NFL Draft Info - Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins 2010 Draft Focus: Free Safety

By Keith Beebe

I have to admit I wasn't originally going to do a draft article on the safety position, especially considering the severity of the situation concerning the Dolphins' porous linebacker corps. However, Karlos Dansby's signing has changed Miami's draft agenda pretty drastically, and now that the Dolphins don't have to spend the next six weeks obsessing over the prospect of landing Rolando McClain, Miami's front office is free to address the other weak areas of it's defense: nose tackle, outside linebacker and free safety.

Now, I expect the Dolphins to find its outside linebacker in round two (in case you're wondering, I think it's down to either TCU's Jerry Hughes or Clemson's Ricky Sapp). And though I firmly believe Miami will draft Dan Williams with the No.12 overall pick (this is my official draft endorsement, by the way), I think there's a good chance the Dolphins look at the free safeties available if the stout Tennessee nose tackle is off the board for some reason.

And this incoming crop of safeties is a rather elite group, in my opinion. While last year's safety draft class yielded no first-round picks and produced only one bona fide star (Louis Delmas), this year's class has at least two first-round locks who will do major damage in any secondary lucky enough to have them. Believe me when I say that these guys look to be quinessential ball hawks.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Dansby's signing is the fact the Dolphins terminated Gibril Wilson's abortion of a contract to make cap space for the former Cardinal linebacker. Wilson was terrible from the start of the season, and actually found a way to play worse as the season progressed. In all fairness, Wilson was a strong safety asked to play the free safety position (no easy task), but his outrageously bad performances weren't even why I had a problem with him. In actuality, I was tired of watching him verbally destroy our young corners after failing to provide them help with coverage over the top. Case in point: Week 14 against Jacksonville when Wilson absolutely lit up Sean Smith after giving up a long completion to Torry Holt. Never mind the fact Wilson completely bit it on the pump fake and was never in position to provide double coverage on Holt. No, Wilson spent the next five minutes destroying our rookie corner and heaping all of the blame on Smith. Unacceptable. Wasn't this guy supposed to be a veteran? Well, veterans don't typically do that.

Whoo, I am rambling. Anyway, the Dolphins technically already have a young free safety (Chris Clemons), and though he showed some real potential last season, he's still only a special teams player to me. What I want is a big-time, laser-guided missle of a free safety roaming the Dolphins secondary and eliminating passes thrown over the top of the coverage bracket.

I am talking about these guys:

Eric Berry, University of Tennessee

I can't remember the last time a college safety was this ballyhooed. I mean, Berry is already close to becoming the safety position equivalent of Gandhi ... and he hasn't even been drafted yet! It's almost impossible to read anything about Berry without finding some sort of "next Ed Reed" hype.

Normally, I would be looking to take a wide berth around a player with this much hype, but that's under "normal" conditions -- and Eric Berry is anything but normal. Coming in at 5'11, 205, and boasting a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, Berry possesses both the size and athleticism to dominate at the next level ... and that's without factoring in his best trait: instincts. To get a sense of what I am talking about, just hit up any video site like Youtube and watch some of Berry's highlight reels. The guy just has a nose for the football and seems to be really, really good at getting his hands on it. And when he can't make the pick, he's equally adept at laying the big hit (a real plus for a free safety) and making his presence felt.

I've spent the last nine months looking for any possible holes in his game, and aside from a few missed tackles, I can honestly say Berry is the total package. He even has a world-class nickname ("The Fifth Dimension"). How cool is that?

Unforunately for the Dolphins, it's highly unlikely Berry falls out of the top 10. If he somehow slips past Cleveland at No.7, however, the Dolphins will have a shot at him (none of the teams picking after Cleveland have a real need for a free safety. And since Denver just released Andra Davis this week, look for them to be in the hunt for Rolando McClain).

Bottom line: For all you Dolphins fans out there hoping Berry falls into Miami's lap, my advice is to start praying.

Earl Thomas -- University of Texas

And now for something completely different (not really). To be completely honest, I would be just as happy with Thomas as I would be with Berry. Why? Because they're both ridiculously talented and boast serious athleticism for the free safety position. And since Thomas looks to be every bit of the interception machine that Berry is, I don't think anyone can expect too much of a talent roll-off with Thomas.

If I had to come up with a good way to describe Thomas' game, it'd be this: he plays centerfield ... and he plays it really, really well. Remember those blown over-the-top-of-coverage assignments from Wilson last season? Don't expect much of that with Thomas. If an opposing quarterback wants to challenge our corners and stretch them with a long pass, good luck to him, because Thomas will be joining the party. Despite being only 5'10, 196, Thomas has little-to-no problem asserting his will on opposing wideouts (though he seems to enjoy laying the wood a bit too much). And when you factor in his ability to read the quarterback's eyes and jump any route he pleases, it's hard not to get excited about the idea of Thomas playing in a secondary with Vontae Davis, Sean Smith and Yeremiah Bell.

Bottom line: Like I said, Dan Williams is my guy. But if he's off the board when it's time for Miami to make the No.12 pick, I will be extremely disappointed if Earl Thomas isn't wearing a Dolphins draft hat. Yes, I like him that much.

Honorable mention: Nate Allen -- University of South Florida

This guy intrigues me for a few reasons, but mainly because he's a safety that runs very well and gives opposing tight ends fits (quite the concept if you're a Dolphins fan). Allen's basically the same size as Berry (maybe an inch taller), and really came on as a ball hawk his last two years as a Bull. I think Allen's an early second-round pick, but this is another guy I would like in my secondary.

So there you have it. No, I didn't include Taylor Mays, mainly because he's not a ball-hawking free safety. If anything, he's a prototype strong safety and will do some serious damage to opposing teams if he's lucky enough to land in the right system (which currently seems to be either Philadelphia or Dallas). And because the free safety position has been so iffy in Miami for, well, an extremely long time, I am not willing to compromise and settle for anything less than a roaming, speedy free safety.