Wednesday Dolphins Mailbag: Draft Needs, Debating Two Former Wide Receivers, Deebo, Devante, and More

Tackling various issues on the minds of Miami Dolphins fans on the eve of the 2022 NFL Draft

Part 1 of this week's SI Fan Nation All Dolphins pre-draft mailbag:

From Reza Hariri (@Therealrezpect1):

Hi Alain , who is your choice at 102? Do you see us trading back for more picks? Which player if they fell would you trade up for in round 2 or 3? If Araiza is there in round 4, should Miami pick him (he is a generational punter and a huge weapon)?

Hey Reza, lot of interesting questions in here, so I’ll attack them rapid-fire-style. First off, choice at 102 obviously is going to depend on who’s there. I’ll throw out Tariq Woolen, CB from UTSA, as a guy I’d love. He’s raw, but 6-4 corners with blazing speed don’t come around every day. I absolutely could see the Dolphins trading for more picks; in fact, I’d almost expect it. Player I’d trade up if they fell is kind of a tough question because I could be a wise guy and say somebody like Jameson Williams or Derek Stingley, who absolutely are sliding out of the first round. So I’ll pass on that one. I absolutely would not spend on a fourth-round pick on Araiza because punters are fickle and don’t always live up to the hype in the NFL (remember Todd Sauerbrun). Also, Araiza is not a good pooch punter and it’s a fact that’s often lost because of his booming punts.

From LEGION OF ZOOM (@Legioinofzoom954):

How do you feel about Miami trading for Deebo in the near future?

Hey Legion, if by “how do you feel?,” you’re asking whether I’d be on board with that trade, my answer is no. The Dolphins already have sacrificed enough draft capital and salary cap on the position and it would be overkill to me (besides, there’s only one football to go around). As to whether I think it will happen, I’ll never say never with this team, but I definitely would be surprised.

From Steve , (@jujusimba7777):

Any trades Dolphins doing with players on draft day, you think ? Also, I've seen others say, similar to me, that with McCourty, Coleman and couple other guys gone (and they had valuable snap counts) the Dolphins could be on the lookout for secondary help; do you agree?

I have said all along that cornerback is very underrated as a need for the Dolphins because some folks see X with his new contract, Byron Jones with the restructure and Needham re-signed, but there’s zero proven depth behind those three and you need a lot of corners in the NFL That’s a fact. So, yes, I could easily see the Dolphins going cornerback in the third or fourth round. I think the Dolphins are in decent shape at safety. And, no, it would not surprise me to see a Dolphins player being traded this weekend.

From Phinaholic (@dana_buice):

I believe the Dolphins have addressed a lot of their needs this off-season. However, MLB, Backup center and possibly a RT if AJ or Eichenberg don’t perform well early in camp are the Dolphins’ only weaknesses. What are the Dolphins' 3 biggest needs right now?

For me, it’s cornerback from a depth standpoint, center from a depth and competitive standpoint (be great to land a starting-caliber center in the third round), and a big run-stuffing defensive lineman.

From David Nastali (@DNastali):

Who else will be league Pro Bowl receivers with DVP?

Hey David, you’re having a hard time letting this go with DVP, aren’t you (because I’m 99.9 percent you’re being sarcastic again and/or trolling)? I’m always wondering whether DeVante did something to you at some point, whether it be cost you a fantasy championship or something. I just don’t get the need to dump on the guy at every turn. No, he didn’t live up to his draft status, but it’s not like he was a complete stiff, either.

From Dan Giunta (@Dan_B_Phin_Phan):

Who was better wide receiver: Chris Chambers or Jarvis Landry?

Hey Dan, that’s a very interesting question, and I’ll answer this starting with my deep respect for Chris Chambers as a guy and a receiver and a tremendous athlete. But Jarvis Landry is the clear choice for me here. Because of his combination of hands and toughness, Landry was an absolute stud for the Dolphins and maybe the best slot receiver the team has ever had.

From Scott Eckenrode (@snake21104):

Who would you say is the biggest hitter on defense?

Hey Scott, my initial reaction is to say Elandon Roberts and as I give it a second to think about it, yeah, it’s Roberts. In fact, I’m not sure there’s anybody else I could make a case for outside of him.