By Scott Salomon
Jackson Powers-Johnson, rated as the top center in the NFL Draft, according to experts and pundits, was glowing on Saturday while talking about the Miami Dolphins and their coaching staff and was making an appeal to be selected by the Fins in next month’s NFL Draft,
“They are an amazing team, amazing GM, amazing coach,” Powers-Johnson said. “I had a great time during the interview. Something that really goes out to me is just how young the coach is. It’s something that I can relate to. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it matters how good you are.”
Powers-Johnson then gushed some more about Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
“He’s an amazing coach. Even though he is so young, he is doing amazing things,” Powers-Johnson said. “It would be an honor to play for him and to play for that amazing organization.”
Powers-Johnson, who can play all three interior offensive line positions, said that he feels best at center.
“I would help command the offense, I’d be like a quarterback,” Powers-Johnson said. “Coach (Alex) Mirabal taught us to do that since day one. Every coach since then has demanded that. That pressure is a privilege.”
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It should be noted that CBS Sports’ recent mock draft had the Dolphins selecting Powers-Johnson with the 21st pick. If he is already off the board by that point, I would rather see the Dolphins trade the pick and move down to acquire more draft capital. Miami has a lot of holes to fill due to free agency,
The San Francisco 49ers have promoted Nick Sorensen to defensive coordinator and apparently are going to hire former San Diego Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their Assistant Head Coach, This comes from @adamschefter of ESPN who broke the news.
Two big hires in San Francisco: the 49ers plan to hire their defensive passing game specialist Nick Sorensen as their new defensive coordinator, and former Chargers HC Brandon Staley for a prominent staff role, possibly assistant head coach, sources tell me and @JFowlerESPN. pic.twitter.com/hbV4ykACkI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2024
Kam Kinchens from the University of Miami, who is ranked as one of the top safeties coming out in this year’s draft, ran the two slowest times of all safeties at this season’s combine. Kinchens ran a 4.65 and a 4.68. Scouts won’t be too disappointed, however, and the general consensus appears to be that Kinchens plays faster than he really is.
Frank Gore, Jr, of Southern Miss and son of Hall of Famer in Waiting Frank Gore, also said that he would love to play for the Dolphins, his hometown team.
“Oh, that would be a blessing. That’s my hometown team, so I’ll be ready to put on for my hometown,” Gore, Jr. said. “I didn’t get to do that in college so if I got to do it in the NFL that would be just special.”
Gore, Jr. amassed close to 2,500 yards rushing in his final two seasons at USM.
The Dolphins, who have only six picks, and an already crowded running back room, could make a run at Gore should he become available in the seventh round or as an undrafted free agent.
Gore Jr. lacks the size that his father had coming out of college at only 5’7″, 199 lbs., but he is elusive and fast.
“I’d say that I have a little bit better lateral movement and I might be a little faster, but he was big and was a thumper,” Gore, Jr. said about comparisons to his father. But other than that, we both want to compete and we are very similar.”
Gore knows that he has a challenge ahead of him as there are not many running backs in the NFL his size.
“I’m not backing down from anything. Nothing is too big for me,” Gore Jr. stated. “No moment is too big. I am good to go.”
Gore is used to competition being from football-rich Miami-Dade County and he believes that the competitive fire that he has inside of him started on the fields of Miami as a young budding teenager.
“I’m from South Florida so competition is what we live by,” Gore, Jr. said. “So I am not backing down from anything. Nothing is too big for me and I feel like I was built for this moment.”
Derek Gilmore, who represents Mike Evans, a free-agent wide receiver who last played for Tampa Bay said that Evans will test the waters of free agency due to his desire to win now,
“Mike wants to play with an elite quarterback, in an offense that will showcase him,” Gilmore said. “He doesn’t want to play for a team with a rookie quarterback as winning right now is a priority.”
