We are over two weeks away from the 2021 NFL Draft and the Dolphins have already started making waves. After trading down from the No. 3 overall pick and stocking up on future draft capital, they then traded up with the Eagles to take their No. 6 pick. Brian Flores orchestrated a turnaround on defense in 2020 and the team’s job for 2021 is to see a similar transformation on offense. This year’s draft will be all about adding more weapons for Tua Tagovailoa. This mock draft was done using PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator.
Round 1, Pick 6 – Kyle Pitts | TE, Florida
The Dolphins are all-in on Tua and if he is going to succeed and improve on his 2020 form, he needs weapons. That is exactly what Kyle Pitts gives them. Pitts is the definition of a mismatch tight end, with the speed to beat linebackers and safeties one-on-one and the physicality to dominate against corners downfield. He is an excellent route runner, with the ability to consistent separate in man coverage, a rare trait for a tight end. Miami struggled with drops last season and Pitts would give Tua a reliable pair of hands. He didn’t log a single drop on 43 catchable passes in 2020. The Dolphins run 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) at the fifth highest rate in the NFL, and he would be a great player to pair with Mike Gesicki.
Round 1, Pick 18 – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | LB, Notre Dame
There are a number of directions the Dolphins can go at No. 18, but it is difficult to pass up a talent like Owusu-Koramoah. Brian Flores’ defense relies on versatility and that is exactly what JOK brings to the table. He is the best coverage linebacker in this year’s class, allowing a passer rating of just 77.3 in 2020. He played the ‘overhang’ role at Notre Dame, which often asked him to play man coverage in the slot and he excelled there too. The Dolphins blitzed at the second highest rate in the NFL last season and need linebackers who can get after the quarterback. Owusu-Koramoah generated an impressive 27 pressures and seven sacks on just 133 career pass rushing snaps.
Round 2, Pick 36 – Elijah Moore | WR, Ole Miss
With the addition of Will Fuller, the Dolphins now have a quality starting duo at wide receiver. That said, the team could still benefit from a genuine slot receiver. Adding a player like Elijah Moore would help take this offense to the next level and would be yet another weapon for Tua to work with. Few could rival Moore’s production in 2020 and he averaged 149.5 receiving yards per game, the highest in the FBS. He offers 4.35 speed and he is excellent after the catch. Despite standing at just 5’9″ and 178 lbs, Moore is a gritty receiver who plays with physicality. He had a 73 per cent success rate on contested catches, the third highest in this year’s class.
Round 2, Pick 50 – Javonte Williams | RB, North Carolina
The Dolphins need a new running back and this way they get one without having to spend a premium pick. Williams is coming off an elite 2020 season that saw him average 7.4 yards per carry at UNC. He offers a really physical running style and some of the best contact balance you will ever find at the position. He forced 0.48 missed tackles per attempt last season, setting a college football record in the process. Williams is a shifty runner too, and he has the burst to create big plays on a consistent basis. An astonishing 23.2 per cent of his career carries went for 10+ yards. He could be the Dolphins’ RB1 from Week 1 of 2021.
Round 3, Pick 81 – Jamar Johnson | S, Indiana
This would be tremendous value if the Dolphins could pick Johnson up in the third round. Safety was a real weakness in 2020 and Johnson would provide an injection of quality. Whilst his sample size in college has been limited, he has flashed rare potential in coverage. Johnson allowed just a 52.3 per cent completion rate on his 44 career targets. His 29.5 per cent forced incompletion rate ranks second behind only Andre Cisco in this year’s draft class, and Johnson gave up a passer rating of just 32.2 throughout his time at Indiana. For context, the passer rating for an incompletion is 39.6. He still has some way to go as an open field tackler, but few can rival Johnson’s instincts and ball skills.
Round 5, Pick 156 – Patrick Johnson | EDGE, Tulane
Whilst the Dolphins defense was excellent in 2020, they often struggled to generate pressure off the edge. Shaq Lawson led the team with a pass rush win rate of 15.4 per cent, ranked just 29th at the position. They could potentially spend high value draft capital on the position, but Flores’ defense is about valuing coverage over pass rush. Instead, they can use one of their three picks on day three to invest in a developmental starter. Johnson was a three-year starter for Tulane and has been a consistently impressive pass rusher. In 2020 he generated 33 pressures and 10 sacks on just 284 pass rushing snaps. He is one of the most explosive edges in the 2021 class and offers ideal burst and bend.
Round 7, Pick 231 – Robert Jones | OT, Middle Tennessee
At this point in the draft it is about taking a chance on players with upside and/or special teams value. Jones falls into the former category and would give the Dolphins some much needed depth on the offensive line. Although he played as a tackle in college, Jones is likely a guard in the NFL. He is solid in pass protection and allowed just one sack on his 645 career pass blocking snaps. He plays with a mean streak in the running game and has the physicality to create consistent movement off the line. Jones is still a very raw prospect and he only started playing football as a high school junior. He could take some coaching, but the upside is there for him to develop into a starter in the NFL.
Round 7, Pick 258 – Christian Uphoff | S, Illinois State
Uphoff is a safety who also offers special teams value. He is an elite athlete and was given kick and punt return duties during his time at Illinois State. He has the movement skills you would expect from a corner and that makes him the versatile weapon that the Dolphins defense wants. Uphoff has the range to play as a single high safety, but is also adept in man coverage from the slot. He was one of the biggest winners from the Senior Bowl, being voted as the best safety on the National team. He is still developing as a processor but has the tools you want from a late round prospect.
I love that draft. As a Dolphins fan, I’d love it if that’s what they got.
I’m not sure if Pitts will get to #6 or not.
Dolphins need a good coverage linebacker. JOK seems like a perfect fit.
The Dolphins have A LOT of wide receivers who can’t really play outside (Jakeem Grant, Wilson, Bowden). I wonder if they won’t find a way to trade up from #18 if Smith or Waddle falls.
Running back in the 2nd round seems to be what a lot of people are thinking.
They need do need a play maker safety and depth at O-line, so the later picks make sense.
Thanks! You might be right on slot receiver, depends whether they see it as a need with the names you mentioned in-house. I’d take Moore ahead of them but there may be other areas of priority. Wouldn’t be surprised to see them use an early pick on the o-line instead
They did draft essentially a slot guy with Waddle. PFF said the Dolphins could put the most speed on the field in NFL history with Waddle, Fuller, and Grant.