Former Ohio linebacker Quentin Poling was selected 227th overall by the Miami Dolphins on Saturday in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft.
A four-year starter at Ohio, Poling is the Bobcats’ all-time leading solo tackler. Poling finished his redshirt senior season with 107 tota tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles, which were all team-highs. He was also a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection.
At 6-foot, his size was holding him back, and he wasn’t invited the this year’s NFL Combine. Poling impressed scouts at Ohio’s pro day, however.
He became the first Ohio player selected in this year’s draft, and he is the third in the last two draft classes. Tarell Basham and Blair Brown were selected in last year’s draft.
Linebacker was considered a team need for the Dolphins going into the draft, and Poling will join fellow rookie Jerome Baker, from Ohio State, as linebackers in Miami's rookie class. The Dolphins went 6-10 last season under head coach Adam Gase. Defensive coordinator Matt Burke's 4-3 defense is similar to the system Poling played in at Ohio.
