What if Dolphins go offense in Round 1? Here could be the answers to pass rush in Round 2

Part 3 of a three-part series

We explored the Miami Dolphins’ edge player options at No. 18 in April’s NFL Draft, in both this piece and this piece.

But what if they acquire a pick in the late-20s or wait to add an edge player with their second-round picks at 36 or 50?

Examining Miami’s options:

▪ Penn State’s Jayson Oweh: The 6-5, 252-pound defensive end/outside linebacker had no sacks in seven games last season and seven in 20 career games. But he’s physically gifted enough to be an option at No. 36 if he’s there, or potentially if Miami trades up or down into the late 20s.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him going in the late-20s. Pro Football Focus mocks him to Miami at 18, but drafting a pass rusher who didn’t have a sack at 18 would be eyebrow-raising, to say the least.

“Yes, I’m projecting an edge rusher in Round 1 who had zero sacks last season,” Kiper said of slotting Oweh 28th in his mock draft. “But turn on the tape. He pressured quarterbacks even if he didn’t close on them. He is an extraordinary athlete with room to grow into a great player. He has a high ceiling.”

NFL.com lead draft analyst Lance Zierlein says Oweh has a “prototypical NFL build and some of the most exciting traits and explosiveness of any edge defender in this draft. Those features can’t be taught but they can be coached up, so any concerns about his lack of polish at this stage should be tempered. He has dominant potential as a run defender. With more coaching and experience, Oweh has the ability to rate as a Pro Bowl rush linebacker with the ability to stick a hand in the ground if you need it.”

▪ Washington’s Joe Tryon: While 18 would seem too high, Tyron might be gone by 36.

So he’s an option if Miami trades down — or up — to the 25-to-30 range in Round 1. The outside linebacker had eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 13 games for the Huskies in 2019 but sat out last season. He’s an ideal fit for a 3-4 defense.

“He needs to refine his pass-rushing moves, but he can bend around offensive tackles as a rusher and also set the edge in the run game,” Kiper said.

ESPN’s Todd McShay ranks him 31st on his Big Board: “He has some versatility to his game, lining up as a 4-3 defensive end and a 3-4 outside linebacker. Tryon exhibits a quick first step as a pass-rusher, showing a fluid swim move and flashing a quick spin maneuver on blockers. And against the run, he is strong and can fight through double-teams, though he loses outside contain a bit too often.”

Zierlein said Tryon is an “impressive physical specimen with the traits and athletic profile to move up the draft board, but tape shows he might still need more course work before he’s ready to make a difference in the pros. He has high upside but could spend the first year or two as a rotational defender while adding more polish.”

▪ Oklahoma’s Ronnie Perkins: The 6-3, 247-pound defensive end had 32 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks in three seasons for the Sooners. He sat out the first five games last season serving an NCAA suspension but then had 5.5 sacks in six games and was second-team All-Big 12 for the second year in a row.

“Perkins is a very productive edge rusher who plays with physicality and tremendous effort,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said.

McShay mocks him to Miami at No. 36.

▪ Wake Forest’s Carlos Basham: The 6-5, 285-pounder had 5.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in six games last season (he missed time due to COVID-19) after producing 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in 13 games in 2019.

And he has an impressive seven forced fumbles in his past 19 games.

But he projects as more of a defensive end — with the ability to play tackle — than an outside linebacker.

If the Dolphins drafted him, they could play Basham at defensive end and move Emmanuel Ogbah to a stand-up outside linebacker role.

Basham has a “burly frame, heavy hands and an ability to take on physical rigors of the NFL,” Zierlein said. “His lack of suddenness and edge speed could get him pegged as an early-down end while moving inside to become an interior rusher on passing downs. He needs to become comfortable handling the heavy lifting as a run defender as he’s much more likely to be a worker bee than playmaker in that regard. He’s unlikely to produce headline-making production, but should be a good pro.”

▪ Texas’ Joseph Ossai: The 6-4, 253-pounder would fit into that Dolphins second-round range, at 36 or potentially 50.

He had 5.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in nine games last season, after producing 5.0 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 13 games in 2019, when he also had 90 tackles and two interceptions.

What’s more, he forced 5.5 fumbles in three years at Texas, including three last season. Ossai was born in Nigeria and moved with his family to the United States at age 10.

Zierlein assesses him this way:

“Former inside linebacker who has seen his stock rise quickly after a move to a more natural edge position. Ossai’s draft grade will require a good deal of projection as he is still raw and inexperienced at his new position.... If a team can coach up his hands and add to his rush plan, he should turn into a solid pro as a 3-4 outside linebacker.”

▪ Duke’s Chris Rumph: The 6-3, 235-pound linebacker was named second-team All-ACC last season after producing eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, with 53 tackles, in 11 starts. But the lack of bulk is a concern.

“As a 3-4 outside linebacker, teams will worry about his edge-setting power,” Zierlein said. “As a designated pass rusher, teams could have a hard time pinpointing his draft value. There is some boom/bust in his projection, but I see an ascending NFL rush talent.”

An anonymous NFC personnel executive, quoted by NFL.com, said: “He’s got a lot of talent and potential, but he gets bounced all over the place by college tackles, so it’s hard to project him being able to handle the strength of a grown man at tackle.”

▪ Also keep an eye on UM’s Quincy Roche, who impressed at Miami’s Pro Day and would be a third- or fourth-round option for the Dolphins. Roche projects as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy has raved about Roche, but Zierlein said even though “Roche has packed the stat sheets for the better part of four years, he’s very average athletically and doesn’t have the mass to consistently hold up at the point of attack. His production should matter, but the athletic profile might push him down the board.”

Among other names worth monitoring in the middle rounds: Ohio State outside linebacker Baron Browning (six sacks in past 18 games), Pittsburgh’s Rashad Weaver (17 career sacks) and Coastal Carolina’s Tarron Jackson, who played for the Dolphins staff at the Senior Bowl and had 26 career sacks.

Here’s part 1 of my Dolphins-flavored edge rusher series.

Here’s part 2 of my Dolphins-flavored edge rusher series.

Here’s my Monday Miami Hurricanes 12-pack with lots of insight about how various players have fared in spring practice.

Here’s my Monday Miami Heat 6-pack with an update on Victor Oladipo’s knee injury and more.