MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins got off to an early start on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, making a trade with the Houston Texans just minutes after the fourth round was kicked off by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Miami sent picks No. 136 and No. 141 to the Texans in exchange for the 111th selection, which they used to take offensive lineman Solomon Kindley from Georgia.
Coming in at six-foot-four and 335 lbs, Kindley told media members after being selected that he can play either guard position, adding that he would line up wherever the Dolphins coaching staff asked him to.
Kindley played right guard as a sophomore before starting 11 of 13 games at left guard in 2019 for the Bulldogs.
The Dolphins then flipped their first of back-to-back fifth round picks (No. 153) to San Francisco in exchange for running back Matt Breida.
Undrafted out of Georgia Southern in 2017, Breida averaged 5.0 yards per carry during his three years with the 49ers, including 5.1 yards per carry last season for the eventual NFC Champions.
Breida is regarded as one of the fastest running backs in the NFL and is a duel-threat tailback, averaging 8.4 yards per catch on his 67 career receptions.
He should help create an effective one-two punch out of Miami’s backfield with fellow newcomer Jordan Howard, who the Dolphins added in free agency.
Miami then used selection No. 154 on North Carolina defensive end Jason Strowbridge.
Strowbridge is a native of Deerfield Beach and said he was extremely excited to be picked by the Dolphins, adding that his family will be able to watch him play during home games.
Speaking to the media, Strowbridge, who is listed at six-foot-five, 285 lbs, said he’s comfortable playing both sides of the defensive line.
Dolphins General Manager Chris Grier continued his afternoon of wheeling and dealing, sending picks No. 173 and No. 227 to Philadelphia in exchange for the Eagles’ fifth round selection (No. 164).
Miami then used the 164th pick to take defensive end Curtis Weaver from Boise State.
An extremely productive edge rusher, Weaver accumulated 34 sacks over the past three years with the Broncos and displayed a strong ability to shed blocks and get after the ball.
Grier used Miami’s only sixth round pick, overall selection No. 185, on a long snapper; Blake Ferguson out of LSU.
A four-year starter with the Tigers, Ferguson was the first long snapper taken in the draft. He was named team captain in 2018 and 2019 and had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl earlier this year.
His brother, Reid Ferguson, is currently the Buffalo Bills’ long snapper, which could make for an interesting intradivision sibling rivalry.
Venturing into the seventh and final round, Miami snagged one of the more intriguing players available in the late rounds with pick No. 246, selecting Navy’s Malcom Perry.
During his time with the Midshipmen, Perry played quarterback, running back and wide receiver, the latter of which being the position Miami is listing him at. It makes sense, as several scouts indicated Perry would best be utilized in the NFL as a slot receiver.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could have some fun calling plays with Perry on the field, considering his triple-threat status.
One last note on Perry; he was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year last season as Navy’s starting quarterback, throwing for 1,084 yards, seven touchdowns and just three interceptions while rushing for 2,017 yards and 21 scores.
To close out the Draft, Miami shipped off its final pick, No. 251, to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth round pick in 2021. That’s solid value for the fifth-to-last pick, and is an appropriate ending to a very successful three days for Grier and the rest of the Dolphins front office.
During Miami’s busy first round on Thursday, the team selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 pick, used No. 18 on offensive tackle Austin Jackson and No. 30 on cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (after trading back from No. 26).
The second and third rounds took place on Friday, and once again Miami was one of the busier teams. The Dolphins added offensive tackle Robert Hunt with pick No. 39 and defensive tackle Raekwon Davis with selection No. 56 before ending the night by taking safety Brandon Jones with their only third round pick, No. 70 overall.
ANALYSIS
Solomon Kindley
Ferraro: The Dolphins continue to address the area fans have been asking them to fix for years: the offensive line.
The latest pick is Solomon Kindley, a guard out of Georgia. Kindley is a lifeguard and, based on scouting reports, fits the high-character profile Brian Flores and Chris Grier have been looking for. His stock may have fallen a little from 2018 to 2019 because of adding a little too much weight and losing some quickness, but that could be an easily fixable problem and Miami could have just found another immediate contributor along the O-line.