Dolphins look to add defensive tackle depth, book draft visits with defensive ends
Offensive tackle and tight end might be the most glaring of the Dolphins’ few remaining needs.
But they’re not the only ones.
With John Jenkins having left for the Raiders, the Dolphins need to add at least one player to back up nose tackle Raekwon Davis.
They also seem to have interest in bringing in a couple of young defensive ends to develop.
And they’re using at least two — probably more — of their 30 permitted draft visits on defensive ends.
They have booked one of their 30 visits with Bowling Green defensive end/tackle Karl Brooks. They also summoned Nebraska defensive end Garrett Nelson to team headquarters on Tuesday, according to a Cornhuskers source.
Brooks, who’s 280 pounds, had 27.5 sacks and 46 tackles for loss in five years at Bowling Green, including 10 sacks last season.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said of Brooks: “The inclination to shrug off Brooks’ production based on level of competition — or because of questions about his positional fit — might be a mistake. Brooks’ snap quickness, footwork, hand usage and motor are all translatable play qualities. His movement and counters are intuitive, allowing for quick access into the backfield. Against the pass, he frequently beat tackles as a bull rusher off the edge.
“Brooks has the size of a three-technique but the versatility and athleticism to move around a defensive front. He flashes disruptive, three-down talent as a future starter in a one-gap scheme.”
Brooks is projected to go 133rd in Jordan Reid’s ESPN mock draft. The Dolphins, at the moment, don’t have a pick between 85 and 196.
Nelson, listed at 240 pounds, could go on the third day of the draft. He had 65 tackles (nine for loss) and 5.5 sacks (seventh in the Big 10) in 12 games last season and was second team All Big Ten. In 2021, he had five sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, which ranked ninth in the Big 10.
Meanwhile, there are eight or so interior defensive tackles expected to go on the second day of the draft, when Miami picks 51st and 84th. Most of them could play nose tackle.
Reid has Michigan’s 326-pound Mazi Smith going 40th, Wisconsin’s 317-pound Keeanu Benton 48th, Florida’s 303-pound Gervon Dexter 63rd, South Carolina’s 305-pound Zacch Pickens 64th, Baylor’s 350-pound Siaki Ika 66th, LSU’s 297-pound Jaquelin Roy 70th, Texas’ 348-pound Keondre Coburn 74th and Alabama’s 292-pound Byron Young 91st.
Any of those eight players have the girth and skills to justify Miami picking them on day two.
The Dolphins have had varying degrees of contact with those eight prospects. With LSU’s Roy, for example, Dolphins officials met with him at the NFL Combine (as they did with many prospects) and again before his Pro Day.
ESPN’s Reid said Michigan’s Smith is “the best run-stuffer in this class,” and said Wisconsin’s Benton is “a heavy-handed rusher who is disruptive against the run and pass.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 4:49 PM.
