CB Marcus Peters is on Miami's radar and lots more Dolphins draft tidbits

The Miami Dolphins have worked out several prospects leading up to the draft and have done quite a bit of homework on others, including cornerback Marcus Peters. Over the weekend, Simon Clancy (@SIClancy), tweeted out quite a bit of information regarding the team's pre-draft moves, visits, workouts and more. Clancy is the the Deputy Editor of BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, a contributing writer to Sports Illustrated, New York Times, Gridiron and the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 

We have listed the names that Clancy tweeted out below and have added in our analysis. The analysis on the players are not Clancy's views and are ours only.

• One tidbit that many will like to hear is that the front office has done their due diligence checking into the background of Marcus Peters. Clancy describes it as going way beyond their interview with him at the NFL Combine. Peters is our number one ranked cornerback in our draft guide and there's a good chance is he on the board when the Dolphins are on the clock with the 14th pick. He has good size, good speed and is the best in this class at blanketing both deep threat wide receivers and short yardage receivers.  He struggles a bit when asked to play off man and also has trouble shedding off blocks. He's had a lot of run ins with his coaches so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

• Norfolk State DE/OLB Lynden Trail will visit with the Dolphins on April 9 and 10. Trail will likely hear his name called on day three and was once a big time recruit for the University of Florida. However, he played out his career at Norfolk State. He's long and has a good history of deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage. However, his pass rushing skills may be limited due to tight hips in space to go along with his average speed.

• BYU LB Alani Fua is being looked at closely by the team. They zeroed in on him at his Pro Day. This is interesting because he is being projected towards the end of the draft and may not get drafted at all. He's versatile and has played all over the field, which the Dolphins coaching staff loves. One of his strengths is his ability to cover all over the field. However, he needs to add more functional strength to his game and play more aggressive. If the Dolphins drafted Fua, they would look at him as a developmental project.
  

• Another middle linebacker on the Dolphins radar is Utah State's Zach Vigil. Vigil is another guy projected to go in the last round of the draft despite being highly productive at Utah State and ending the 2014 season with 145 tackles. He doesn't have any one skill that stands out but is solid throughout all areas of the game.
  

• Fresno State defensive tackle Tyeler Davison was given a private workout after his pro day. Davison will likely hear his name called in the early part of day three. Like Vigil, he doesn't do anything great but is solid in all areas of his game. He has great size for the NFL and will demand double teams at times. He's a very good at defending the run and is able to hold his ground against the offensive line. His weakness is that he sometimes loses track of the ball and gets caught up in the moment.
  

• Dolphins have interest in Arizona State defensive end Marcus Hardison. Hardison has a good chance to be selected on the second day. He's versatile as he can play both defensive end and defensive tackle. He needs to work on stopping the run and will need to improve his strength to get to the next level. He has good speed and a quick burst but if his primary position is defensive tackle in the NFL, he'll obviously need to refine his technique.
  

• One player that reminds the team of Charles Clay is Iowa States EJ Bibbs, who is a tight end. Bibbs is a late round draft pick and will hear his name called on day three. One of the knocks on him is that he may have already reached his athletic potential. He's extremely smart and has great hands but needs to refine his route running.

• Miami had dinner with and worked out Clemson middle linebacker Stephone Anthony. Anthony is intriguing and will hear his name called on the second day of the draft. He has all the skills and ability to be a starting middle linebacker in the NFL. He has a huge frame with good bulk and strength but needs to learn to use it to his advantage. He does well pursuing the ball carrier with his fluid running style. He needs to work on getting off blocks as he gets sucked in and washed out too often.
  

• The early to middle round cornerbacks on the Dolphins radar are Eric Rowe, Byron Jones, Ronald Darby and Charles Gaines. Rowe will visit with the Dolphins in the next few weeksWhile they are all projected to go in those rounds, Gaines worries me a bit as his skill set may not be best suited at the NFL level. Full analysis of those players can be found in our draft guide. 

• One interesting note is that the Dolphins worked out and spent time with Brown long snapper Courtland Clavette
  

• Wide receiver Demarr Aultman worked out for the team. They are likely looking at him as an undrafted free agent.
  

• The Dolphins have spent some time with quarterback Taylor Heinicke from Old Dominion. Like Aultman, this is likely their due diligence as he is projected by many and us to be an undrafted free agent.
  

• Defensive tackle Xavier Cooper from Washington State is drawing interest from the team. They worked him out at his pro day and also did the same with quarterback Connor Halliday, who is projected to be an undrafted free agent. Cooper will hear his name called in the early part of day three and will likely be viewed as a developmental project. He is good against the run but won't penetrate much into the backfield. His fundamentals and technique are solid. However, he needs to improve his strength, burst and power to succeed in the NFL.
  

• Miami has been at fewer pro days than they have in the last ten years. Clancy says that this is because it appears they are doing a more targeted approach.

This story was written by Matthew Cannata. Follow him on Twitter: @PhinManiacs. Pre-Draft visits and workout information comes courtesy of Simon Clancy via his Twitter page (@SIClancy). Analysis on each player is our own and not Clancy's views.

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