11. MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-10)
LAST SEASON: Dolphins missed playoffs for eighth time in nine seasons, and backslid in Year 2 under coach Adam Gase, leaving regime at crossroads in 2018. Miami was wildly inconsistent, undisciplined team last year, and Gase addressed issue in reshaping roster this offseason. Questions arose regarding leadership of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and receiver Jarvis Landry, and both are gone. Defensive end Robert Quinn and receiver Danny Amendola among veteran newcomers. Gase may have improved locker room culture, but few see net gain in talent, which magnifies importance of draft. Owner Stephen Ross opted for stability at top after last season, and Gase, executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum and general manager Chris Grier are backs.
THEY NEED: LB, TE, G, DT, QB, CB, RB.
THEY DON’T NEED: DE, WR, S.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma; QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville; LB Roquan Smith, Georgia; LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech; DT Vita Vea, Washington.
OUTLOOK: Dolphins have numerous glaring needs, including vacant starting spots at outside linebacker and tight end. However, Gase wants to draft quarterback to groom as Ryan Tannehill’s eventual successor, and question is whether they’ll devote their first-round pick to position, which would likely require trading up. With Tannehill entrenched for 2018, adding rookie QB would be done with long term in mind. But 77-year-old Ross is eager to win now, and worries about job security may tempt draft decision makers Gase, Tannenbaum and Grier to make picks that pay quicker dividends.
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