Day One Picks
Round 1, Pick 3: Penei Sewell, OT Oregon
The Dolphins offensive line improved dramatically from last year to this. They were dreadful in 2019, and simply “okay” in 2020. That’s a marked improvement, but it shows there’s still work to be done. Most of the work that needs to be done is along the interior. They could use better guards, and need an improvement at center. This pick is neither of those. However, you don’t pass up a chance at a player like Penei Sewell.
Sewell is the type of player who was firmly establishing himself as one of the best at his position in the country at the age of 18. He’s a rare prospect and well worth consideration at 3, even though the Dolphins spent a first rounder at the position last year. Is Sewell a perfect prospect? No. But there is no such thing. This is an easy one. If he’s there at 3, you make the pick.
What I would have done: This one’s pretty simple. Penei Sewell is arguably the top talent in this year’s NFL Draft class. The Dolphins don’t necessarily have a need for left tackle, as they took one in the first round last year. However, Sewell is one of those players you make an exception for. The only way I’m not taking Sewell here is if a QB-hungry team offers me the farm to come up for, in this case, Justin Fields.
Round 1, Pick 18: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
It’s only our second pick, and already this Miami Dolphins mock draft has gone a bit off the rails.
On the plus side, Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has the size and athleticism to play at either linebacker or safety. On the down side, he doesn’t really fit the mold at either position. How the NFL views players with Owusu-Koramoah’s profile is shifting, but it hasn’t fully shifted yet. He’s still likely to land the “tweener” label and have scouts question where he fits in the NFL.
He’s not as athletic as his predecessor at the position last season, Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, and even Simmons failed to make an impact or have a defined role for the Cardinals for much of the season. It’s going to take a creative defensive coordinator to get the most out of someone like Owusu-Koramoah.
However, there is a lot to work with there. Owusu-Koramoah is a solid open-field tackler. He possesses enough speed and agility to cover running backs out of the backfield. He’s big and physical enough to cover tight ends down the seam and the “big slot” receivers out in space. There’s a role for Owusu-Koramoah in the NFL, it’s simply going to take work to figure out exactly what that role is.
What I would have done: I would have loved to have a wide receiver fall to me at this pick. Unfortunately, that’s not how the board played out. I don’t love the options at Miami’s other positions of need here. I was offered a second, fourth, and a 2022 first from Philadelphia to trade out, and that’s what I would have done here. Miami still has plenty of firepower left in the draft, and those assets for this pick would have been great.