After a first-day marked by projections and risk management, Miami continued that trend with its second- and third-round picks. The Dolphins selected right guard/tackle Robert Hunt out of Louisiana-Lafayette (No. 39 overall) and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis out of Alabama (No. 56 overall) in the second round, then landed Texas safety Brandon Jones (No. 70 overall) with its third-round pick on Day 2.
The pluses: Hunt was rated the No. 1 guard in the draft by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, with Brugler assigning him a grade in the 2nd-3rd round. Hunt is massive (6-5, 323 pounds), leading some to project him to right tackle, and is widely described as having good feet and a nasty streak. With Miami's offensive line being in shambles for a decade-plus, Hunt could be a plug-and-play option on the right side, and his positional flexibility is a bonus as the Dolphins shuffle to get the top five linemen on the field.
Davis was No. 8 among Brugler's defensive linemen (and No. 73 on his top-100 list), again with a grade in the 2nd-3rd round. Another interior behemoth (6-6, 311), Davis is well-established as a run defender and comes from one of the nation's top college programs. The Miami defensive scheme relies on tackles controlling blockers and gaps in the middle of the line, and he should be able to fill that role relatively quickly.
Ranked No. 8 among safeties by Brugler, Jones was assigned a grade in the 3rd-4th round. His report noted his good burst and range, describing him as a solid hitter who diagnoses plays quickly. Jones is flexible and fast enough to play nickel at times, and he's a tough leader with special-teams experience.
The negatives: Hunt is a well-thought-of prospect, but it's still worth noting that he was listed at No. 61 on Brugler's Top 100 draft board, so he was another reach at No. 39. Scouts noted that he needs a lot of technique development, especially in pass protection, and he lacks the arm length usually preferred in tackles. Hunt will be 24 when he plays his first NFL game, and he missed 7 games as a senior and had surgery after the season. The small-school product also couldn't play in the Senior Bowl due to injury, robbing scouts of the chance to see him play against top-quality competition.
Despite Davis's pedigree, his motor, maturity, refinement, and explosiveness were all questioned by scouts. He tailed off after a standout sophomore year and even got shot outside a bar at one point. This one felt like a Jordan Phillips-ish pick, and there were a number of more established and productive players still on the board at this point -- especially at a position where Miami has allocated a lot of resources already.
Jones was not listed in the top 100 for Brugler, and he was widely considered the biggest reach in the draft by the 'Fins. His size (5-11, 198), ball skills, injury history, and propensity to take bad angles were all cited by scouts. The Dolphins are remaking their secondary and prize flexibility, but in the context of who was still available, this pick led to the most head-scratching among those in draft circles.
The bottom line: I have no major issues with the Hunt choice, but Davis felt like a risky, luxury selection and the Jones pick felt like the 'Fins breaking their own positional size standards. After six picks, Miami still hadn't taken an edge rusher, which feels less like letting the board come to you and more like a massive oversight.
With two days of drafting in the books, it was clear that the Dolphins were betting on their coaching staff, which has been tried before -- to disastrous results. While there are some clear upgrades in the fold, it was hard to shake the feeling that Miami had done a little with a lot after the first three rounds of choices.
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