Any hope that the Miami Dolphins might have had for drafting linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the 2020 NFL Draft without an earth-shattering trade somewhere along the way went up in smoke at the 2020 NFL Combine. It took all of 4.39 seconds for Simmons, at nearly 240 pounds, to blaze his way into a lock for the top-10 picks in April.
That’s good, right? Given that Miami owns the 5th overall pick? Well, not exactly, because the Dolphins also have a dire need at quarterback and will almost assuredly be spending that first draft pick on their quarterback of the future. Which means Miami must boldly jump up from 18 (to perhaps 7 with the rebuilding Panthers?) to draft Simmons and give up a significant amount of draft capital if they indeed invest in their quarterback early on.
Conversely, might the Dolphins be better off looking for a backup plan to the all-time Swiss army knife defender?
Yes, because this year’s NFL Draft boasts two more freak athletes from small schools — and Brian Flores would likely love to tackle coaching either one of them.
Their names? Kyle Dugger of Lenoir-Rhyne University and Jeremy Chinn of Southern Illinois.
Kyle Dugger
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As a safety prospect, Dugger is an elite athlete effectively across the board. He jumped higher in box explosive tests than Simmons and nearly matched his 40-time, although that came with 20 less pounds on his frame. And, coming from Lenoir-Rhyne, Dugger’s football intelligence isn’t quite as polished as Simmons’.
Where might Dugger be had in the Draft? If a team totally falls in love with his potential, who knows. But conservative bets put him in the 2nd-round — meaning he might be a candidate for the Dolphins at either 39 or 56, assuming they sit tight.
Jeremy Chinn
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Chinn tested even more dynamic as an athlete in Indianapolis and his tape is littered with reps in coverage, as a blitzer and defending the run for Southern Illinois. Yes — he’ll face a jump in his athletic testing, but that’s evident with athletes as any and every level. Chinn is another Day 2 target — so if the Dolphins do indeed miss Simmons in the top-10, they should be eyeing this athletically gifted duo early on Friday night.
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