How to View the Dolphins Fourth-Round Selections

Just like they had for the third round, the Miami Dolphins had a clear theme for Round 4, and it was all about defensive versatility.

In selecting edge defender Trey Moore with the 130th overall pick and linebacker Kyle Louis eight picks later, the Dolphins got two good chess pieces for new head coach Jeff Hafley's vision of a defense with interchangeable parts and multiple looks.

"Obviously similar, but different, both versatile pieces," assistant general manager Kyle Smith said after the selection of Louis. "Trey from Texas, versatility. He's aligned in different spots. He's played stack (linebacker). He's played on the edge. He's been a pressure player his whole career that he's been in college ball. So his versatility is playing multi align, stack edge, and has the body and athleticism to play on both third downs and special teams.

"Kyle Louis, very similar, versatile piece. We see his third-down value in coverage, very athletic guy can run, play man coverage. Can align as a big nickel, dime linebacker, as he keeps developing in stack alignments, which he's done at Pitt. But both are tackling machines and attacking different ways."

Both Moore and Louis figure to help out on special teams as the start of their NFL career, but make no mistake, those picks were made with the defense in mind as well.

WHERE MOORE AND LOUIS FIT ON THE DOLPHINS DEFENSE

Moore joins an edge group that includes Chop Robinson and newcomers Josh Uche and David Ojabo, but he also could get snaps at weakside linebacker, where returning free agent Willie Gay Jr. projects as the current starter alongside Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, with rookie second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez also figuring in the picture.

While at least Brooks and perhaps another linebacker figure to be on the field most downs, Hafley would love to build a rotation on the edge and Moore could figure there or in sub packages.

While Louis' size had some analysts suggesting he might be switched to safety in the NFL, Smith was definitive in saying he would be playing linebacker for the Dolphins and will join the competition group on the weak side.

Smith did say that Louis also could line up as a nickel or dime linebacker in obvious passing situations to take advantage of his coverage ability.

Getting Louis toward the end of Round 4, with the pick the Dolphins got from the San Francisco 49ers in their trade up from 30 to 27 in the first round, might qualify as a steal for the Dolphins.

Draft analyst Lance Zierlein had projected him on NFL.com as going in Round 2 or 3.

For Smith, it didn't matter where Louis was projected to go; it was simply about picking a good player. And it was the same for Moore.

"I've learned that you can never really ... anticipate and try to say this guy will be gone here or there, and the mock drafts and all that stuff, we just know where we take them," Smith said. "And both those guys, we were happy that they were there."