BY SEAN DONOVAN
The primary objective for the Miami Dolphins in this draft, at least in the eyes of the fans and prognosticators, was to finish rebuilding an offensive line that was atrocious.
Obviously, that need was not lost on general manager Dennis Hickey.
After making multiple moves up and down the draft order, the Dolphins traded up with the Oakland Raiders to pick North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner with the No. 67 overall selection.
Turner's scouting report describes a player that projects to be effective in the zone-blocking scheme and, though he never played inside as a college player, may be a better fit as an NFL guard. That's ideal for the Dolphins, who appear set at tackle with first round pick Ja'Wuan James and free agent signing Branden Albert.
"He brings a lot of versatility, which is a thing we like about him," Hickey told reporters, via the team website. "He was a team captain, he brings toughness, size, athletic ability."
"He was a guy we definitely valued and wanted to move up to get," Hickey continued. "He was in the mix when we took [second round pick] Jarvis Landry. As soon as we made that pick, we got on the phones to get [Turner]."
Turner was selected to the first-team FCS All-America team in 2012 and 2013 and was a member of NDSU's three consecutive Division I FCS National Championship teams.
