(Trade with Texans) Round 1 (23): DL Jeffery Simmons Mississippi St. – If Miami doesn’t take a quarterback at 13, trading back is a strong possibility, assuming they can find a willing trade partner. If a top offensive lineman is still on the board when the Dolphins are on the clock, the Texans would be a logical trade candidate given their need to improve their offensive line and the fact that they have an extra second-round pick to part with. In this scenario, Houston gives up their 1(23), 2(54), and a 2020 late-round pick. With Miami now picking at 23, Simmons would be an ideal selection. Once projected to be a Top-10 pick, Simmons tore his ACL in February and most likely will miss the 2019 season, causing his draft stock to fall. Furthermore, if Miami really is content with “tanking” the upcoming season in order to secure their franchise quarterback in 2020, Simmons would make even more sense. They would essentially be able to acquire a Top-10 talent, while picking up extra picks and not having their tank efforts affected by a talented player that will most likely need a redshirt year.

Round 2 (48): CB Julian Love Notre Dame – Miami’s secondary looks to be a strength going into 2019, but it still has one glaring weakness. Boundary corner opposite of Xavien Howard. Love was a standout corner for Notre Dame and would allow Bobby McCain to move back to his natural position in the slot and Minkah Fitzpatrick to focus on making plays at free safety. He may not be the ball hawk that Howard is, having only one interception this year, but that may be due to the fact that teams made the conscious decision not to test him in coverage much this year.

(Trade with Texans) Round 2 (54): EDGE Jachai Polite Florida – Prior to the NFL Combine, Polite was viewed as a potential Top-15 pick. After a poor showing at the Combine and an even worse Pro Day, Polite’s draft stock has plummeted. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility if he falls further than this, but Miami is desperate for pass-rushers and may be willing to take a gamble on a talented player like Polite with the extra pick they acquired from the Texans.

Round 3 (78): OG/C Michael Jordan Ohio State – Miami has to come out of this draft with at least one starting interior offensive lineman, especially after cutting Josh Sitton from what was an already thin position group. Snagging Jordan in the third round would be a step in the right direction. Jordan is entering the draft as a three-year starter at Ohio State and played both guard and center. Miami finally gets a young talent on the interior of the line instead of hoping that aging retreads and undrafted free agents can get the job done.

Round 4 (116): OT Yodny Cajuste West Virginia – With Ja’Waun James now in Denver, Miami needs to find a replacement at the right tackle spot. Moving Jesse Davis from guard to tackle is an option, but if Miami prefers leaving him at guard, Cajuste could be an option to take over at right tackle. Cajuste was First Team All-Big 12 and the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2018.

Round 5 (151): WR David Sills V West Virginia – Miami would be wise to add a big-bodied wide receiver to their receiving core. DeVante Parker re-signed but it would be a mistake to count on him to finally live up to his potential. Sills, at 6’3”, was highly productive at West Virginia, having caught 35 touchdowns in three years and could hopefully develop into the red zone threat that Parker never lived up to be.

Round 7 (233): RB Bryce Love Stanford – Running back may not be a huge need for Miami with both Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage on the roster, but adding a talent like Love in the 7^th round could end up paying dividends. After all, Drake is in the final year of his rookie contract and Love may not be able to play in his rookie year anyway after suffering a torn ACL in his final game with Stanford, which is what has pushed him so far down draft boards. When healthy, Love was a dynamic back for Stanford, having rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2017. If he is able to fully recover from his knee injury and return to his 2017 form, Miami could be getting a steal late in the draft.

Round 7 (234): QB Trace McSorley Penn State – If Miami decides to wait until 2020 to find their franchise quarterback, I would still expect them to address the position at some point in this draft. While McSorley is undersized and seemed to take a step back in his senior year, he is a three-year starter at Penn State and widely respected by his teammates. He may never become a starter in the NFL, but he could develop into a solid backup with the right coaching. He is also athletic enough that some teams asked him to take part in DB drills at the combine, so if he fails at quarterback, a position switch may help him stick on the roster.