round, #73 overall
After over a decade of failing to provide any sort of defensive stability to the franchise, Jimmy Johnson came in and within three seasons had drafted five fantastic building blocks on the defensive side, including two possible Hall of Famers. One of those would be Taylor, an incredible gem that Johnson found in Round Three out of Akron. Taylor went on to play a total of 13 seasons in Miami, including the first 11 years of his career, and put together one of the most complete resumés in Miami history. When he was finished in Miami, Taylor had totaled a franchise record 131 sacks, eight career interceptions (record for a defensive lineman) three touchdowns from those interceptions, as well as an NFL record six fumble returns for touchdowns along with 43 forced fumbles and 27 recovered fumbles.  Sprinkle in almost 500 tackles, a couple safeties, and over 200 career games played in a Dolphins uniform, and suddenly this third-round pick is mighty valuable. Taylor also racked up several awards along the way including the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year, as well as four team MVP awards, six Pro Bowls and three first-team All Pro selections. In his 13 years and 204 games played, Taylor missed a grand total of seven games in his Dolphins career, a true iron man of a player for the Dolphins. He will have a great chance to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day and is certainly one of the best players to ever wear a Dolphins uniform.

#5 Worst:  RB Sammie Smith – 1989 – First round, #9 overall
The late 1980s first-round draft selections looks like a barren desert so barren, even the random rolling tumbleweed isn’t in the picture. 1986 there was no first-round pick, 1987 was #6 on our Worst list, 1988 was #7 on our Worst list, and now 1989 joins us at #5. Two areas needed addressing during that time, a defense, and some semblance of a running game to complement the talent Miami employed at quarterback and receiver. Miami certainly did draft to those positions, however, they kept taking the wrong guys. Smith was no exception, as he, just like the two previous first-round picks, lasted only three seasons in Miami, managing to play in only 41 games total for the Dolphins. Four years worth of first-round draft picks produced a total of nine seasons for the Dolphins, an absolute crime considering Dan Marino was in the prime of his career and he alone got them to the postseason most years. Just a little help from some of these failed picks, and the Dolphins might have been in great shape. Smith amassed only 1,787 yards and 16 total touchdowns while fumbling the ball 17 times, not exactly the kind of production needed at the running back position. The Dallas Cowboys in the same 1989 draft drafted five Pro Bowl players in the first four rounds, using just six picks to net those five players. In four full drafts 86-89 Miami did not select five Pro Bowl players total, an easy reason to see why Dallas went on to win three Super Bowls in a five-year span a couple seasons later and the Dolphins wasted Marino’s prime failing to build a solid core around him.

With the offseason coming to a close soon, we’ll take a look back at some of the history of the NFL Draft that has shaped the Dolphins franchise, good and bad. Over the next couple weeks, we will count down the ten best and worst draft picks in Dolphins history, today we look at two defensive draft picks with very different results.

#6 Best:  S Jake Scott – 1970 – Seventh round, #159 overall
The #13 is obviously famous in Dolphins history, but before it became that popular a number, somebody else wore it for the Dolphins. While not quite as dominant as the QB that wore it in the 80’s, Scott made the number pretty popular in the 70’s. Scott was drafted late in the 1970 draft, but the pick paid off with one of the better careers in Dolphins history. A member of two Super Bowl championship teams as well as another Super Bowl appearance, Scott was named MVP of the 1972 Super Bowl, capping the only undefeated season in NFL history. He recorded two interceptions in that game, and the next year recovered two fumbles in another Super Bowl win. When he was finished in Miami, he had played six seasons and never missed a game, playing in 84 total and recording a franchise record for interceptions with 35. Scott went on to five Pro Bowls, and was named to the All-Pro first team twice and second team two other times. After his playing days, Scott was inducted into the Dolphins ring of honor and although technically his jersey number is retired for another reason, 13 would still have been retired in Scott’s honor had someone else not come along in 1983 and changed the number forever in Miami lore.

#6 Worst:  DE John Bosa – 1987 – First round, #16 overall
This marks the first of back-to-back dreadful draft picks in the first round for the Dolphins, both of them at pick #16, and both at the same position. Bosa being selected should have erased any need for more pass rush at the DE position, instead Miami needed to take another DE in the first round in 1988 (who happens to be #7 in our list of worst draft picks in Dolphins history). Bosa lasted three seasons in the NFL, having played a total of 31 games for the Dolphins and “giving” them seven sacks for his career. Miami spent much of the late 80’s and early 90’s searching for defensive help to balance the roster that was so explosive on offense, Bosa was to be one of the building blocks that Miami could build around. They chose Bosa ahead of future pro bowlers Greg Lloyd and Hardy Nickerson, as well as running backs Bo Jackson and Christian Okoye, along with 19 other future Pro Bowl players.

