Quentin Poling Drafted by the Miami Dolphins

The first Ohio Bobcat prospect was selected by the Miami Dolphins during the seventh and final round on Saturday.

Inside linebacker Quentin Poling earned a job in South Beach when the Dolphins chose him with the 227th overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft in Arlington, TX.

Poling earned First Team All-MAC honors in each of his final two seasons with Ohio, recording a combined 215 tackles in 2016 and 2017. The inside linebacker also sacked 18 quarterbacks and intercepted seven passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns during his four years in Athens, showing his versatility all around the field.

Poling particularly excels at invading the backfield, earning double-digit tackles for loss in three separate seasons, including 13.5 in his penultimate year on campus. The team captain also unleashed his power on ball carriers and forced a handful of fumbles while wearing green and white.

Poling’s Bobcats experienced plenty of team success on the gridiron in 2017, faring 9-4 with a 41-6 victory over UAB in the Bahamas Bowl. Ohio’s run defense under Frank Solich has also been one of the best and most consistent units in the MAC in the past few seasons.

Poling is the third Ohio defender (Tarell Basham, Blair Brown) drafted in the last two seasons and the 13th inside linebacker selected in 2018. Like Brown, Poling primarily excels as a tackler, and his ability to deliver hard hits and bring down opponents remains his specialty. He is on the faster side for a linebacker, running a 4.58 40-yard dash — an aspect of his game which helps in man-to-man coverage.

At 6-feet and 230, Poling is small for his position, but his high-caliber tackling ability makes him an attractive draft pick for the Dolphins. He may very likely find playing time on special teams in his rookie year with the Dolphins, lining up on the depth chart behind second-year standout Raekwon McMillan.

For more Miami Dolphins coverage on Poling, follow The Phinsider, SB Nation’s Dolphins blog.