The Miami Dolphins were one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL last season and that has many experts like ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicting that players like Carlos Hyde, Tre Mason, Jeremy Hill, Tyler Gaffney, Andre Williams, Bishop Sankey, De'Anthony Thomas and Lache Seastrunk could be in the mix as picks for the Fins in the draft.
The Dolphins ranked in the bottom part of the league in rushing last season with Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas getting the bulk of the carries and they ranked 26th in league with just 90 yards per game. ESPN.com writer James Walker names Carlos Hyde, Jeremy Hill and Tre Mason as potential targets for the second round when the Dolphins pick at number 50 overall. The team is using the offseason to reshape the offensive line after giving up 58 sacks last season and that could be a big boost for the running game as well.
Hyde is one of the highest rated running backs coming out of the draft and he could fit with the Dolphins, but there is a chance he may not be on the board when they come up, as the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders could target him early in the second. Hyde rushed for over 1,500 yards last season and scored 15 touchdowns and there is a chance he could sneak into the first round late, but it's more likely that no running backs will go in the opening round this year. Hyde showed last season that he can be a consistent receiver out of the backfield and that could be a good element to add for the offense with Ryan Tannehill as he develops.
Hyde could be one of the first back to go, while Tre Mason likely will be in the mix after the way he finished the season and he ended up with 1,816 yards and 23 touchdowns for Auburn. Mason is fast and he could be one of those explosive backs that the Dolphins have been lacking with Thomas and Miller. The team comes in right now with seven draft picks and one is in each round, with their first round pick coming at number 19 and while they won't be using that on a running back, they will be in the mix in the later rounds.
Jeremy Hill comes out of LSU after rushing for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns and while he is one of the tougher runners in the draft, the team may not want to deal with a player with some character issues after he was in a bar fight, especially after what happened with the franchise this season. The team has a new leader in Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey and he will have to decide what type of back they are looking for. The team has some options in productive players like Tyler Gaffney, Andre Williams, Bishop Sankey, De'Anthony Thomas and Lache Seastrunk and that means the Dolphins will be able to get someone if that's what they are looking to draft.