Rhett Lewis of the NFL Network put out his latest mock draft, and he has Miami selecting…
Round 1, Pick #11: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
“The Dolphins should have plenty of options to address their needs at corner and edge rusher at No. 11 overall. But they’re also undergoing an overhaul at receiver, and so they don’t pass on the opportunity to land Lemon. The USC product spent the majority of his time in the slot, but has experience on the perimeter, as well.”
Overview
High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills. Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He’s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels. Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed. More play strength is needed for NFL press and he needs to avoid rushing through multi-breaking routes. He’s an exceptional ball-tracker with excellent catch timing and few focus drops. He wins more combat catches than he loses. Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside.
Strengths
- Efficient press release with early acceleration to bypass.
- Manipulates defenders out of position with route acumen.
- Snaps off out-breaking routes at crisp angles.
- Displays above-average burst from turns to gain separation.
- Ball-tracking adjustments and catch timing are elite.
- Ridiculous grip strength once the football hits his hands.
- Elevates his toughness and focus when catch is contested.
- Good patience with late catch adjustment to save his catch space.
- Already dropping two feet inbounds near the sideline.
- Willing run blocker who gives legitimate effort.
Weaknesses
- Could use a hair more patience to prevent rushing the route.
- Appears quicker than fast when working vertical routes.
- Can be a little slow disengaging once captured underneath.
- Competitive but relatively ordinary after the catch.
- Needs runway to break off comebacks out of the drive phase.
Round 1, Pick #30: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
“Miami uses the first-round pick it gained from the Jaylen Waddle trade on a starting cornerback. Hood really stepped up for the Vols in the season-long absence of Jermod McCoy and could do the same early on for Jeff Hafley.”
Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap. Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone but route switches still cause occasional missteps. Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme.
Strengths
- Plays with box-safety physicality in coverage and run support.
- Punches and suffocates outside release against boundary.
- Demands the catch space on jump-ball battles.
- Gathers and triggers with adequate fluidity from depth.
- Operates with discipline/leverage against high/low route concepts.
- Explodes vertically with extended arms to capture high-point.
- Run-defense wiring is exactly what coaches want to see.
- Above-average stopping power when tackling bigger backs.
Weaknesses
- Could struggle matching twitchy NFL releases.
- Hips can get sticky on sudden, aggressive transitions.
- Grabby at break points or vertical routes when he’s out of phase.
- Gets too dialed in to receiver and loses track of ball flight.
- Still developing his instincts from off coverages.
- Leggy with sluggish change of direction as open-field tackler.
