In the Dolphins' dream draft scenario, former Michigan OT Taylor Lewan would be available when they are on the clock with the 19th-overall pick.
That dream likely is to end not long after the draft starts, though. Barring a stunning fall (or the Dolphins trading up), Lewan will be off the board well before Miami makes its pick.
A more realistic hope for the team is that former Notre Dame OL Zack Martin will be available to fill a need on the offensive line in the first round. Unfortunately for Miami, cold water has been poured on the likelihood of that scenario as well -- NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah reported earlier this month that he spoke with an NFL general manager who didn't think Martin would be there for the Dolphins at No. 19.
Jeremiah said he doesn't see the Dolphins passing on Martin if he does happen to be available (the team and prospect have been linked in many mock drafts), and he's the player the club is targeting, according to The Miami Herald.
The Herald quotes a scout who said the Dolphins would "fall all over themselves" if Lewan were available when the time came for them to make their pick, but also reports "multiple sources in the know firmly believe" Martin is the player the club is targeting in Round 1.
The Herald reports the Dolphins have first-round grades on just five tackles: Lewan, Martin, Texas A&M's Jake Matthews, Auburn's Greg Robinson and Tennessee's Ja'Wuan James. The Dolphins see a dropoff to the second tier of tackles, per the report, and will not spend a first-round draft pick on Alabama's Cyrus Kouandjio due to medical concerns, echoing a report from draftinsider.net on the team's view of Kouandjio.
There was a report a week earlier from The Palm Beach Post that said the Dolphins preferred Kouandjio to Martin.
So, either the Dolphins' front office is operating like a sieve or it's putting out conflicting information to throw other teams off their trail, at least as it relates to Kouandjio and Martin.
Here's one thing we know for sure -- if the Dolphins indeed are hoping for Lewan or Martin in the draft, they better have a good backup plan.
