Asking and answering questions on the Dolphins’ search for long-term starting left tackle
The Dolphins are optimistic they will be able to find a long-term starting offensive tackle in this NFL Draft — potentially at 18 or 26 in the first round — and see appealing options to pair opposite right tackle Jesse Davis.
But some questions linger. Among them:
▪ What’s the deal with talk that Andrew Thomas might slide, and can the Georgia tackle really be there at 18?
He could be there at 18, but it’s a toss-up at best; ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him going 14th to Tampa Bay.
But one longtime NFL personnel man who interviewed Thomas this offseason told me that he would be very surprised if Thomas was there at 18. He believes he’s going to be a very good player.
If he is there, he would very, very tempting at 18 because you probably could play him at left tackle from Day One. But even though he’s an excellent run blocker, Thomas has fallen a bit — in the eyes of some draft analysts — largely because of balance issues.
“He gets in trouble at times because his base is too wide; he lunges and loses balance,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremish said. “Overall, some teams view Thomas as a guard, but I believe he can hold up at tackle if he improves his balance issues. He is a dominant run blocker.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein calls Thomas “a Day One starter who comes in well-coached and technically savvy, but occasional leaning, lunging and inconsistent knee bend in pass protection could be isolated and attacked by pass-rush wolves looking to feast if he doesn’t get those areas cleaned up.”
Pro Football Focus ranks him 10th among all prospects and believes he’s being undervalued, noting “Thomas’ 92.4 overall grade in 2019 was the highest of any qualifying draft-eligible Power 5 offensive tackle.”
And he graded out nearly as well in pass protection as he did as a run blocker. It’s just that balance thing.
Thomas started 13 games at left tackle last season and was a first team All-American. He allowed only five sacks in three seasons as a starter. The Dolphins like him.
Here’s something else very appealing about Thomas: He’s really smart, which Miami values.
▪ Who are the most polarizing potential first-round tackles whose projections vary widely?
Two left tackles: Southern California’s Austin Jackson and Houston’s Josh Jones.
Jeremiah has been leading the Jackson bandwagon, asserting he could be gone in the top 15, before Miami picks at 18.
But Jeremiah cautions: “Jackson isn’t ready to play at a high level right away, but the upside is tantalizing.”
And NFL.com’s Lance Zeirlien cautions that Jackson — who started 13 games at left tackle last season — “could become an early starter but may offer a wider split between floor and ceiling than some teams might like. Raw but gifted and is likely to be coveted by a variety of teams, thanks to his true left tackle traits. Jackson has loads of athletic ability and talent that is waiting to be developed and harvested. Inconsistent hand placement and footwork could be exploited early on if teams try and rush him into the starting lineup, but issues are correctable.”
But Pro Football Focus said Jackson doesn’t belong in the first round, let alone the top 15.
“He just hasn’t produced at the same high level that some of the other tackle prospects have throughout their college careers,” PFF said. “After playing just 175 snaps as a true freshman in 2017, Jackson recorded grades of 72.3 (2018) and 73.9 (2019) during his two seasons as the starter for the Trojans.
“He struggled in matchups with top edge prospects such as A.J. Epenesa, Bradlee Anae and Julian Okwara, and the consistent high-level performance just isn’t there. He may be getting some first-round buzz around the league, but Jackson is more of a late Day 2 prospect for us at PFF.”
Meanwhile, Kiper has Miami taking Jones at 26 if he’s there: “Jones on the board, this is a no-brainer for me. He made 45 career starts at left tackle for the Cougars, and he dominated during practices at the Senior Bowl.”
But Jeremiah has Jones 40th, while some analysts have him going in the teens.
Jeremiah isn’t convinced about Jones’ consistency, noting “Jones has some games where he looks like a top-15 player [see Oklahoma], but he needs to play with better knee bend on a consistent basis. He should be a solid, dependable starter early in his career.”
PFF said Jones “wasn’t seriously on the radar for an early appearance in the NFL draft until his senior season, when he posted an overall grade of 93.2. There are some things to clean up with his technique at the next level, but the fact that Jones managed to dominate like he did in 2019 with flaws in his game is promising for his future in the NFL.”
