It’s not the sort of thing fans will get excited about, but the Miami Dolphins are poised to fill their hole at center in the draft.
After trading out of the third overall pick, and trading back into the top-10, the Miami Dolphins have the No. 6 and No. 18 picks in the first round of the draft next Thursday night. With four picks in the top-50, they are well-positioned to meaningfully add to last year’s 10-6 squad.
The Dolphins, assuming they don’t trade down, can take the best player available with both of their first-round picks and not be wrong. Coming out of those picks with some combination of a wide receiver, an edge rusher or an offensive tackle looks ideal.
Since Mike Pouncey last played for them in 2017, the Dolphins have had a revolving door at center. Next in line is Matt Skura, who signed a one-year deal in free agency this offseason. But Miami may still be looking for a long-term answer.
The Dolphins are looking to draft a center
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have told at least one league official they are interested in drafting a young center. Jackson offered a survey of the top options, with a nod to the rankings of ESPN’s Mel Kiper.
Alabama’s Landon Dickerson is a possible late first-round or early second-round pick. He dismissed concerns about a torn ACL in the SEC title game by doing cartwheels behind Mac Jones at the Crimson Tide’s Pro Day in late March.
Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey was last year’s Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, and a third-team AP All-American. He’s a likely Day 2 pick, certainly in play for the Dolphins at No. 36 or No. 50.
Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz was one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl, and he can play center or guard. Jackson passed along indications the Dolphins would consider him at No. 50.
Ohio State’s Josh Myers transitioned to center after being a top guard coming out of high school. He earned All-Big Ten honors last season. In the second, third or maybe even fourth round, he could be in play for the Dolphins.
Further down Kiper’s rankings, and deeper into the Day 3 conversation, is Penn State’s Michal Menet, Stanford’s Drew Dalman, Georgia’s Trey Hill and Kentucky’s Drake Jackson. The Dolphins apparently like Hill, and their coaching staff got a close look at Jackson during the Senior Bowl.
Center is a boring spot for a draft prospect breakdown. But it’s a position of need for the Dolphins, and they are doing plenty of due diligence to find a long-term guy to snap the ball to Tua Tagovailoa.