Daniel Oyefusi covers the Dolphins for the Miami Herald. A native of Towson, Maryland, he graduated from the University of Maryland: College Park. Previously, he covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
10 Senior Bowl players the Dolphins could select in NFL Draft
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Dolphins defensive line coach Austin Clark watched from a few yards away as the Senior Bowl’s National Team conducted team drills on Thursday. The ball was snapped and handed to a running back who had nowhere to go in the short red zone drills, as the National Team defensive line stonewalled the offensive line.
Clark immediately erupted and joined the defensive linemen in celebration. For Clark, who coached the National Team’s defensive line, that was the joy of the week, working with draft hopefuls and watching teaching points come to life in drills that will help them in the future.
“In a setting like this, you never want to change all these guys like they’re playing for the Miami Dolphins,” Clark told the Miami Herald. “It’s not as much that. It’s like, ‘Hey, here are some things that can help your game.’ ... Let’s try to work on those things while implementing a few new techniques.”
The week not only consisted of three padded practices with one-on-ones and team drills but film review and interviews with teams, which all culminated in the Senior Bowl game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“You really get to find an up-close look of how they are in the meeting room,” Clark said. “Taking notes, being attentive, answering questions. You kind of find out how they work a little bit and then you get to learn their story, which I thought was a really cool part.”
Clark was one of the many Dolphins’ contingent in Mobile to watch draft prospects. The team now looks to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in late February for further evaluation of this year’s class.
Here are 10 potential Dolphins draft targets who stood out at the 2024 Senior Bowl.
Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell
Mitchell didn’t enter the week with the hype of other prospects from big-name schools but the Toledo product was a standout. He was voted the top cornerback on the National Team by his wide receiver teammates. Mitchell’s one-on-ones with Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson — Mitchell said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin urged him to go up against Wilson in practice — were must-watch and he didn’t disappoint. Mitchell, 6-0 and 195 pounds, was aggressive in press man coverage, disrupting wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, but also showed good instincts in off coverage, a sign he could excel in a zone-based scheme. Mitchell, a second-team All-America selection in 2023, is ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr’s No. 4 cornerback and a Day 1 prospect.
Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson
Powers-Johnson entered Senior Bowl week as possibly the No. 1 center in the draft and only helped his case after practices. The 6-3 and 334 pounds Powers-Johnson has the size and athleticism to excel in any scheme and acquitted himself in one-on-ones, even lining up at guard in practice. He sustained a hamstring injury on Wednesday but still left a strong impression. Powers-Johnson is Kiper’s No. 2 center and a fringe Day 1 prospect.
Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Brownlee, a Carol City High School alumnus, was voted the top cornerback on the American Team. Brownlee, 5-10 and 183 pounds, was physical in press coverage and showed good instincts to jump routes as wideouts got out of their breaks. Brownlee, who played at Florida State before transferring to Louisville for his final two college seasons, is a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall
Wide receiver-defensive backs one-on-one drills are designed to favor the pass-catchers, with an abundance of room to work with. But Pearsall, 6-0 and 193 pounds, still impressed with his fluid route running and ability to beat press coverage. Pearsall is a Day 2 prospect.
Texas DL T’Vondre Sweat
Sweat, 6-4 and 360 pounds, was a dominant force in practice, using his power to push back offensive linemen in one-one-ones. But he also has a bit of quickness that you don’t often see from someone his size. Sweat, a unanimous first-team All-American this past season, is Kiper’s No. 2 defensive tackle and a fringe Day 1 prospect.
Miami S Kamren Kinchens
Kinchens, a Miami Northwestern High alumnus who earned first-team All-America honors in 2022 and first-team All-ACC honors in 2023, enters the draft cycle with a reputation of being one of the best ballhawks in the country. He recorded 11 interceptions in the past two seasons. But he got a chance to showcase his all-around game in one-on-one coverage skills and looked good, showing the ability to shadow wide receivers and recover. Kinchens is Kiper’s No. 2 safety prospect and a fringe Round 1 prospect.
Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley
Corley, 5-10 and 215 pounds, has drawn comparisons to the San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel with his chiseled frame and ability to rack up yards after the catch. He’s a player who teams will find any way to get the ball to because he can produce — one day in team drills, he got a carry on an end around and quickly accelerated into the second level of the defense. A two-time first-team All-CUSA selection in 2023 and 2022, Corley is a Day 2 prospect.
Baylor DL Gabe Hall
Hall passed the eye test at 6-5 and 290 pounds and then showed his versatility by lining up all over the defensive line. He has the size to overpower blockers but said he wanted to showcase his quickness and did just that, slipping past linemen to make run stops in team drills. Hall is a possible Day 2 prospect.
UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu
Like Dolphins standout Jaelan Phillips, Latu wore the No. 15 in college and his football career ended for a moment after medically retiring in 2019 because of a neck injury. But Latu returned and was one of the best pass rushers in the nation over the past two seasons. In Mobile, he continued to showcase why he has that reputation. He has a well-thought-out pass rush plan, with effective counters when his first move isn’t successful. Latu is Kiper’s No. 2 outside linebacker prospect and a first-round prospect.
Missouri DL Darius Robinson
Robinson, 6-5 and 286 pounds, was voted the Overall Practice Player of the Week by a panel of scouts and front office executives. Robinson, a 2023 first-team All-SEC selection who recorded 8.5 sacks this past season, impressed with his ability to be a disruptive force from multiple alignments. Robinson is Kiper’s No. 2 defensive end prospect and working his way into first-round consideration.
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