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INDIANAPOLIS — NFL Scouting Combine Prospect Training concluded Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, with professional teams making final confirmations on the players they will consider for the 2024 draft class.
The Miami Dolphins are preparing for a week of free agency starting Monday, ahead of the draft in late April. Depending on which positions they address in free agency and which players on the 2023 team they lose in the process, they will be able to use the information they glean from the combine through a process that continues through college teams’ pro days and prospects’ facility visits. will be used.
Miami still has a first-round pick remaining this year. If the Dolphins keep it, the Dolphins will receive their 21st pick on April 25, although general manager Chris Grier has not committed to it. Miami also has a second-round pick, a fifth-round pick, two sixth-round picks and a second-round pick. 7th.
Here are 10 prospects who improved their draft stock at the combine, with an eye toward potential needs at offensive line, edge rusher, tight end, cornerback, and defensive line (if they can’t be addressed in free agency). do. Dolphin:
Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy
Coach Mike McDaniel likes speed, and Worthy was not only the fastest at the 2024 combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash in combine history, beating John Ross’ 4.22-second mark with a 4.21-second time. Since teaming up with general manager Chris Grier in Miami, he’s no doubt caught the attention of Dolphins coaches who have acquired speedsters like Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert and Devon Ackern.
oregon center jackson powers johnson
He has been linked to the Dolphins in mock drafts, and get this: He was also a Dolphins fan, as revealed in a previous interview. He dealt with a hamstring injury that prevented him from running in the 40s at the combine, but his 32-inch vertical jump at 328 pounds was impressive. The Dolphins may need a new center in the draft, as it remains unclear how free agent Connor Williams will return from a torn ACL. Williams is focusing on rehab first before dealing with free agency.
Texas tight end J’Tavion Sanders
If Georgia’s elite tight end Brock Bowers is out of reach for the Dolphins at 21 years old, as most predict, Sanders could very well be the second player to take the position. It’s probably telling that McDaniel met him at the combine. Miami could use a pass-catcher at tight end as a third receiving option behind Hill and Jaylen Waddle. His run blocking may need some work, but he takes pride in improving, and the Dolphins’ system keeps him away from bigger edge defenders and against defensive backs in the wide zone. It may work on the outside.
Florida State University defensive lineman Braden Fisk
If the Dolphins are unable to bring back Christian Wilkins, finding a three-technique defensive tackle in the draft could be ideal to complement Zach Sieler, whose future is set in stone. Fisk experienced one of the best moments of his first day of combine training, exclaiming, “Oh yeah!” He crossed the goal line in the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. His 20-yard shuttle time of 4.37 seconds also shows he’s fast. With time down, he can stand to add some weight to his 292-pound frame before taking a shot at it inside the pro defensive line.
Houston tackles Patrick Paul
At 6-foot-7 1/2 and weighing 331 pounds, Paul combines athleticism and smarts with his size and length. He’s more refined as a pass protector than a run blocker at this point, but Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry, for example, has decided to play only one game for Miami’s veteran left tackle Terron Armstead. If so, I’ll be able to help him grow. More seasons. The draft pick at left tackle could learn behind the veteran Armstead, cover him when he gets injured and eventually earn a spot opposite Austin Jackson at right tackle.
Rutgers cornerback Max Melton
He displayed exceptional athleticism, running a 4.39 40 and impressing with a 40 1/2 inch vertical jump and 11 foot 4 broad jump. He may have cemented himself as a Day 2 candidate at the combine. The Dolphins selected cornerback in the second round, their first pick in the 2023 draft. They have Jalen Ramsey, and although they’re releasing Xavian Howard, they probably won’t double down there early in the draft. So if Miami ends up adding a mid-round pick, Melton could be an option, perhaps at No. 3.
Texas Nose Tackle T’Vondre Sweat
The heaviest player in the draft at 366 pounds, he proved he can move at his size, running a 5.27 40. By comparison, Vita Vea, who is 19 pounds lighter, ran a 5.1 in 2018 before playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Miami needs a midfielder if the team doesn’t plan on re-signing free agent Re’Quon Davis, and Sweat probably won’t last past the second round.
alabama edge dallas turner
The St. Thomas Aquinas graduate from South Florida ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and gained 40 1/2 inches vertically. At 247 pounds, the Crimson Tide could be a top stand-up outside linebacker at the next level. The Dolphins have a lot of uncertainty with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb returning from season-ending injuries and Andrew Van Ginkel is a free agent, but Turner, who has the No. 21 pick, is available. There is a high possibility that it will not arrive.
Utah Safety Cole Bishop
Bishop, like Fisk, is training for the combine at Bomarito Performance Systems in South Florida, and his 4.45-second 40, 39-inch vertical could solidify him as a Day 2 contender. He performed extraordinary gauntlet training before pulling up at the end. A safety could be needed if the Dolphins don’t bring back DeShon Elliott or Brandon Jones in free agency. James Williams of the Miami Hurricanes is another option at the position as a versatile big safety who can play in the box if defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver wants to give free safety Jevon Holland more room to stretch out. There is a possibility that
North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker
Walker, another prospect who practiced at Bomarito, had the fourth-fastest time at 40 wide receivers at 4.36 seconds. He also has a long frame of 6-1.5 and has the ability to attack opponents deep. Interestingly, LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who is 6-foot-3 and weighs 209 pounds, had not even officially met with the Dolphins at the time of the media session. Thomas should be a first-round pick, but perhaps Miami just isn’t looking for a wideout early and could acquire Walker later.
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