NFL Draft live updates: Dolphins round out Draft with 6-6 lineman, power running back
The Miami Dolphins are drawing rave reviews for their first two days of the 2021 NFL Draft. Now it’s time to put the final touches on their class.
The Dolphins have three more picks Saturday on the third and final day of the NFL Draft. They’ll pick once in the fifth round and twice in the seventh, after picking five times across the first three rounds of the Draft on Thursday and Friday.
It’ll be a little bit of a wait, though: Miami doesn’t have a fourth-round selection and won’t pick until No. 12 in the fifth round — the 156th pick, overall. The Dolphins then won’t pick again in the sixth before going twice in the seventh and final round.
Follow along for updates on Miami throughout the day:
Dolphins pick Doaks at 244
6:15 p.m.: The Dolphins finally got their running back.
It took until their final selection of the NFL Draft — the 17th pick in the seventh round — but Miami picked Cincinnati Bearcats running back Gerrid Doaks with the No. 244 overall selection.
The 5-foot-11, 228-pound tailback is a power back and led Cincinnati in rushing last season with 673 yards and seven touchdowns on 144 carries, for an average of 4.7 yards per carry.
6 p.m.: Larnel Coleman, the Dolphins’ first pick of the seventh round, is a pretty interesting developmental prospect on the final day of the NFL Draft.
Coleman started 28 straight games at tackle for the UMass Minutemen, including his last 16 at left tackle, and has really impressive measurables. He’s 6-foot-6 and 307 pounds and had the second longest arms in the Draft. He also ran his 40-yard dash in less than 5.2 seconds and posted a 31-inch vertical leap.
Dolphins pick Coleman at 231
5:47 p.m.: After almost six hours of waiting, the Dolphins have finally made their first pick of the third day of the NFL Draft and it’s another offensive lineman
Miami selected UMass Minutemen tackle Larnel Coleman with the third pick in the seventh round of the Draft on Saturday — No. 231 overall. He’s a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive lineman, who started 28 straight games for UMass, including his final 16 at left tackle. He was on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, which goes to the best offensive lineman in college football, and was a second-team all-independent selection by Phil Steele.
Coleman is the second offensive lineman picked by the Dolphins this year. Miami also took Notre Dame Fighting Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg in the second round Friday.
Dolphins trade fifth-round pick
2:30 p.m.: After waiting 50 selections to finally be on the clock for the first time on Day 3, the Dolphins decided no one was available they liked enough to take —and traded out of the fifth round altogether.
They sent the 156th overall selection to the Steelers for the fourth-rounder in 2022.
It’s the third time that pick has been traded: First from Dallas to Philadelphia, then from Philadelphia to Miami, and finally from Miami to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers used that pick on Wisconsin defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk.
The trade leaves the Dolphins with just two third-day picks — and both in the seventh round.
1:05 p.m.: It’s a run on running backs at the top of the third day of the NFL Draft.
Four running backs have come off the board in the first 21 picks of the fourth round with Oklahom State Cowboys running back Chuba Hubbard now heading to the Carolina Panthers.
The best available at the position now, according to ESPN, is UCLA Bruins running back Demetric Felton.
12:15 p.m.: Another running back comes off the board in the first picks of Day 3.
The New York Jets took North Carolina Tar Heels running back Michael Carter with the No. 107 pick in the Draft. The Dolphins’ coaching staff worked with Carter at the Senior Bowl, so he made sense as a potential target if he fell to the fifth round.
Oklahoma Sooners running back Rhamondre Stevenson is now the best tailback available, according to ESPN.
Of course, Miami might just not be interested in taking a running back. The Dolphins say they’ve had the position handled the whole time, as Miami Herald columnist Armando Salguero writes.
Noon: Day 3 of the Draft is underway, but hang tight, Dolphins fans. Miami won’t pick for a few hours.
The Dolphins’ first pick will come in the middle of the fifth round.
Potential targets for Day 3
11 a.m.: The Dolphins don’t pick until the middle of the fifth round Saturday, meaning it’ll be a little bit of a wait, unless Miami moves up to grab one of the best players available.
Running back remains the most obvious need for the Dolphins and there are some talented players still available. There’s also more offensive line help to be had, plus some good linebackers:
RB Jaret Patterson, Buffalo: Patterson ran for 1,072 yards and 19 touchdowns on 141 carries in just six games last year, including one game with 36 carries for 406 yards and eight touchdowns to an FBS record for rushing touchdowns. He was a first-team All-American, according to The Athletic and USA Today.
RB Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech: Herbert was lightly recruited coming out of Plantation American Heritage School, spent four years with the Kansas Jayhawks, then transferred to the Virginia Tech Hokies, and ran for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns on 155 carries.
G Trey Smith, Tennessee: Smith was a five-star prospect coming out of high school, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. He begins Saturday as the top guard available, according to ESPN.
ILB Dylan Moses, Alabama: Moses was the Parade Magazine National Player of the Year and won the Butkus Award at Bradenton IMG Academy before injuries slowed down his career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. After missing all of 2019, the linebacker logged 70 tackles last season to earn first-team All-American honors from the American Football Coaches Association.
OLB Chris Rumph II, Duke: Rumph, the son of Chicago Bears defensive line coach Chris Rumph, is a dynamic edge rusher, who recorded 52 tackles, 11 1/2 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 11 games last year.
What we’ve written
10 a.m.: Kick off the day by reliving the second and third rounds of the Draft.
- The Dolphins missed out on North Carolina Tar Heels running back Javonte Williams, but landed perhaps the best safety in the Draft, taking Oregon Ducks defensive back Jevon Holland with the No. 36 overall pick. Adam Beasley, the Miami Herald’s Dolphins beat writer, has the story.
- The Holland pick is an interesting and could have major implications for safeties Eric Rowe and Bobby McCain, Herald columnist Barry Jackson reports.
- Miami traded up to make its second pick Friday, jumping from No. 50 to 42 to take Notre Dame Fighting Irish tackle Liam Eichenberg. The Dolphins gave the New York Giants their third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to move up and grab the All-American.
- Eichenberg seems to be a safe pick, although he does come with some concerns about his upside.
- Miami’s second-round picks are definitely interesting, Herald columnist Armando Salguero writes, but there’s one obvious disappointment.
- The Dolphins used their third-round pick to get quarterback Tua Tagovailoa more help, drafting Boston College Eagles tight end Hunter Long with the No. 81 overall pick.
- In related news, the Miami Hurricanes got shut out on the second day of the Draft after two of their defensive ends —including new Dolphins defensive lineman Jaelan Phillips — went in the first round Thursday. Susan Miller Degnan, the Herald’s Hurricanes beat writer, has the story.
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
