Monday Night Football: New York Giants and Miami Dolphins team needs
By Jon Dove
New York Giants and Miami Dolphins team needs for the 2016 NFL Draft.
The Giants and Dolphins have an identical win-loss record but are in very different situations. New York is still in the playoff hunt thanks to the mess that is the NFC East. Miami is out of the playoff picture, has fired several coaches and will no doubt see major changes in the offseason.
Things for the Dolphins start with finding a new head coach who can provide some stability. Ideally, they’ll bring someone in who can help Ryan Tannehill take the next step in his development. The next step is to improve the roster which has several needs on the both sides of the ball.
Miami’s biggest holes are on the defensive side of the ball where they could use an upgrade at the linebacker position. The trio of Koa Misi, Kelvin Sheppard and Jelani Jenkins have struggled to step up and support the run. Of that group, Jenkins is the only one that appears to be in the long-term plans.
Alabama’s Reggie Ragland would be a strong addition to this unit. He plays a physical brand of football and isn’t afraid to attack the line of scrimmage. There’s a good chance that Ragland is on the board when the Dolphins are picking in the 1st round.
Despite a season filled with ups and downs, the Giants still have their sights set on winning the NFC East. The truth is that this team has a lot of holes on the roster and is why they have struggled to find any consistency. They have several areas that need to be addressed on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, improvement could be made at the running back spot and at wide receiver. Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams are below-average performers providing little reason for defenses to commit to stopping the run. Shane Vereen has been effective this year, but he’s at his best when asked to play that third-down back spot.
New York’s offense would greatly benefit from adding an every-down back capable of moving the chains. The top running back in this draft class is Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott. He’s a well-rounded player who can run with power, break off long runs, protect the quarterback and catch the ball out of the backfield.