Miami Dolphins

2017 NFL Draft: Miami Dolphins Late-Season 7-Round Mock Draft

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With the Miami Dolphins win-streak over and playoffs in question, a late-season seven-round mock for the 2017 NFL Draft.

With the Miami Dolphins season winding down, now is the perfect time to look towards the future. There have been a lot of bright spots this season, but there are still a lot of glaring weaknesses. As the calendar turns over to December, it’s the beginning of the Miami Dolphins mock draft season.

The loss on Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens was ugly, but it did show us some things. It showed that there’s a severe need on this team for some linebackers. Both inside and outside, the Dolphins could benefit from at least two linebackers. The loss also showed that depth is a real issue on this team, though that’s something fans have known all year.

The defense is weak behind the stellar, but aging, defensive line. Sunday’s loss turned a spotlight on the linebackers, but the cornerbacks could use a drastic improvement as well. Tony Lippett has improved as the season has progressed, but he has a long way to go.

Turning to the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line has improved over the season dramatically, but health has been a big issue. Depth along the line would go a long way. Actually, depth across the board would do wonders. Though Ryan Tannehill has put to bed a lot of my doubts in recent weeks, it’s never a bad idea to take a flyer on a late-round quarterback. You never know who’s the next Tom Brady or Kurt Warner.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at what the Miami Dolphins could do to remedy some of what ails them? The 2017 NFL Draft holds seven picks for the squad. How can they best maximize those picks to fill holes and become a consistent playoff team?

They are on the clock in this seven-round 2017 NFL mock draft

Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1: Reuben Foster, LB — Alabama

The name Nick Saban is still a four-letter-word to most Dolphins fans. Many won’t ever forget the way he left the Dolphins, jumping ship for the job at Alabama. But one thing that’s undeniable is the job he’s done since arriving. Alabama has been a perennial National Championship contender and has produced a ton of NFL-caliber talent over the years.

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Anyone who has watched the Dolphins this season can see there’s a glaring weakness on the defense. The linebacker play this season has been nothing short of abysmal. For a franchise that has had some greats throughout the years, the play of this group is almost embarrassing. They can’t stop the run. They can’t cover in the open field. Major changes need to be made.

With that in mind, the first pick in my Miami Dolphins mock draft is Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster is the next in a long line of elite Alabama talent to come to the NFL and he plugs a need for the Dolphins. I would be more comfortable with this selection if Foster was an outside linebacker instead of inside, but I think Foster has the skill-set necessary to make a great contribution in both the rushing and passing game. An element that is desperately needed on this defense.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Round 2: Raekwon McMillan, LB — Ohio State

In the second round of this mock, I went with the BPA-method of drafting. In retrospect, that may have been a mistake. I ended up doubling up on linebackers and taking Ohio State’s Raekwon McMillian. To be perfectly honest, I don’t see McMillan falling this far in the draft. When I saw his name still on the board with this pick in the second round, I jumped at it without really thinking.

The problem with McMillian in the second round is two-fold. First of all, both he and Foster play inside linebacker. While the Miami Dolphins are sorely lacking in linebacker talent, I do like what they have inside with Kiko Alonso.

I chose Reuben Foster in the first round because he is clearly the best linebacker in the country and I thought it worth it, even though it’s not a position of need. Doubling up, however, was probably a wasted pick.

The other issue with the McMillan pick is what was still on the board when it was made. If I was dead-set on doubling up on linebacker, I probably should have picked Florida’s Jarrad Davis. Davis was still available, and he is more to Miami’s need. He is, for my money, the best outside linebacker available in the draft and that’s where Miami is badly in need.

Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3: Wayne Gallman, RB — Clemson

When I see running back Wayne Gallman play, I’m reminded a lot of fellow Clemson running back C.J. Spiller. Both of them are quick, agile running backs who can make a significant contribution out of the backfield as a receiver. With the emergence of Jay Ajayi, running back isn’t necessarily a need for the Miami Dolphins. But, in a draft class that’s stacked at the position, I think Gallman is one of the more under-rated guys of the group.

I think that, in a lot of ways, Gallman can be the running back that they hoped last year’s third-round pick Kenyan Drake would be. I think when the team drafted Drake, they envisioned a back who would be able to contribute not only on special teams (which Drake has done very well), but also as a complement to Ajayi.

So far Drake has not panned out to be that guy, but I think that Gallman can. Gallman has more talent as a receiver than Drake does, in my view. And, unlike the comparison with Spiller, Gallman doesn’t have the injury concerns that Spiller did coming out. All-in-all, I think this would be a solid direction for the future of the franchise. Gallman would make the offense more dynamic, which is never a bad thing.

Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5: Travin Dural, WR — LSU

The Dolphins offense is coming together under first-year head coach Adam Gase. They have some pieces and the team is coming together. But they are very clearly not there yet. Deep-threat Kenny Stills has struggled at times to do the one thing a wide receiver must do, catch the ball. Former first-round pick DeVante Parker has struggled to even see the field. And the Dolphins best receiver, Jarvis Landry, struggles to be a consistent threat beyond 10 yards.

Third-round pick Wayne Gallman is one of the pieces to the puzzle. Adam Gase likes running backs who can catch the ball out of the backfield. You’ll see another potential piece to the puzzle in a couple of picks. But these two picks don’t solve the problem at wide receiver. But LSU wide receiver Travin Dural could be the missing piece. The one that ties everything together for Miami.

There’s a lot to like about the young Tigers receiver. At 6-2, 203 pounds, he possesses a nice mix of size and speed. He also has some of the best hands in the entire draft. His ability to high-point the ball and make the contested catches would serve Miami, or any team for that matter, well. What hurts Dural is his limited production in the LSU offense…if you can call it that.

The good news for Dural? The same production questions circled around fellow LSU alums Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry.

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5: Channing Stribling, CB — Michigan

I can hear you right now. “Channing Stribling? Who the heck is that?” On a team with guys like Jabrill Peppers, Taco Charlton, and Jourdan Lewis, it’s easy to get overlooked. But the senior cornerback from Michigan is a guy who I think could come out of nowhere to be a really, really good player at the next level.

What impresses me most about Stribling is that he’s a complete corner. He’s a guy who has the size and speed to cover wide receivers down the field. But he can also come up and make a contribution in the run game, and can be used as a pass-rushing weapon off the corner. During his career at Michigan, he’s made 3.5 tackles for loss and has a sack. Respectable numbers for a college cornerback that show the potential is there.

As for the more typical cornerback duties, Stribling is solid there as well. He has six career interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He defended 11 passes this season and makes a strong case as one of the better cornerbacks in the Big Ten.

At 6-2, Stribling would be a nice fit for the Dolphins and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Joseph is a fan of the bigger cornerbacks. What worries me about Stribling is that he’s listed at only 175 pounds. Hopefully a professional weight room and training staff will allow him to put on some weight, because he’ll need it to be successful at the next level.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports

Round 6: Brady Gustafson, QB — Montana

If I had been putting this mock draft together at the end of October instead of early December, quarterback would have been addressed a lot sooner. The fact is that, for all his faults, Ryan Tannehill has shown a lot of improvement over the last month and a half. I like the way that he is progressing in Adam Gase’s offense and I now feel he’s earned the right to be the unquestioned starter for at least another year.

That doesn’t mean that Miami shouldn’t draft a quarterback, though. I’m in the camp that thinks you should select a quarterback every year. You never know who’s going to be the next Tom Brady, and when you’re selecting on Day 3, you’re not likely choosing someone who’s going to have an impact anyway. Why not take a flyer on a kid who could be the cornerstone of your franchise for a decade or more?

With that in mind, in the sixth round I’m selecting Montana quarterback Brady Gustafson. Before the college football season started, there was a lot of talk about Gustafson potentially being the “next Carson Wentz.” A small-school kid who makes a mercurial rise to the top of the boards. Barring Gustafson putting on a surprise clinic at the NFL Combine, that’s not going to happen. But the Montana quarterback does have some traits that make him worthy of being selected and subsequently becoming a project for the Dolphins.

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Round 7: George Kittle, TE — Iowa

If linebacker is the most glaring weakness on the defense, then tight end is the most glaring hole on the offensive side. As I just said, it feels like Ryan Tannehill has finally made some real progress in Adam Gase’s offense. It feels like Gase trusts him more and more with each passing week. It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride, but he’s trending upwards in a big way.

Just imagine how much it would help Tannehill to have a reliable target in the middle of the field. Imagine how helpful it would be on third down or in the red zone to have a large target between the linebackers and safeties. The Dolphins haven’t had a consistently dependable target at the tight end position in what seems like forever. Maybe back to the Keith Jackson days.

In comes Iowa tight end George Kittle, rounding out this mock draft. I will admit to being a bit of a homer on Kittle, being that I am from Iowa. But I honestly don’t see Kittle being around this late when the real thing happens this April. I have a fifth-round grade on Kittle and think he’ll be long gone by the time we come up in this spot.

That being said, with the position being one of need, and Kittle inexplicably being there this late, it was a no-brainer. Unlike most seventh-round picks, I feel like Kittle would have a real shot to not only make the Dolphins final 53-man roster, but make a solid contribution to the team straight away.

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