The Miami Dolphins wanted to start a new era at running back, so they traded up to take Daniel Thomas out of Kansas State with the 62nd overall pick (2nd round) of the NFL Draft.  Thomas is a big guy at 6’0″, 225 pounds and he does his best running between the tackles.  That’s partially because he’s not a burner as he runs a 4.58 40.  He played in 13 games (12 starts) at Kansas State last season and he carried the ball 298 times for 1,585 yards (5.3 ypc) with 19 TD runs.  Thomas also caught 27 passes for 171 yards (6.3 avg) last year for the Wildcats.  Thomas played in 42 games (41 starts) combined at Kansas State & Northwest Mississippi Community College and he carried the ball 717 times for 3,806 yards (5.3 ypc) with 39 TD runs.  Thomas also caught 52 passes for 428 yards (8.2 avg) in his college career.  Thomas is a workhorse, so he will likely be the main ballcarrier for the Dolphins in the 2011 season and beyond.

The Miami Dolphins picked 22-year old G/C Mike Pouncey out of Florida in the first round of the NFL Draft last night with the 15th overall pick.  Pouncey is a big guy at 6’5″, 311 pounds and he has a nasty streak.  The interior of the Dolphins’ O-Line wasn’t very effective last season so look for Pouncey to start right away at guard in 2011.  He didn’t look too good snapping the ball last season so the Fins won’t likely use him at center unless there’s an emergency.  Pouncey played in 13 games (all starts) for Florida last year.  He has a ton of experience as he played in 54 games (41 starts) in his four years with the Gators.  This might have been a safe pick for the Dolphins, but it also was a good one.

The Miami Dolphins are in need of playmakers and linemen on the offensive side of the football as the defense looks pretty much set for the 2011 season.  With that in mind, I look for the Fins to add a lot of help so that they can give Chad Henne better weapons and more protection in 2011.  Here’s a look at how I saw the Dolphins doing in my mock draft:

1st round (#15 overall) – Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

3rd round (#79 overall) – Rodney Hudson, C, Florida State

4th round (#111 overall) – Luke Stocker, TE, Tennessee

5th round (#146 overall) – David Arkin, G, Missouri State

6th round (#179 overall) – Kealoha Pilares, WR, Hawaii

7th round (#217 overall) – Kris Durham, WR, Georgia

7th round (#218 overall) – Chykie Brown, CB, Texas

7th round (#235 overall) – Julius Thomas, TE, Portland State

Mark Ingram would be an outstanding fit for the Dolphins in the first round as he reminds me of a young Emmitt Smith due to his size and running style.  The rest of the picks make perfect sense with TE Luke Stocker likely starting from Day #1.  This kind of draft would make Chad Henne and the Dolphins’ defense smile.