On Monday, assistant editor Chad Pullen reminisced on the great pick of WR Mark Clayton back in 1983, but contrasted that with the bust of a pick 12 years later, when the Dolphins took OT Billy Milner. They came in at No. 8 on our best and worst Dolphins draft picks rankings.

Pullen continued our MDD Sophomore Series with WR Rishard Matthews. He only had a few opportunities last year, but with some questions at the bottom of the wide-receiver depth chart, Matthews could certainly make an impact in his second year.

Hall of Fame C Dwight Stephenson was MDD’s seventh-best Dolphins draft pick of all-time, while DE Eric Kumerow was the seventh-worst. Pullen takes a look back at their respective careers in Miami.

The single-most important Dolphins sophomore, QB Ryan Tannehill, got the Sophomore Series treatment on Wednesday. Can Tannehill take the all-important second-year leap, which could carry the Dolphins back into the playoffs? Editor Kevin Fishbain focuses on what to watch from Tannehill this summer.

If Tannehill is the second-year player with the potential for the most impact, then RB Lamar Miller could be next, especially if he’s starting in the backfield. Pullen on what Miller can improve upon, and what to watch from the former Hurricane in his sophomore season.

We wrapped up the week with John Blair’s “Inside the War Room.” This week, Blair explored some 2014 draft options for the Dolphins, introduced us to an NAIA running back to watch and broke down the top guard prospects.

Don’t forget, we posted 2014 prospect rankings this week for the seniors on offense, thanks to John Blair.

In this week’s Inside the War Room, John Blair previews who would make sense for Miami in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also analyzes a player who is under the radar in University of the Cumberlands RB Terrance Cobb, the 2014 offensive guard class, answers this week’s reader’s question of the week and keeps you up-to-date on the latest news involving NFL Draft prospects.

A Very Early Miami Look

The Miami Dolphins have made some significant upgrades this offseason by bringing in players like DE Dion Jordan, WR Mike Wallace and TE Dustin Keller. These additions should help the Dolphins have a more successful season, and possibly make a playoff run. However, in order to consistently compete for the playoffs, they will need to add some more key players in the 2014 draft. The Dolphins appear set to address both the offensive line and the defensive line in the 2014 NFL Draft. Thankfully, there are several prospects that could make a significant impact for Miami.

The Dolphins’ weakest position going into the 2013 season is offensive tackle. This position will become even a bigger need if the Dolphins don’t re-sign right tackle Tyson Clabo after the season — assuming he has a quality year. I think it is very likely the Dolphins will target an offensive tackle in the first round, which should be a pick in the late teens to early 20s. One player that would make perfect sense for them would be James Hurst of North Carolina. Hurst is a very athletic player who could play both right and left tackle for Miami. If Hurst is gone by the time Miami picks, the team could also consider Seantrel Henderson of Miami (Fla.) or Zack Martin of Notre Dame.

Miami could also look to add an offensive guard in the draft — both Richie Incognito and John Jerry will be free agents next offseason. If Miami finds this to be a pressing need. they would be wise to take one of the top two guards in the draft, since this is not a very deep offensive guard class. The two players who are worthy of a first-round selection are Cyril Richardson of Baylor, and Gabe Jackson of Mississippi State. Richardson is a very physical blocker and he should develop into a dominate run blocker. Jackson is an outstanding athlete and has excellent mobility for a guy his size.

The last area the Dolphins could strongly consider in the first round is defensive tackle. Starting defensive tackle Randy Starks is a free agent after the season, assuming the two sides don’t agree on a long-term deal, making Starks play out 2013 on the franchise tag. Paul Soliai is also playing the final year of a two-year deal he signed in 2012. Miami would love it if Notre Dame defensive tackle Louis Nix fell to them. Nix is the type of defender that can eat up blocks, which would really benefit Dion Jordan. If Nix is gone or does not enter the draft, the team could consider Deandre Coleman of California.

