Many of the NFL’s top prospects may have their pre-draft visits postponed or canceled due to concerns regarding the spread of the coronavirus.
Former Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins had piqued the Miami Dolphins interest to the point that they moved up his visit before any restrictions were placed down from the league.
Per source, Dolphins are so high on Ohio State RB JK Dobbins that they moved up his "30" visit from mid April to today in case league eliminates 30 visits as part of coronavirus response. Teams can bring in 30 non-local players for predraft visits.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 13, 2020
Per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins are meeting with Dobbins on Friday, March 13.
While some teams are closing their facilities, others are proceeding with extreme caution. For instance, #OSU RB J.K. Dobbins, one of the top backs in the draft, is currently at the #Dolphins facility on a pre-draft visit.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2020
With six of the top 70 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, Miami has plenty of opportunities to bring in a running back.
The team desperately needs a tailback after journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins in rushing last season with just 243 yards, ahead of running back Mark Walton’s 201 yards.
Miami has excellent picks near the front of the draft, including three first-round picks at Nos. 5, 18 and 26, and two second-round picks at Nos. 39 and 56.
In addition to the attention from the Dolphins, Dobbins received praise from various NFL scouts, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.
“He can make a sudden tackler miss and fits as a one-cut runner, but his running style is more battle axe than buzzsaw as a lunch-pail runner with the fortitude and toughness to wear down defenses,” Zierlein wrote.
“Dobbins is a compact running back with tremendous power, balance and instincts,” Jeremiah wrote. “He is at his best on inside runs. He doesn’t hesitate, accelerating into contact and breaking a ton of tackles. He’ll be a dependable starter immediately.”
The record-breaking Buckeye back expressed the mutual interest between him and Miami.
“I know that they kind of want a running back,” Dobbins said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I don’t know what the coaches think. But from what I’ve seen the running back was kind of down this year for that team. So I definitely think they would benefit off of getting a running back.”
It’s safe to say Dobbins, who broke Eddie George’s single-season rushing record at Ohio State with 2,003 yards, feels confident he could help the struggling Dolphins.
“I have tremendous vision,” Dobbins said. “I can do it all. I’m explosive. I can grind it out. I’m athletic. I’m fast. I’m a leader.”
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