The Miami Dolphins have used the final week of visits with non-local draft prospects to being in a number of first-round candidates, which explains why Central Florida receiver Breshad Perriman is visiting the team’s Davie facility on Wednesday.
Perriman, the son of former Hurricanes standout and NFL receiver Brett Perriman, is viewed as one of the fastest receivers in the 2015 NFL draft because of the 4.24 40-yard dash time he ran at UCF’s Pro Day.
Perriman, who is compared to Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe, has already visited the Lions, Eagles, Cardinals, Ravens, Panthers, Colts, Raiders and Titans, and worked out for the Giants and Buccaneers this past month.
Perriman started 24 games for the Knights, catching 115 passes for 2,243 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns before declaring for the draft as a junior.
His combination of speed and size (6-foot-2, 212 pounds) could make him an immediate starter for the Dolphins, who are searching for split end receiver to replace Brian Hartline. Unlike Hartline, who signed with the Cleveland Browns after being released this offseason, Perriman has strong run after catch skills, which is a trail the Dolphins are seeking.
However, Perriman doesn’t always play to his speed. And while he’ll make plenty of eye-opening catches, he’ll also drop a few easy ones. But that hasn’t stopped draft experts from projecting him as a top 50 prospect in the 2015 NFL draft, and many believe he’ll be one of the top five receivers taken.
The Dolphins haven’t signed a veteran receiver because sources say the team plans to select one early in next week’s draft, which features more than two dozen receivers that will be selected in the draft’s seven rounds.
Outside of Perriman, Miami has already hosted or worked out many of the draft’s top rated receivers like Louisville’s Devante Parker, UM’s Phillip Dorsett, USC’s Nelson Agholor, FSU’s Rashad Greene, Oklahoma’s Dorial Green-Beckham, Ohio State’s Devin Smith, Auburn’s Sammie Coates, Georgia’s Chris Conley, Maryland’s Stefon Diggs, USF’s Chris Dunkley and Washington State’s Vince Mayle.
The Dolphins, which presently own the 14th pick in the first-round, have a respectable trio of receivers in Jarvis Landry, who led the team 84 reception as the slot receiver, Kenny Stills, the former Saints starter who Miami traded a third-round pick to acquire this offseason, and Rishard Matthews, a former 2012 seventh-round pick who has caught 64 passes for 734 yards and scored four touchdowns in his previous three seasons.
Miami also has Matt Hazel, LaRon Byrd, Tyler McDonald and Michael Preston on the training camp roster, but must identity or add at least a pair of receivers worthy of making the 53-man roster.
The Dolphins have hosted Greg Jennings and Wes Welker on free agent visits, but don’t plan to sign a veteran receiver until after they see what the franchise lands in next week’s draft.