Miami also has other positions that could be needs going into the 2014 offseason, such as outside linebacker and secondary. However, look for them to continue their recent trend of taking linemen (three of the last four years) in the first round, and address their other needs in free agency or later in the draft.

Under the Radar

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has produced some solid players over the years. This list included former NFL players Jon Kinta, Derrick Ward, and Patrick Crayton. The NAIA also has some current players in the NFL including New York Jets DT Damon Harrison, who could have a significant impact for the Jets this year. The next NAIA player who will make an impact in the NFL might be Terrance Cobb of University of the Cumberlands.

Cobb is one of the most productive players in college football. Last season, he rushed for 1,991 yards and scored a very impressive 26 touchdowns. Cobb also has shown that he can make an impact on special teams, averaging 41.5 yards on kickoff returns last season. The NFL considers Cobb an NFL prospect with both National Football Scouting and BLESTO Scouting Service paying a visit to Williamsburg to scout this prospect, according to Cumberlands Head Coach John Bland.

When scouting Cobb, the first thing that stands out to me is his athletic ability. He has the ability to run through, over or around NAIA defenders. He also has outstanding balance, and bounces off of a lot of defenders. Bland told me one of the biggest positives with Cobb is his excellent vision. Another positive with Cobb are his measurables, with a 4.45 40-yard dash, 300-pound power clean, 450-pound squat, 500-pound dead lift and a 350-pound bench press; he has the strength and speed to play in the NFL.

The biggest concern with Cobb is the fact that he plays at the NAIA level. Another negative when it comes to evaluating Cobb is the fact that he plays the B-back in a double wing offense. This is an issue for me for two reasons, with the first reason being that he has not passed blocked very much in this offense. Last season, Cumberlands only threw the ball 203 times, and according to according to Rob Brandt of Victory Sports Network, Cobb was very rarely used in the passing game when Cumberlands did pass.  The other concern I have about him playing in this offense is that stats can be misleading for a player in this offense.

I currently have Cobb ranked as the 20th-best senior running back in the 2014 NFL Draft. I do think he could improve this ranking if he can be more of a threat in the passing game. An NFL team would be wise to use a late-round draft pick on him, or sign him as a priority free agent after the draft.

Previewing the 2014 Offensive Guard Draft Class

The offensive guard class is led by two outstanding prospects in Baylor’s Cyril Richardson, and Mississippi State’s Gabe Jackson. Unfortunately, there are no standout prospects behind these two players, and overall this is not a very deep class.

Top Five

1. Cyril Richardson-Baylor

Richardson is one of the strongest players in the 2014 draft, with a 400-pound bench press and a squat of 665 pounds. He also has surprisingly good feet for his size. I could see Richardson sliding into the late part of round one.

2. Gabe Jackson-Mississippi State

Jackson is a very good athlete, who can pull and get to the second level. I also like his aggression, and how he finishes his blocks. He does need to improve on his explosion off the ball when run blocking.

3. Anthony Steen-Alabama

In 2012, Steen was the only member of the Alabama offensive line not to allow a sack or get a penalty. This is very impressive especially when you consider Alabama had three high draft picks in Chance Warmack, D.J. Fluker and Barrett Jones on their offensive line.

4. Spencer Long-Nebraska

Long has come a long ways since coming to Nebraska as a 250-pound walk-on defensive lineman.

5. Ryan Groy-Wisconsin

Groy has outstanding size at 6-5, 317 pounds. He also has the ability to play offensive tackle.

Intriguing Prospects

John Urschel-Penn State

Urchel is an extremely smart player, who is very sound fundamentally.

Will Ferrell-Hampden-Sydney

Ferrell plays offensive tackle at Hampden-Sydney, but will have to move inside if he is to make it in the NFL.

Armand Jenifer-Johns Hopkins

Jenifer and Ferrell are two D-3 prospects who will get looks from NFL teams. More than likely both players will be signed as free agents.

Thomas Ashcraft-SMU

This will be Ashcraft’s first season at SMU after transferring from Texas earlier this week. Ashcraft has imposing size at 6-5, 315 pounds, and should be one of the top linemen in C-USA this season.

Reader’s Question of the Week

Who could the Dolphins look at as a developmental quarterback in this year’s draft? – Jeff via Twitter.

