Future Fins to Watch

It’s 6 months until the draft and I should be focused on the Dolphins’ potentially magical finish to the 2012 season? Ha! Draftniks never sleep.

November is the perfect time to delve slowly into the 2013 NFL Draft Prospects that we’ll be obsessing about this spring.

Over the next several weeks I will be slowly introducing 3 new prospects each week so that we, as Dolphins fans, can be one step ahead of the curve when the 2012 season ends.

3 Nationally Televised Players to Watch This Saturday:

LB Manti Te’o of Notre Dame

1) LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (6’2 – 255)
Game: 3:30pmET, NBC vs. Pittsburgh
Kiper Big Board: #2
NFL Comparison: Brian Cushing, Texans
Analysis: Te’o’s combination of production, intangibles, and NFL are off the charts… could be the first Linebacker in the 77-year history of the Heisman Trophy to win it (ranked #2 by ESPN).. should run in the 4.6/40 range at 6’2 – 255 pounds.. second in the NCAA with 5 INT’s… had 12 tackles in an emotional 20-3 win over Michigan State just days after losing his grandmother and girlfriend to give Notre Dame their first win over a Top-10 team since 2005.
Dolphin Watch: Look for Te’o to slip into the #10-15 range as the 2013NFL Draft approaches because pass-rushers tend to gravitate up the board in February and March. He would be cost-friendly replacement for Karlos Dansby for the Dolphins if GM Jeff Ireland finds himself within sniffing distance of Te’o.

DE Damontre Moore of Texas A&M

2) DE Damontre Moore, Texas A&M* (6-4, 248)

Game: Noon ET, ESPN @ #15 Mississippi St
Kiper Big Board: #4
NFL Comparison: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys
Analysis: Moore combines an elite first step with the power to rush inside over the LT’s right shoulder pad.. should be a pass-rush terror as a 4-3 DE or 3-4 OLB… leads SEC with 10.5 sacks, 2 more than Georgia’s Jarvis Jones.
Dolphin Watch: Moore should find himself in the Top-5 because of his elite pass-rushing skills and scheme flexibility. He’ll need a so-so workout to even be a trade-up possibility for the Dolphins.

CB Dee Milliner of Alabama

3) CB Dee Milliner, Alabama* (6’1 – 199)

Game: 8pmET, CBS vs. #1 LSU
Kiper Big Board: #9
NFL Comparison: Terrell Thomas, Giants
Analysis: Big, tough, technically sound CB with great instincts.. willing tackler.. could be a Pro Bowl CB in zone-driven Defense because of instincts and short-area quickness… unlikely to go Top-10 unless he runs a sub 4.45/40.
Dolphin Watch: Expect Milliner to gingerly fall into the mid-late 1st round, just as his running mate at CB Dre Kirkpatrick did last year (#17 to the Bengals). Could be a great value pick in the 20’s, depending on how the board falls.

Follow me on twitter @BrianCat13. Thanks for reading.

Brian Catanzaro

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Brian is a 29-year-old Sales/Marketing Manager in St. Louis by day, but an NFL blogger and commentator by night. Follow me on Twitter @BrianCat13.

Brian Catanzaro

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