With just over a week until the start of the 2023 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins have just four picks to work with, as they’ve made trades and lost a pick due to tampering.
Having said that, general manager Chris Grier needs to make the most of his selections to fill in the gaps in the roster before they take the field in September.
ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper recently produced a three-round mock draft, in which they alternated picks, and they have Miami taking Penn State tight end Brenton Strange at No. 51 and Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey.
Here’s what Kiper said about the Strange selection:
“I struggled a little bit with this one, Miami’s first pick of the draft. Could it go with a running back or will it fill that need on the veteran market? I like Strange’s upside as a pass-catcher, and he is more rounded than Mike Gesicki, who left for New England in free agency.”
Strange goes before Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, which is a bit of a head-scratcher, but the Nittany Lion isn’t a poor option for Miami.
At 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds, Strange is a solid blocker with upside as a pass catcher. He recorded 70 receptions for 755 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 32 career games at Penn State.
They could definitely use more help at the position with only Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and Tanner Conner under contract for 2023.
Here’s what McShay said about the Foskey selection:
“It’s a little surprising that Foskey slid this far, as he plays with really good explosion off the edge. And with only four selections, Miami has to nail every one of its picks, and this is good value at this point in Round 3.”
Foskey, at 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds, has been compared to Yannick Ngakoue by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. In 37 games as a Fighting Irish, he recorded 121 tackles (28 for a loss), 25 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
Miami doesn’t necessarily need more help on the edge, but he could be a piece that makes departing with Emmanuel Ogbah easier in the near future. For now, he could be a rotational piece, learning from some of the best pass rushers the league has to offer.
