The Miami Dolphins may be bracing for their home opening contest tomorrow afternoon, but the team’s front office will have their hands full today with some other tasks. First and foremost, the team’s scouting department will be keeping a close eye on another weekend of college football action. With the uncertainty around the college game, these games are a valuable sampling of prospects as NFL teams look to find valuable pieces of the puzzle to help continue to push their team over the top.
Who should Miami be keeping a close eye on today? Here are five talents playing that could be possible top-100 selections in next year’s draft.
Safety Andre Cisco, Syracuse Orange
If the Dolphins are going to be in the market for ballhawks on the back end of their defense next offseason, you’d be wise to start with Cisco. The Orange safety might not be an ideal tackler but his ball skills are excellent and his ability in coverage showed up last week as the safety plucked an interception off of North Carolina QB prodigy Sam Howell. Syracuse plays Pittsburgh at 12 noon EST.
Running back Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Miami’s rushing attack didn’t really get off the ground in Week 1. It was better than many of the campaigns we saw in 2019, but by the time Miami fell behind by 11 points to New England, the ground game was largely scrapped midway through the 3rd-quarter. What we do know? Jordan Howard is on a two-year deal and Matt Breida is on a one-year contract. If Miami wants a more prominent “do it all” option, Hubbard is a good place to start — he logged over 2,000 (2,094, to be exact) rushing yards in 2019 for Oklahoma State. Hubbard is on the bigger side but he’s also smooth and has a clear knack for hitting home runs.
Oklahoma State faces off against Tulsa at 12 noon EST.
Safety Richie Grant, UCF Knights
Grant had a “quiet” 2019 season after logging 6 interceptions throughout the 2018 campaign. Grant has the needed size to perform well in tackling situations but his real bread and butter is making plays on the back end as a roaming free safety. His test this week probably won’t see too much action down the field — he and the rest of the Knights are facing a Georgia Tech team that is transitioning away from a triple option offense and starting a freshman quarterback.
This game kicks at 3:30 PM EST.
Defensive End Carlos Basham Jr, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Basham Jr. is a clear fit for the Dolphins at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds. Miami loves big bodies up front and Basham Jr. brings that needed size and disruptive ability. He’s coming off a performance against Clemson that saw him log a sack and pass defensed after logging 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 2019. Generally considered to be a top-50 target, the Dolphins are likely to get several swings at him should he meet their thresholds.
Wake Forest faces off against North Carolina State at 8PM EST.
Center Alec Lindstrom, Boston College Eagles
The debut of Ted Karras for the Dolphins in Week 1 was a disappointing one. The hope here is that the Patriots’ intimate knowledge of Karras as a player prompted much of the success and penetration Miami’s offensive line yielded to the Patriots and that other teams will have less success. Should the Dolphins decide a draft upgrade is needed, perhaps Lindstrom can be of service.
Boston College faces Duke at 12 noon EST.
