Meet the sledgehammer-swinging Wyoming Wildman who might make Miami forget about Suh

This is the eighth of a 10-part series breaking down players in play for the Dolphins in the draft's first round.

Part 1: Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Part 2: Vita Vea.

Part 3: Josh Rosen.

Part 4: Roquan Smith.

Part 5: Derwin James.

Part 6: Tremaine Edmunds.

Part 7: Saquon Barkley.

Let's get this out upfront: Taven Bryan does not make a ton of sense for the Dolphins at 11. There will almost certainly be better players on the board when they pick.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah lists the Florida defensive tackle his 26th-best player, regardless of position, in this year's draft.

Todd McShay and Mel Kiper predict Bryan will go 19th and 20th, respectively.

Some wonder if he will go in the first round at all.

So if he ends up in Miami, it would probably because the Dolphins did not love any of their options at 11, traded back and accumulated more picks.

But you can bet Chris Grier's staff has done its due diligence on Bryan, so we should too.

And a close examination shows there is a lot to like.

1. He earned the nickname Wyoming Wildman at UF because he was the first scholarship player in school history to hail from that state.

2. His dad Brandy is a former a Navy Seal who had Taven help him build housing foundations and swing a sledgehammer as a kid, according to this Bleacher Report story.

“He was just always on me, so I guess maybe from that background, he made sure I was always working, busy, wouldn’t let me get away with anything," Taven Bryan said. "Definitely helped build into the man I am today.’’

3. He is a ridiculous natural athlete who has drawn comparisons to J.J. Watt, although he lacks the polish to be the first defensive lineman off the board.

And he could help fill the Suh-persized hole left when the Dolphins cut Ndamukong Suh earlier this spring.

"He's amazing," running back Lamical Perine told the Orlando Sentinel last year. "He could lift the whole weight room if he wanted to."

Measurables

Height: 6-foot-5 (89th percentile among defensive tackles).

Weight: 291 pounds (13th percentile).

Wingspan: 78 7/8 inches (43rd percentile).

Arm length: 32 3/4 inches (31st percentile).

Hand size: 9 3/4 inches (35th percentile).

40-yard dash: 4.98 seconds (79th percentile).

Vertical jump: 35 inches (97th percentile).

Broad jump: 119 inches (98th percentile).

3-cone drill: 7.12 seconds (95th percentile).

20-yard shuttle: 4.48 seconds (80th percentile).

Bench press: 30 reps (71st percentile).

Comparisons (according to MockDraftTable.com): Kendall Reyes (Connecticut, 2012), Derreck Robinson (Iowa, 2005), Markus Kuhn (N.C. State, 2012).

He said it

“I feel like I’m really good. You know, I never get blown off the ball. I always hold my gap. Pretty stout for 290. I don’t know if there’s anything I need to prove.” — Taven Bryan

They said it

“Bryan is a very athletic, twitched-up defensive tackle. As a pass rusher, he has an excellent get-off. He launches out of his stance and flashes an impressive push/pull move to generate pressure. When he has proper hand placement, he can push the pocket with outstanding power. He does needs to add more hand moves to his arsenal, but he has the raw tools to develop into an outstanding interior pass rusher." — Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Meet the sledgehammer-swinging Wyoming Wildman who might make Miami forget about Suh."