Be sure not to miss the 2008 Miami Dolphins Draft Party, Presented by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. The draft party will be held on Saturday, April 26, from 2:00 - 6:00 pm at Dolphin Stadium. The party features full coverage of the NFL Draft, 2008 Season Ticket Select-A-Seat, player, alumni and cheerleader autographs as well as free parking and admission.
By Andy Kent
Special for MiamiDolphins.com
April 18, 2008
Good secondary players are hard to come by, but Auburn's Patrick Lee and USF's Mike Jenkins lead the pack headed into next weekend's draft. Jenkins, who hails from Bradenton and who passed up offers to play at Florida, Florida State and LSU, is viewed as a true shutdown corner. His 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine was among the fastest times posted by a cornerback. Lee intercepted four passes in his first season as a full-time starter and also is good on special teams, while having played in the very tough SEC should only help him be better prepared for the pros.
Miami's Kenny Phillips is the clear favorite among safeties to go high in the draft due to his unique combination of size (6-2, 208) and speed. He has been compared to former Hurricane standout safeties Sean Taylor because of his build and Ed Reed because of his speed and quickness. Oklahoma's Reggie Smith and North Carolina State's DeJuan Morgan appear to be Phillips' stiffest competition.
BREAKING DOWN TOP CORNERBACK PROSPECTS
Patrick Lee - Overshadowed on Auburn's defense by LB/DE Quentin Groves, Lee made a name for himself in his first year as a full-time starter by coming up with four interceptions to go along with 55 tackles. His 4.41 in the 40-yard dash should silence any critics of his ability to be able to cover in the NFL, and he could be worth a second-round pick for a team that is willing to help him polish his skills a little more at corner.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Mike Jenkins - Due largely in part to the play of Jenkins, USF ranked eighth in the nation in passing efficiency defense in 2007 after ranking 11th the year before, and Jenkins appears to be coveted by a number of different NFL teams. He ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, tying him with Troy's Leodis McKelvin. Just for good measure, Jenkins returned the first kickoff of the 2007 season 100 yards for a touchdown, setting a school record in the process.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Leodis McKelvin - With an official time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, McKelvin raised his stock for a guy who played in the underappreciated Sun Belt Conference and missed out on going to a bowl game after losing to Howard Schnellenberger's FAU Owls. He is a versatile athlete and he could add some depth to the secondary for a number of teams, and perhaps even start.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - His cousin is San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie and this Tennessee State product is looking to make a name for himself and for his alma mater while following a similar path as his relative, San Diego's first-round pick in 2006. Rodgers-Cromartie didn't even begin playing football until his senior year in high school, but he progressed to the point where he was turning heads at the Senior Bowl, and after running a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine he could be an early second-round pick or perhaps even a late first-rounder.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
BREAKING DOWN TOP SAFETY PROSPECTS
Kenny Phillips - The University of Miami has made a habit of producing first-round picks and top-notch defensive backs, and Phillips is expected to continue that trend. He is a vicious tackler in the mold of Sean Taylor and a leader in the secondary and is projected as a free safety in the NFL. Considering that Miami struggled to a 5-7 record, Phillips made his presence even more known, along with defensive teammates Calais Campbell and Tavares Gooden and has separated himself from the pack as the clear favorite to go first among all safeties.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Reggie Smith - Smith played both cornerback and safety for the Sooners over his four-year career, but his average speed compared to some of the other elite cornerbacks in the draft means that safety is his best shot in the NFL. A broken big toe kept him out of the Fiesta Bowl, which wound up being the only game he missed, but he has recovered from that and hopes to make a splash next week in the draft. Playing in the Big 12 against some of the nation's best athletes should bolster his cause and the fact that he has played both cornerback and safety will make him even more valuable on somebody's roster.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
DeJuan Morgan - Had only one season as a starter for the Wolfpack of North Carolina State, so his experience will lead to a lot of questions as the draft progresses, but he is listed as the best prospect at strong safety by Rivals.com and projected to be a late first-round pick. He is known as a big hitter who also can cover the speedy receivers deep and who can shift from free safety to strong safety.
Quintin Demps - Demps' combination of size, speed and range in the secondary could make him a steal in the later rounds if he is not picked up sooner. His 72 tackles and five interceptions at UTEP show his versatility, but the one knock on him is that he doesn't hit very hard, which is something that can be taught once he gets into training camp. His performance at the Combine significantly helped raise his stock in the draft.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
By Andy Kent
Mike Jenkins - Due largely in part to the play of Jenkins, USF ranked eighth in the nation in passing efficiency defense in 2007 after ranking 11th the year before, and Jenkins appears to be coveted by a number of different NFL teams. He ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine, tying him with Troy's Leodis McKelvin. Just for good measure, Jenkins returned the first kickoff of the 2007 season 100 yards for a touchdown, setting a school record in the process.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Reggie Smith - Smith played both cornerback and safety for the Sooners over his four-year career, but his average speed compared to some of the other elite cornerbacks in the draft means that safety is his best shot in the NFL. A broken big toe kept him out of the Fiesta Bowl, which wound up being the only game he missed, but he has recovered from that and hopes to make a splash next week in the draft. Playing in the Big 12 against some of the nation's best athletes should bolster his cause and the fact that he has played both cornerback and safety will make him even more valuable on somebody's roster.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
