Miami Dolphins bring in more predraft visitors, including potential center competition
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Tuesday:
▪ The Dolphins — looking for competition for Michael Deiter — have done a lot of work on centers before the draft and brought at least a couple to team headquarters.
Among those visitors, according to The Draft Network: Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Cole Strange.
“Cole Strange is somebody that I think all those outside zone teams are gonna love,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said. “He he can really move. He started 44 games. Only one of them was at center, but then he goes to the Senior Bowl, played center all week and was really, really competitive.
“And if you look at the Dolphins coach [Mike McDaniel] and how smart he is and his reputation and then you look at a guy like Cole Strange, who was looking at the service academies and was an engineering major and is really, really a brilliant guy, I think that’s an interesting fit.”
Whether Strange will be available at 102 — Miami’s first pick — is iffy. ESPN’s Matt Miller has him going 95th. NFLcom’s Lance Zierlein projects him to go in the second round and adds this assessment:
“Highly experienced interior lineman who does a nice job of staying on schedule. He shines over the first two phases of the block, which means he gains early positioning and gets into the sustain phase with proper hand usage and footwork.... His frame and play strength are a little below average, but he has done some snapping in practice, so he could land as a future starting center for a zone-happy rush offense.”
New Dolphins offensive line coach Matt Applebaum had contact this offseason with his former player at Boston College, Alec Lindstrom, the All-ACC center who could go in the middle rounds of the draft. Boston College guard/center Zion Johnson is expected to be gone well before Miami’s first pick.
Jeremiah said Kentucky center Luke Fortner also would be a good scheme fit for the Dolphins at center. This is a name to watch; Miller has the Dolphins pick him 102nd.
“Rarely do you find a Day 1 starting center in the late third round, but the Dolphins could strike gold with Fortner available at No. 102,” Miller said. “He also has experience at guard should Miami want to kick him outside a click in Mike McDaniel’s zone rushing scheme.”
Centers projected in the third-fourth round range include Wake Forest’s Zach Tom (who visited with the Dolphins), Arizona State’s Dohnovan West and Virginia Tech’s Lecitus Smith.
▪ Alabama linebacker Chris Allen flew to Dolphins headquarters for a visit this month, a source confirmed.
Allen was second team all-SEC in 2020 but missed all of last season with a foot injury sustained in the opener.
Allen (6-4, 252 pounds) had 13 tackles for loss and six sacks in 2020.
NFL.com’s Zierlein predicts Allen will be selected in the fourth round.
Zierlein said “two injuries robbed Allan of valuable game experience and dulled some of his development. He’s a physical specimen with the strength to hold his own at the point and rid himself of single blocks with twitch and technique.... Allen has the traits to play edge in odd or even fronts but additional development is critical if he wants to become more than just a quality rotational defender.”
▪ The Dolphins, who always look to add multiple cornerbacks during the draft process, have visited with Georgia’s Derion Kendrick, according to a source.
Kendrick had four interceptions for Georgia last season and seven in his career. He played his first three seasons at Clemson.
Zierlein has him going in the sixth round and sizes him up this way: “Cornerback with four years of playoff experience and two national titles under his belt. Kendrick has played against some of the best wideouts in the game but has a history of struggling in some of those matchups. He lacks speed and strength to stay outside but his quickness and route recognition should help him move inside as a nickel.... Kendrick has CB3/CB4 potential in the right scheme.”
The Dolphins also brought in Fresno State’s Daron Bland for a predraft visit, according to NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro.
Bland, a native of Modesto, California, played three seasons at Sacramento State, which canceled its 2020 season due to COVID-19. He then transferred to Fresno State for his final season in 2021 and had 45 tackles and two interceptions last season, starting the final nine games at cornerback.
Bland (6-2) has “excellent instincts and ball skills,” Jeremiah said.
Bland wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine but ran a 4.46 in the 40-yard dash and posted a 35.5-inch vertical jump at the Fresno State Pro Day.
Bland told nfldraftdiamonds.com that “there were quite a few times in high school where I lived without water or electricity, or had to stay in a motel and had to manage my school work and sports.”
▪ Among players with familiar names who worked out for the Dolphins in advance of the draft:
Cornerback Will Allen Jr., son of the former Dolphins cornerback.
Allen, an Ivy League standout at Columbia, had three interceptions, 17 pass breakups and three interceptions during his college career. He blocked five kicks, second most in school history. And he averaged 25.2 yards on kickoff returns.
▪ The Athletic’s Dane Brugler did a full seven-round mock draft and has these as the Dolphins’ picks: Miami of Ohio edge rusher Dominique Robinson at 102; Cincinnati linebacker Darrian Beavers at 125; North Carolina running back Ty Chandler at 224 and Texas Tech guard/tackle/center Dawson Deaton at 247.
Robinson visited with the Dolphins at their team headquarters.
Miller has Miami picking the Kentucky center at 102; Oklahoma defensive end Isaiah Thomas at 125, LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price at 224 and Colorado linebacker Nate Landham at 247. Davis-Price visited the Dolphins.
▪ Count ESPN’s Marcus Spears among analysts who believe the Bills are no longer significantly ahead of Miami in the AFC East:
“They should compete with the Bills based on personnel where they are now in their division.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 11:46 AM.
