Benedictine grad Jerome Baker of Ohio State picked by Dolphins in third round

The Miami Dolphins wanted to get faster on defense.

One of the guys will be counting on to do that is Benedictine product Jerome Baker.

A 6-foot-1, 229-pound linebacker who declared for the NFL Draft following his junior year at Ohio State, Baker was selected with the ninth pick of the third round — the 73rd overall selection — on April 27.

“It’s a guy we spent a lot of time with,” said Miami general manager Chris Grier on a news conference broadcast by the Dolphins. “For us, he had speed. We wanted to get faster on defense. Adding him and Minkah thee first two days — it was a big priority on that side of the ball to get faster.”

The Dolphins selected Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick with the 11th overall pick of the draft on April 26.

In his final season with the Buckeyes, Baker had 72 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 3 1/2 sacks and three pass breakups. His skill set allowed him to rush the passer off the edge, play in the box against the running game and also drop back in pass coverage.

In his draft analysis on NFL.com, Mike Mayock said of Mayfield, “You can kind of package him with all those other off-the-ball, fast linebackers. Sideline to sideline, also could blitz. Slim, lean, almost built like a safety.”

Baker’s speed and versatility drew the Dolphins in.

“He’s a tough kid, but he also has that sideline-to-sideline (speed) that is prototypical of the new-age linebacker,” Grier said.

Baker’s high school coach Joe Schaefer, now the defensive coordinator at John Carroll University, eluded to that recently.

“I think he will be phenomenal at the next level because he fits the mold of what (the NFL) is doing (with linebackers),” Schaefer said. “He’s a tremendous athlete, and runs really well, and that’s what the game’s gone to. Guys who play linebacker now in the NFL need to run and hit, and Jerome can do both really well.”

Grier chuckled when he admitted he had “some insider trade information” on Baker. The Dolphins drafted former Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan in the second round (Pick 54) of the 2017 draft.

Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, selected fourth overall by the Browns on April 26, also put in a good word for Baker.

“Raekwon spoke very highly of (Baker), as well as when we had Denzel Ward in for a visit,” Grier said.

During Ohio State’s Pro Day in March, Baker bristled at the 4.53 he ran in the 40-yard dash, insisting he can run faster. Grier said he believes the same.

“He’s very athletic,” Grier said. “He can turn his hips and he can run. You’ve got there (at Ohio State) Mickey Marotti, one of the top strength coaches in the nation, and he said (Baker) can run as fast as Ryan Shazier. He ran a 4.53 at the combine, but he’s faster than that.”

The Dolphins finished 17th in the league in total defense. The Dolphins hope the selections of Baker will help in that area.

“We struggle at times on defense here,” Grier said “We’re trying to get player to add more speed and get more consistent on defense. We’re excited to add him.”