While the Dolphins are obviously set at the quarterback position with Ryan Tannehill, there is no better currency to have in the NFL then a good, young backup quarterback. This is so valuable because they can be traded for high draft picks later down the road. If Miami was to draft a quarterback to develop it would be late in the draft. A quarterback that might be still available in the sixth-round area that could possibly develop down the road is Bryn Renner of North Carolina. Renner is a tough competitive kid, with an NFL caliber arm. He tends to force some passes, and will need to work on his decision making skills. I also really like Stephen Morris of Miami, but think he will go in the fourth- or fifth-round area. The Dolphins do have a developmental arm in Pat Devlin, who could be the long-term backup and keep them from adding one late if they want to keep his services.

Notes

Center Mike Sellers has transferred from the Citadel to Florida A&M. He is considered one of the top FCS centers in the 2015 draft. … QB Phillip Sims is no longer enrolled at Virginia. He will most likely transfer to an FCS school for the upcoming season. … According to Brad Hoiseth of JCGridiron.com, former Notre Dame QB Everett Golston is looking at going to junior college at Riverside City College. … WR Erik Lora was named Ohio Valley Conference Male Athlete of the Year last week. Lora had 136 catches for 1,664 yards last season. I currently project him as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. … Former Kansas CB Tyler Patmon has transferred to Oklahoma State. He will be eligible to play this season. … Tennessee DT Daniel McCullers has lost close to 20 pounds this offseason. … Arkansas coaches have had DT Bryan Jones add 10 pounds during this offseason. … The following senior NFL Draft prospects were named to the 2013 Phil Steele Preseason 1st team All-American Team: OG Cyril Richardson, OT Taylor Lewan, OT Jake Matthews, DT Will Sutton, OLB CJ Mosley, OLB Kyle Van Noy, OLB Anthony Barr, CB Jason Verrett and all-purpose player Dri Archer.

You can follow John Blair on Twitter at ITWR1

Second-year RB Lamar Miller seems to have the edge for the starting job this summer. (Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE)

MDD Assistant Editor:  Chad Pullen

The Dolphins have made no secret about being aggressive this offseason, increasing expectations for the 2013 campaign, a crucial one for GM Jeff Ireland and head coach Joe Philbin. Several players on the roster heading into this summer are experiencing their first full offseason, and a few Year Two leaps would greatly improve the Dolphins’ chances to break through. Here at MDD, we’re going to take a closer look at these Dolphins sophomores with training camp less than two months away. Today we look at a former Hurricane, RB Lamar Miller. 

Rookie recap: With Reggie Bush the featured back and Daniel Thomas the No. 2, not much was expected of Miller other than just learning the NFL. Having played only two full seasons of college football and damaging his shoulder, the priority for Miller last season was to add some muscle, heal his shoulder, and of all the learning he needed to do, pass blocking was his biggest key. With all that, Miller was able to get on the field a bit more than some would have thought, especially down the stretch, and when he was on the field, he produced — 250 yards on only 51 carries and one touchdown showcasing his best trait, one that Bush did not have, which was one-cut-and-go. Miami offensive lineman were happy with the way Miller would make his mind up and cut where the hole was designed to be, rather than the searching and probing style that Bush runs with. As Miller learns to read defenses even better, and gets more repetition behind his line, his gains of 4-6 yards could turn into much longer gains.

2013 offseason: The offseason was big for Miller, as Bush was not re-signed, and allowed to leave via free agency. Miller was basically told, the job is yours, now go get it. Miami did draft another running back in the fifth round of this year’s draft, Mike Gillislee, but Miller figures to have the advantage initially until the Dolphins see something out of Gillislee to make them think about making a switch. Miller hears the questions about whether or not he’s ready to be an every-down back that can carry an offense and keep the balance that is needed for a successful offense, and he says that it has motivated him to improve and get better, telling reporters, “You just try to take your game to the next level to show them what you’re capable of doing.” Miller’s biggest key will be his improvement in pass protection. Miller is a natural running back; he has the size, speed, and skills to be a great back in the NFL, his most important task to learn is how to recognize a blitz scheme and be in the right place to protect his quarterback. If he can manage that, he should be able to stay on the field every down, and help the offense in all phases, running, receiving, and hopefully pass protection.

