Miami Dolphins 2013 Four-Round NFL Mock Draft

Sept 22, 2012; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive back Xavier Rhodes (27) during the game against the Clemson Tigers at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

1. First Round, 12th overall: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Over the last year, the Dolphins have seen an incredible amount of turnover at the cornerback position. Last year, they traded Vontae Davis to the Indianapolis Colts and this year, they lost Sean Smith in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs. Cornerback is one of their top remaining needs, even after signing Brent Grimes from the Atlanta Falcons. Rhodes is a big corner with excellent speed and athletic ability who would really help the Dolphins’ secondary makeover in this year’s draft–if he makes it this far. The other strong option for them is to trade up in the first round potentially since they have so many early picks, and select one of this year’s top offensive linemen. They could also move down the board a little bit and get another corner they might like, such as Desmond Trufant or Jamar Taylor and get some picks for future drafts. The Dolphins probably have more flexibility than any team in the top 15 picks.

2. Second Round, 42nd overall: Kyle Long, OT, Oregon

There is a wide range of picks I could see Kyle Long landing in, but if the Dolphins miss out on offensive tackles in the first round, they still have to find a way to replace Jake Long (Rams) at some point with their first few picks. They have a lot of flexibility with an additional second round pick, so they can reach a bit for a need here. Long is considered a potential late-2nd, early-3rd round prospect, but I think his athletic ability fits what the Dolphins want to do offensively. This would be a pick that would make a lot of sense.

3. Second Round, 54th overall: Jamie Collins, DE/OLB, Southern Miss

Collins is an incredible athlete who can make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Even on a terrible team last year at Southern Miss, he put up huge numbers which is something that can’t be said of a lot of other top prospects on bad teams (looking at you, Corey Lemonier…) Collins is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. I think he is scheme diverse and at 6’3″ 250 pounds, could stand to add some bulk and still maintain his speed and explosiveness. This would be a really intriguing pick for a team that could use a bookend pass rush partner for Cameron Wake.

4. Third Round, 77th overall: Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB, UConn

The Dolphins capitalize on the depth at CB in this year’s draft and add another starting caliber player in the middle of the third round. Wreh-Wilson is a guy with great length and showed throughout his career flashes of first-round ability. I think for the Dolphins, he is a guy who could contribute in their rotation immediately and move around the secondary as needed.

5. Third Round, 82nd overall: Ryan Swope, WR, Texas A&M

With so many picks in the first three rounds, the Dolphins can afford some luxuries like this one. They filled a bunch of needs in free agency, and one of those needs was WR. They not only re-signed Brian Hartline, but they picked up Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson. Davone Bess is one of the top slot receivers in the NFL in my opinion, but he could be on his way out in Miami. I think if they can get a guy like Swope who is really familiar with quarterback Ryan Tannehill, that would be a huge win for them.

6. Fourth Round, 111th overall: Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon

The Dolphins let Reggie Bush go to the Detroit Lions, which will probably turn out to be the right decision given the fact that they have Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller at RB. That being said, I think it would be really intriguing for them to add a speedy back like Kenjon Barner, whose name has seemingly gone off the radar in the weeks leading up to the draft. He’s a tough runner who has a ton of speed and quickness in the open field. He’s also a very good receiver out of the backfield. I think this would be a really good pick for the Dolphins.