Zierlein’s take on Jones: “He needs plenty of work with his pass sets and footwork, but most of his issues appear to be coachable. He has the traits and talent to become a future starter if he continues to develop with coaching.”
Jones started nine games at left tackle last season before sustaining a knee injury.
The veteran personnel man (mentioned earlier in this piece) told me he would take Jones at 26, but not necessarily as high as 18.
▪ So which offensive linemen will be gone by 18?
Most believe Alabama right tackle Jedrick Wills and Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton will be gone. Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs likely will be, too.
Kiper, in his latest mock, has Wirfs eighth, Becton 10th and Willis 11th. It would be a surprise if any slips to Miami.
And Thomas, of course, might also be gone by 18.
And it’s conceivable — though not likely — that Jones and Jackson both could be gone by 26, though it’s impossible to conceive that all six offensive tackles (Wirfs, Bechton, Wills, Thomas, Jackson and Jones) will be off the board before 18.
▪ Any other potential first rounders beyond Wirfs, Bechton, Wills, Thomas, Jones and Jackson?
NFL Network’s Jeremiah said Monday that two general managers have told him Georgia right tackle Isaiah Wilson will go in the first round. “That’s too rich for me, but it looks like it’s going to happen,” he said.
Zierlein said he has “elite size and length” but “early work might be needed for both his footwork and technique in order to play with desired consistency as a starter.”
Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland has emerged as another first-round option, and we hear the Dolphins like him, though 26 would be a mild surprise.
Kiper has him going 29th. He also can play guard.
“After Cleveland’s excellent combine performance in which he ran a 4.93 40 [third-fastest among offensive linemen] and looked great in the agility drills, I went back to the tape to study him,” Kiper said. “And what I saw was a left tackle who I was underrating. A three-year starter for the Broncos, Cleveland isn’t just a workout wonder — he was a great tackle in the Mountain West.”
NFL.com’s Zierlein said the 6-6, 311-pound Cleveland “has the athleticism to play swing tackle for a zone-based offense but needs to get much stronger to hold up as a starter.”
▪ Who’s an option on Day 2?
LSU’s Saahdiq Charles (who will interviewing with the Dolphins via video conference), St. Johns’ Ben Bartch, Auburn’s Jack Driscoll, Auburn’s Prince Tega Wanogho, Wilson and Cleveland (if available), TCU’s Lucas Niang and Connecticut’s Matt Peart.
PFF studied Bartch’s 487 senior snaps at Division III St. John’s and came away convinced he’s a legit top 10 tackle in this draft, ranking him sixth overall among tackles.
“Bartch was dominant, allowing just four pressures in 315 pass-blocking snaps,” PFF said. “But, then again, this was against the fearsome defensive lines of schools such as Chapman and Wheaton. More impressive was how well he performed at Mobile during the Senior Bowl.”
PFF’s lead draft analyst Mike Renner said of Bartch after the Senior Bowl, “Bartch has the nastiness and play strength you want to see at the position. He ended multiple one-on-one pass pro reps by taking the defender to the turf. The lack of high-level competition will be a concern, but he has shown he can win more difficult battles as well.”
PFF praised Driscoll because of “how well he shut down opposing pass rushers in the SEC, even if he doesn’t have the perfect measurables for the position. [After transferring from Massachusetts], his two-year passing grade of 88.4 [at Auburn] ranked first among SEC tackles with 500 or more pass-blocking snaps over that stretch.”
PFF is advocating Miami draft Driscoll at 26, but that would be a shock.
With Niang, “the medicals need to check out on the hip, but he’s a help-now right tackle prospect who should be a long-time starter,” Zierlein said.
As for Peart, the 6-7, 318-pounder is a “swing tackle prospect with outstanding length and athleticism, but lacking play strength and hand usage to survive against NFL competition at this time,” Zierlein said.
For Miami, the hope is to find a player in the first round who could beat out Julien Davenport, Miami’s only realistic (though unappealing) left tackle option on the roster. Davenport allowed 12 sacks and 68 pressures in 15 games for Houston in 2018 and six sacks and 32 pressures in eight games for the Dolphins last season.
Miami has shown little interest in free agent left tackles (Jets starter Kelvin Beachum is the best remaining) and has not aggressively pursued a trade for Washington’s Trent Williams.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 2:49 PM.