2013 training-camp outlook: Miller’s roster spot is all but assured, now he just needs to solidify the belief with his coaches that he is the best man for the starting job. Miller already has the confidence of fellow sophomore QB Ryan Tannehill, who told NFL Network that Miller, “right now,” is the Dolphins’ starting back. Gillislee is a rookie that will need to learn the ropes like Miller did in 2012, and Thomas will be the other back in contention for the job, although not on as sturdy footing. Head coach Joe Philbin has mentioned before that the amount of missed time on the field both in games and in practice has slowed any progress that Thomas might have made, and that has hindered him from taking the job himself. If Miller can stay healthy, and produce the way he is capable of, the starting running back spot should be his, and could be for a long time in Miami. Miller is a young player, combined with Tannehill could be the offensive core for years to come and with free-agent signee Mike Wallace; they could become Miami’s own version of the “triplets” famously employed by the Cowboys in the early 90’s.

See other editions of the MDD Sophomore Series:
QB Ryan Tannehill
WR Rishard Matthews
DE Olivier Vernon
OLT Jonathan Martin
OLB Josh Kaddu
TE Michael Egnew 

Much of the Dolphins’ success in 2013 will hinge on the play of QB Ryan Tannehill.

MDD Editor: Kevin Fishbain

The Dolphins have made no secret about being aggressive this offseason, increasing expectations for the 2013 campaign, a crucial one for GM Jeff Ireland and head coach Joe Philbin. Several players on the roster heading into this summer are experiencing their first full offseason, and a few Year Two leaps would greatly improve the Dolphins’ chances to break through. Here at MDD, we’re going to take a closer look at these Dolphins sophomores with training camp less than two months away. Today, we focus on the most important Dolphin sophomore — and player — QB Ryan Tannehill. 

Rookie Recap: Buried by the well-deserved attention sent in the direction of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson, Tannehill still put together a solid rookie campaign. It wasn’t off-the-charts to the point where Dolphins fans can be comfortable that Jeff Ireland and Joe Philbin truly did pick the franchise quarterback of the future, but it also didn’t look like Tannehill will be a bust. Tannehill won the starting job in training camp, televised for everyone to see on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” David Garrard’s injury helped Tannehill, as the veteran seemed to have an edge to at least start the season under center. Overall, Tannehill started every game, throwing 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while completing 58.3 percent of his passes. He ran for two scores and lost four fumbles. In Week Four in Arizona, Tannehill threw for 431 yards, a Dolphins record. His most efficient game came in Week 15 against Jacksonville, when he completed 22-of-28 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

2013 offseason: He may have lost Jake Long, Reggie Bush and Davone Bess, but Tannehill gained a few new weapons, most notably WR Mike Wallace, the deep threat the team desperately needed. Wallace has the breakaway speed for Miami to take advantage of Tannehill’s strong arm. In addition to Wallace, Tannehill gets a new slot WR in Brandon Gibson and a better seam-threat TE in Dustin Keller. All indications point to Tannehill saying and doing the right things this offseason as he prepares for a crucial Year Two, working with his receivers and fully taking on the leadership role with veterans like Long, Bess and Karlos Dansby gone. He is taking advantage of his first full offseason. “Last year at this time my head was spinning,” Tannehill told reporters after the May 21 OTA. “I was just trying to figure out how things worked. I didn’t really know how the day went, how the offseason went, how practices went. So being in it a year, I am completely comfortable. Now I can go out and focus on all the little things that go into the game.”

2013 training-camp outlook: In addition to gaining a rapport with his new pass catchers, Tannehill needs to improve upon his accuracy this summer. In seven wins, Tannehill completed 65.7 percent of his passes, compared to a 54.3-percent rate in the nine losses. When talking to reporters at the Senior Bowl, Ireland singled out accuracy, ball placement and tempo as traits in which Tannehill “can take a step better.” His 58.3-percent completion rate won’t cut it if he wants to carry this offense. Tannehill showed last year that he is adept at throwing the ball on the run and he didn’t make too many rookie mistakes, but he also was short on making big plays, throwing only 13 touchdowns. With the offense moving at an up-tempo pace, Tannehill is the catalyst for that, and getting rid of the ball quicker will also be key. No player means more to the Dolphins’ success than Tannehill, and no sophomore stands more to gain from a full offseason entering Year Two. The Dolphins’ brass has confidence in Tannehill to take that second-year leap, and we have seen he has the tools to do so. With Wallace in the fold and a better comfort level with Philbin’s offense, Tannehill should have what it takes to break through in his second year.

Follow Kevin Fishbain on Twitter

See other editions of the MDD Sophomore Series:
WR Rishard Matthews
DE Olivier Vernon
OLT Jonathan Martin
OLB Josh Kaddu
TE MIchael Egnew