With Lamar Miller entering the prime of his career and coming off his best season yet, the running back position wouldn't figure to be a high draft priority for the Miami Dolphins -- certainly not in the first round. Nevertheless, the Dolphins will host Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon next week for what is sure to be among the last, if not the final pre-draft visit he takes. NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the latest on Gordon's travel schedule.
Each NFL team is allowed to bring in 30 prospects for official visits to the club's facility, and not all of them make much sense.
This is one of those, unless the club sees Miller's pending contract negotiation as a potential problem.
Miller set career highs in every rushing category last year, his third NFL season, and enjoyed his first 1,000-yard campaign (1,099). The club might well invest a draft pick in a running back to assist with depth behind Miller, particularly considering free agent Knowshon Moreno might not be back with the team. But the sort of pick it would take to secure Gordon would be better served on a wide receiver or a defensive back, two areas of much greater need for the Dolphins. Still, Miller has one year left on his rookie contract from 2012, a deal which makes him a true bargain for 2015. If Miller's career arc continues its upward trend through the coming season, he will be in strong position for a stout pay raise.
Miami holds the No. 14 overall pick of the first round, which should be plenty early enough to draft Gordon if the club wanted to put its greater needs off until later in the draft. Former Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson, who is expected to be a second-day choice, told College Football 24/7 last week that he highly doubts the Dolphins -- his hometown team -- would look to address the running back position early enough to look his way.
Gordon, meanwhile, is doing his best to convince anyone who will listen that he should be the first running back chosen in the draft, ahead of Georgia's Todd Gurley. He has also visited the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars, and will be visiting with the Cleveland Browns.
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