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Everyone knows the Dolphins need a nose tackle.
But so do a lot of teams now that up to a dozen are expected to run the 3-4 next season, including some first-timers like Denver, Green Bay and Kansas City.
As former Dolphins great Bob Baumhower said this week, “You darn sure better have a good nose tackle. That’s the centerpiece in any 3-4 defense. That goes without saying.”
This will make Boston College Ron Brace a popular guy this weekend.
Brace is considered to be the one can’t-miss nose tackle prospect in the 2009 rookie class.
The 330-pound Brace is a space eater who lined up next B.J. Raji, considered a top-10 talent. Unlike Raji, Brace isn’t a big-time playmaker, but more of an immovable object who’ll occupy blockers and allow teammates to make plays.
A good nose tackle is all about the greater good of the team, as profiled in a story scheduled to run in Thursday’s Palm Beach Post, featuring Honor Roll member Baumhower and the legendary Curley Culp, the pioneer of the position and one of the best to ever play it.
The Dolphins’ Jason Ferguson had only 22 tackles in 16 games last season, but he was a key to the defense’s success.
Just look at the regular-season loss to the Ravens. Ferguson didn’t play in the second half because of a rib injury and Baltimore gashed the middle of the Miami’s run defense, totaling 105 second-half rushing yards, during a 27-13 win.
“You see his value,” coach Tony Sparano said. “To find guys to replace those kind of people down the road is hard to do.”
The Dolphins will have a shot at Brace with the No. 44 pick. But another player might be more appealing if Bill Parcells and Co. is willing to take a chance Brace will be around at No. 56, with a fall-back option on Day Two.
But who?
Longtime football executive Michael Lombardi, who now writes for the National Football Post, a Web site, estimates there might be five quality nose tackles out of the 256 players who’ll be drafted.
Here’s a look at some of top candidates:
| Player | Team | Ht | Wt | Comment |
| Ron Brace | Boston College | 6-3 | 330 | Hard to move, uses hands well, 11 tackles for loss in 2008 |
| Dorell Scott | Clemson | 6-3 1/4 | 312 | Good size, questionable endurance, 39 tackles (7 1/2 for loss) a season ago |
| Sen’Derrick Marks | Auburn | 6-1 3/4 | 306 | Explosive player with 39 1/2 TFLs in 2007-08, has durability questions |
| Roy Miller | Texas | 6-1 1/4 | 310 | Strong (500-pound bench press), durable (49 college games) and had 11 TFLs (5 1/2 sacks) in 2008 |
| Terrance Taylor | Michigan | 6-0 | 306 | Strong, stout, never missed game, but just four TFLs as senior |
| Darryl Richard | Georgia Tech | 6-2 1/2 | 303 | Quick off the ball, had 21 1/2 TFLs (8 1/2 sacks) in final two seasons |
| Ra’Shon Harris | Oregon | 6-3 3/4 | 298 | Had nine TFLs last season, ran a 4.88 40 at his pro day |