The Miami Dolphins are coming into the NFL draft this year with a number of needs on both sides of the ball and the team could be looking at a number of targets on offense, including names like Marqise Lee, Eric Ebron, Carlos Hyde, Tre Mason, Andre Williams and Jeremy Hill in what many are calling a deep draft class for general manager Dennis Hickey.
The Dolphins have been an active team this offseason in free agency and while they already signed Knowshon Moreno from the Denver Broncos, the team still could target a running back in the later rounds of the draft. The class this year is deep with a number of names, including Hyde and Williams, as well as lesser-heralded players like Ka'Deem Carey, Lache Seastrunk, Bishop Sankey and De'Anthony Thomas. According to ESPN.com, the Dolphins could be targeting a receiver in the draft, as they are hosting USC Trojans wideout Marqise Lee for a pre-draft visit and he is a player that could be in the mix for the Dolphins when they pick at number 19 overall.
The Dolphins have been reworking their offense all offseason and they signed Branden Albert to help improve the offensive line and that should help boost the running game after it struggled greatly in 2013. The Dolphins were one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL last season and they ranked 26th in the league with 90 yards per game from Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller and now one of those players could be on the chopping block after Moreno was signed. The team could look at players like Carlos Hyde, Tre Mason, Andre Williams or De'Anthony Thomas in the draft, as each of those players still could be available at pick number 50, which is when the Dolphins come back onto the board in the second round.
Lee could be an interesting option for the Dolphins in the first round, as that is usually when teams really have to debate whether to stick with their need or to go for the best available player, because at those mid-round picks is when the two really start to outweigh each other. The Dolphins offense went silent at the end of the season over the final two weeks, scoring just seven points as the team failed to miss the playoffs and that could be a reason why they target and offensive player with their first round pick.
Eric Ebron could be an option if they want to go for a pass catcher, while Lee would be an ideal option as a number three wideout along with Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline. Last season Lee was productive while dealing with QB issues at USC, making 57 catches for nearly 800 yards and four touchdowns a year after he was a top five Heisman finalist. The Dolphins ranked 20th in the league in passing yards per game last season and they are also looking for Ryan Tannehill to develop into a more productive quarterback and adding another receiver to the mix could help that.
