With the draft a little more than two weeks away, who the Dolphins will take with the top pick remains a mystery.

One possibility is Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long.

In fact, as I was writing this, Yahoo Sports and The Miami Herald reported that the Dolphins have started negotiations with Long. He's still far from a sure bet to go No. 1 though.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder was the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year during his junior and senior seasons.

According to NFL.com , he allowed just three sacks in his last 26 collegiate games and was penalized just once in 1,743 plays. ESPN.com's Mel Kiper Jr. has Long ranked as the fifth-best player overall, calling him a "top-drawer left- or right-tackle prospect."

To get a better idea on how Long projects as an NFL prospect, I called on Michael Spath from TheWolverine.com.

Q: What are Long's strengths that make him a probable top-five pick?

A: Long has been one of the most consistently dominant offensive lineman I have ever watched at Michigan. A starter at right tackle in each of his first two seasons, he started at left tackle in 2006 and 2007, giving him the versatility to play on either side. That versatility helps his draft stock because teams with a need on either side of the line know he can fit there. Most scouts have been talking about Long as a right tackle because he’s a stronger run-blocker than pass-blocker, but I believe he is adept at both. An intense competitor, Long will not allow an opponent to get the best of him. He first worked to become physically stronger than his foes, then through the years became mentally stronger and a perfect technician. Combine an attitude of always seeking improvement with a mean streak and a desire to never lose a one-on-one battle, and you have a complete football player.

Q: In what areas will he most need to improve at the next level?

A: Though he is a good pass-blocker, that is his greatest weakness. In Big Ten play, Long did not face many dominant rush ends. The ones he did, could generally find a little bit of success when they went with a speed move, which was Buckeye Vernon Gholston’s trademark. Long will not be outmuscled, but he can be a tad slow off the corner, and needs to improve his footwork if he’s going to play left tackle in the NFL.

Q: Describe Long's ability as a run-blocker compared to a pass-blocker.

A: Long is a mauler. There were more than a few occasions this year where Long would ride a defender 10-15 yards downfield, pancake him and then stand over the top of him, holding the defender down. He has both tremendous leg drive and upper-body strength, giving him the advantage on running plays against almost any man he lines up against. Give him that extra heads-up that he knows what’s coming, and he will knock guys off the ball quickly. Though he lacks lateral speed, Long can move downfield quickly, often shedding one defender en route to another.

As a pass-blocker, his strength is matching up with heftier defensive ends that want to bull-rush him or want to outwork him because it never happens. Like I mentioned earlier, if you can operate on the line of scrimmage far enough out, you stand the best chance to beat Long to the edge. But in situations where it’s one-on-one and you’re trying to win that battle through physical determination, it’s not going to happen.

Q: Does Long possess a mean streak that we see in many great offensive linemen? Any examples?

A: Sorry, I keep jumping ahead with my answers. In the Capital One Bowl victory over Florida this year, Long just buried the defensive end opposite him, Derrick Harvey (video below), and would not get off of him. I honestly thought he was going to draw a penalty but I think even if he had, Long was sending a message that Michigan had brought its nasty attitude to the field, and it was going to be a long day for the Gators. Early in ball games, he’ll do that. He’ll try to physically beat the opponent down so much that he brings out the quit in them.

Q: How did Long perform when going up against some talented defensive line prospects like Ohio State's Gholston?

A: He gave up a sack. As noted, he struggled with Gholston this season, but that’s the first sack he’s allowed in his career. He wasn’t matched up against Harvey in the bowl game when the Gator nabbed a few quarterback takedowns. It’s difficult to fully assess Long because the stature of Big Ten defensive ends the past few seasons hasn’t been great. But against very good ends, such as Illinois’ Will Davis and Penn State’s Maurice Evans, Long dominated.

Q: Describe Long's personality. What is he like off the field, and what was his relationship like with teammates, coaches and the media?

A: He’s like a lot of Michigan football players -- coached to be a tad boring in speech, though he always had a good sense of humor, and if you could isolate him one-on-one, or at least pull him away from the cameras, the cliched answers would disappear and you’d get a very honest interview with him. He’s intelligent and well-spoken and never ever shied away from the media, even after a tough loss, which earned him respect from those that cover the Michigan team. He was a favorite among the coaches and his teammates because of the way he went about his business on and off the field.

Q: What was Long's signature moment at Michigan?

A: Unlike a skilled athlete, I don’t know that you can pinpoint one moment. I think Long will forever be remembered by Michigan fans as someone that said no to the NFL dollars to return for his senior season. Honestly, that was a huge deal because many felt Long was a better prospect than Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas, who was chosen third overall a year ago by the Cleveland Browns. He could have had it all, but he passed on the NFL to become a two-time captain and try to lead Michigan to a Big Ten title and a win over Ohio State. It obviously didn’t happen, but that selflessness will never be forgotten by fans.

More on Long

Scouts, Inc. has Long ranked as the third best player overall.

ESPN.com's Todd McShay has the Dolphins taking Long with the top pick:

While I have DE Chris Long graded slightly higher, Jake Long makes the most sense here. I'm still a firm believer that Jake Long will be an upper-echelon starting left tackle in the NFL. With the addition of G Justin Smiley and current Miami OT Vernon Carey back at his natural position on the right side, the Dolphins would finally solidify their offensive line and give QB John Beck and RB Ronnie Brown far greater chances for success.

ESPN.com's Kiper has him going No. 1 also.

SI.com's Don Banks has the Rams taking Long with the second pick:

We've had Michigan's Long to the Rams for the longest time, but there's a very real chance the pick could be [Vernon] Gholston, given their equally pressing need for more edge pass rush. St. Louis has always had a touch of dysfunction as an organization, and now with owner Georgia Frontiere having passed away and her children becoming more involved in the operation of the franchise, there's even more uncertainty surrounding which way the Rams will go in this draft. Logic says it has to be either a defensive end or an offensive tackle.

Long tied Gholston at the combine as top performers in the bench press test. He put up 225 pounds 37 times.

Long describes holding as an art form to AOL Fanhouse's Michael David Smith:

"I'll admit that I hold," Long said. "I get my hands inside and hide that I'm holding." Long talked about the way he works on getting his hands in good position so that he can grab an opposing defensive lineman's jersey without the referee being able to see it, and he sounded as though he works on holding the same way he works with a coach on his footwork, or with a personal trainer on his bench press.

Here's video of him going up against Florida and Derrick Harvey, who is expected to be a first-round pick, in the Capital One Bowl:

Click here for previous draft profiles.