Niner Noise
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2018 NFL Draft: Full Round 1 mock to celebrate New Year’s Day

By Peter Panacy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Haason Reddick of Temple reacts after being picked #13 overall by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Haason Reddick of Temple reacts after being picked #13 overall by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 02: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts to winning the game MVP trophy after beating the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 02: Roquan Smith #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts to winning the game MVP trophy after beating the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Inside Linebacker. Georgia. Roquan Smith. 11. player. 59.

The Miami Dolphins could go one of a number of different directions here, but they elect to go with the best available prospect to suit their most important needs in the NFL Draft.

Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith is easily the most explosive playmaker out of front-seven candidates this deep in the draft, and he would help make an aging and increasingly expensive Miami front seven more athletic and cheaper.

Smith’s presence and abilities in coverage should free up the Dolphins’ remaining crop of pass-rushers, such as EDGE Charles Harris, and take pressure off the secondary too.

Combine that with Smith’s prowess against the run, we could easily see the Dolphins one-time highly regarded defense spin back in the right direction.