With the fifteenth pick in the 2011 BGN Mock Draft, TheRealMcCoy selects...
Mark Ingram - RB, Alabama
Okay, here’s the truth: I fully expect for the Miami Dolphins on draft day to be calling teams left and right, trying to deal away this pick. The 15th pick has a good number of choices, but in terms of the Dolphins, a lot of what they’re looking for can be found a few picks lower. They’re also without a second round pick this year, and would really like to acquire one to draft some quantitative needs. Quarterback is labeled as an absolute need for the Dolphins. With both Gabbert and Newton on the board, drafting a quarterback makes pretty much any pick a reach here, especially since most of the teams behind the Dolphins don’t necessarily have QB issues, meaning that players like Mallet and Locker will be available a few picks down or in the second round. We saw what happened to Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen last year, and I wouldn’t count out that happening again this year.
More after the jump...
Running back is pretty much the biggest need here for the Dolphins, but the only team currently behind the Dolphins that would consider the #1 RB prospect in this year’s draft would be the New England Patriots, who have other pressing needs such as O-Line and Defensive End. A trade down in the first round could still ultimately give Miami the same shot at Ingram as with the 15th pick, and even if Ingram is somehow snatched up before the pick, there are other good to decent running back options that will be available in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, including Ryan Williams and Mikel Leshore. Remember, while both Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are free agents, there’s still a possibility of the Dolphins re-signing at least one of these guys. To sum it up: if I were the Dolphins’ GM, I’d be calling up picks 20-32 every possible second during the draft and see if someone’s willing to trade their second pick or more to move up a spot. Alas, for the sake of this mock, we cannot do trades.
The only other player I would even consider going for with the first round pick would be Tyron Smith of USC, offensive lineman. If you can’t draft a franchise quarterback, the next best thing to do is to draft a stud offensive lineman to make a mediocre quarterback look pretty good. That being said, they already have a stud LT in Jake Long, and the rest of their O-Line staff is actually pretty good. A team’s O-Line can always be upgraded, but it’s not the absolute biggest need for this team. Another decent pick would be defensive end, such as J.J. Watt, but once again, I don’t feel like that’s what the Dolphins are really looking for to fill in a dire need.
I have a feeling that if the Dolphins were to make their pick in the 15th position, Mark Ingram will be their guy. Mark Ingram is a solid talent coming into the NFL. No, he did not run as fast as Chris Johnson at the combine, and yes, he had a major injury in college that might hinder him as he advances to the pro level. However, the intangibles Mark Ingram possesses – the ability to break free out of the backfield with a combination of power and finesse, along with crisp cuts and such – will intrigue a lot of teams come draft day. At his pro day, he was recorded at 4.47-4.53, which was a much better showcase than at the combine. He is definitely not a slow runner. When healthy, his college career numbers shine. I could go into specifics, but he didn’t win the Heisman during his Junior year for no reason, of course. Miami also pretty much lives and dies on the running game as of late, making this pick a 100% needs-based selection. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown alike are free agents, potentially creating a gaping hole at what is arguably the most important position dynamically in the NFL. The Dolphins need to find at least a bright future for this position, or else they will be in some trouble in the future.
It’s not the flashy pick, and a lot of current mock drafts follow this same ideology, but Mark Ingram just makes too much sense for the Dolphins to draft. This is a perfect fit.
Next on the clock will be sports00fan00 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Previous Picks: 1 - Nick Fairley 2 - Patrick Peterson 3 - Blaine Gabbert 4 - Cam Newton 5 - Von Miller 6 - Marcell Dareus 7 - Prince Amukamara 8 - A.J. Green 9 - Da'Quan Bowers 10 - Corey Liuget 11 - Robert Quinn 12 - Julio Jones 13 - Tyron Smith 14 - Jimmy Smith