Potential Dolphins Draft Target: RB Pierre Strong Jr.

Breaking down 2022 NFL draft prospects who could be of interest to the Miami Dolphins in the third or fourth round

Dante Collinelli | Apr 26, 2022

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Miami Dolphins

The 2022 NFL draft isn't going to be as eventful as usual for the Miami Dolphins as the result of not having a first- or second-round pick.

That's a reasonable price to pay, however, to be able to land dynamic playmaker Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs.

As things stand right now, the Dolphins won't make their first selection until the latter stages of the third round, the 102nd pick overall, and will pick again in the fourth round before then having to wait until the seventh round.

In the days leading up to the draft, we'll continue profiling prospects who the Dolphins might consider either in the third or fourth round.

Draft Profile: Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State

Pierre Strong Jr.'s Background

Strong Jr. was the pinnacle of consistency for the Jackrabbits. He redshirted during the 2017 season but quickly became the team’s primary running back during the 2018 season. From that point on, all Strong Jr. did was put up numbers.

The fifth-year senior ran for more than 4,500 yards and scored 40 touchdowns, including his 18-touchdown season in 2021. Although Strong Jr. played at the FCS level, he didn’t look out of place at the NFL combine.

He recorded a 4.37 40-yard dash, jumped 36 inches in the vertical, and 124 inches in the broad jump. Strong Jr. is listed at 5-11, 207 with 31⅞-inch arms and 9¼-inch hands.

In high school, he attended McClellan High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, and he won the Arkansas Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior

Pierre Strong Jr. Scouting Report

Vision: Strong Jr. shows pretty good vision, especially when working outside zone concepts. He’s capable of finding cut-back lanes while also maximizing a lot of what his blockers give him. He doesn’t try to do too much and has a knack for getting north to south quickly to pick up easy yardage.

Third Down Skill Set: Strong Jr. provides a functional skill set in this area. He looks comfortable catching the ball out in front of his frame. He should be just fine on flares, screens, and swings. Pass blocking is not something Strong Jr is going to do well in the NFL. He doesn’t have the frame or experience to be an effective player in this area.

Big Play Ability: Strong Jr has some legitimate juice. He ran a 4.37 at the combine and that speed definitely shows up on film. He’s going to run away from NFL defenders and doesn’t need a lot of daylight to create a big play. He’ll also rack up big plays thanks to his short-area explosiveness. He’ll turn 7-yard runs into 15-yard runs a ton.

Contact Balance: Strong Jr was a little lackluster in this area. He wasn’t exactly bouncing off of tackles at the FCS level, and things won’t be any easier in the NFL. He just doesn’t have the frame or functional strength to push piles or absorb contact at the NFL level.

Round Grade: 4th

Projected Role: Rotational back in a zone-heavy scheme

How He Fits with the Dolphins

Strong Jr fits the same way most of the running backs who will be on the board at this pick do. He would give Miami’s run game an extra boost alongside free agent acquisitions Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds.

His place on the depth chart would be pretty clear, and so would his place in new head coach Mike McDaniel’s scheme. Strong Jr. is an experienced outside zone running back with good vision and the natural explosiveness to make the most of those plays.

His profile is pretty similar to that of Elijah Mitchell, who the 49ers drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Both are smaller-school backs who excel in McDaniel’s specific scheme with above-average speed.

Making the case for drafting Pierre Strong Jr.

It seems like the Dolphins are truly committed to building a “track team” style offense with all of the fast players they acquired this offseason. Strong Jr. would simply be another solid addition to that end.

He’s running away from everyone on film, and he doesn’t always get the best blocking up front. His 4.37 speed translates no matter the level of competition. The Dolphins need to create more big plays in 2022, and Strong Jr. is a worthwhile bet at either pick 102 or 125 to produce explosive plays.

Additionally, drafting running backs outside the top 100 is a good use of resources. Pairing Strong Jr. with Mostert and Edmonds would give Miami a relatively young running back room that doesn’t cost a lot of money and has room to grow.

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Dante Collinelli is director of college scouting for BlueChip Scouting.

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Published Apr 26, 2022

DANTE COLLINELLI