The foregone conclusion for a lot of Miami Dolphins fans is that this April will bring more of the same in the 2021 NFL Draft: plenty of Alabama Crimson Tide players. Two of Miami’s five selections combined between the 1st- and 2nd-rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft were products of the Crimson Tide. Tua Tagovailoa and Raekwon Davis combined to serve prominent roles on this year’s team and the easy assumption is that Miami will double dip this year with WR DeVonta Smith and RB Najee Harris. And perhaps they will.
But they don’t in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft, this one coming courtesy of NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Here’s who Zierlein has pegged for the Dolphins as things currently stand:
No. 3 overall – WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
“It is imperative for the Dolphins to add a playmaker to pair with Tua Tagovailoa and give the offense some much-needed explosiveness.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
No. 18 overall – DL Gregory Rousseau, Miami (FL)
“With just one full year of tape to his name and a good chunk of his sack production coming from an inside alignment, Rousseau might be a bit of a risk. But he is very long and has traits that GM Chris Grier and coach Brian Flores should love.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
It should be no surprise to see the Dolphins once again tied to Smith. Provided the Dolphins stay the course with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback, the obvious connection between his and Smith is difficult to ignore. But the addition of Rousseau is a fairly new one. And, as Zierlein points, out, it makes all the sense in the world for Brian Flores’ defense. Rousseau sat out in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic but has all the physical traits needed to be a high-end pass rusher and run defender alike.
For a Dolphins defense that likes to throw different looks at teams each week, Rousseau’s versatility is tailor made to shine with Miami. The question, however, is does a defensive player at No. 18 inhibit Miami’s ability to properly build up their supporting cast around Tagovailoa and get the offense ready to create more explosive plays in 2021?