5 potential Miami Dolphins targets to watch at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine
It’s been a whirlwind offseason for the Dolphins and it continues with this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. New coach Mike McDaniel and his staff have been together for less than two weeks but they have quickly turned their attention to evaluating over 300 prospects who will be gathered for physical measurements, testing and interviews.
Here are prospects, from five areas of need for the Dolphins, to watch for at the combine.
Wide receiver: Penn State’s Jahan Dotson
Dotson made the list of potential Dolphins targets to watch at the Senior Bowl in early February but opted out of the all-star game. So, the combine will be the first time scouts see the 5-foot-11 speedster since his impressive season with the Nittany Lions ended. On a conference call last week, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah suggested the Dolphins build a “track team” around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and find more explosive players to complement wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, as opposed to pigeon-holing themselves into bigger receivers. Dotson, whom Jeremiah expects to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.3 range, fits that bill. Jeremiah also predicted McDaniel would seek pass-catchers would are interchangeable. Despite a smaller frame, Dotson is a “pristine route runner,” according to Jeremiah, and can separate vertically from defenders. Dotson is considered a fringe first-round prospect.
Offensive tackle: Minnesota’s Daniel Faalele
Like Doston, Faalele was invited to the Senior Bowl and he followed through with his participation in the week of practices and game. Faalele’s gargantuan size — 6-foot-9 and 380 pounds — intrigued several attendees but his performance in Mobile, Alabama, was a mixed bag. He has lateral movement you don’t see in a player that big but has only been playing football for a few years, and his rawness was also on display at the Senior Bowl. His struggles with pad level — also likely a byproduct of his size — allowed defenders to get under him at times and be overpowered in his pass protection sets. The linemen in the zone running scheme McDaniel seeks to implement sometimes are on the smaller side because they come with the athleticism to get out in space but Faalele’s combination of size and speed might be too good to pass up. Faalele is a fringe first-round prospect.
Running back: Iowa State’s Breece Hall
There are similarities when you look at the Dolphins and McDaniel’s track record with running backs. The last time the Dolphins selected a running back first three rounds of the NFL Draft was 2016 when they selected Kenyan Drake with the No. 73 overall pick. Throughout McDaniel’s various coaching stops, he’s been associated with running games that have been led by late-round and undrafted running backs.
Luckily for the Dolphins — and maybe to the chagrin of fans — Jeremiah lauded the depth of this year’s running back class and said the fourth round is the “sweet spot” to draft one. Hall could be the do-it-all bell cow perfect for McDaniel’s scheme. His 175 rushing attempts on zone runs in 2021 ranked 11th in college football, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s not a burner but has good vision to locate cutback lanes and was tough to bring down; his 194 missed tackles over the last three seasons led the nation. Hall is a Day 2 prospect.
Inside linebacker: Alabama’s Christian Harris
The Dolphins have Jerome Baker but could probably use a sidekick who can take on blocks better against the run and offers something in coverage, allowing Baker to play more on the edge. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Harris has the size to hold his own in the box but can also keep up with running backs and drop in zone coverages. Harris struggled with consistency at times but was a three-year starter at Alabama and asked to do a lot in a pro-style defense. Harris is a Day 2 prospect.
Interior offensive line: Boston College’s Zion Johnson
There’s a good chance the Dolphins address their offensive line issue in free agency but it’s hard to look past the glaring connection between Johnson and the Dolphins. Miami’s new offensive line coach, Matt Applebaum, not only coached Johnson at Boston College but at Davidson, too. Johnson impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his willingness to take snaps at center despite primarily playing guard in college and then was named practice player of the week. He has strong hands, lateral quickness you seek in the zone running scheme and is rarely out of place. Johnson is a fringe first-round prospect.
