Picks by Team / Miami Dolphins Day 1-3

[Awsi Dooger]

If I were Miami I'd do one of these scenarios with those picks barring trades...

1st (19) - C.J. Mosley / LB / Alabama

2nd (50) - Carlos Hyde / RB / Ohio St.

3rd (81) - Jawuan James / OT / Tennessee

4th (116) - Telvin Smith / OLB / Florida St.

5th (155) - Kevin Norwood / WR / Alabama

6th (190) - Tre Boston / S / North Carolina

7th (234) - Brandon Linder / OG / Miami





1st (19) - Morgan Moses / OT / Virginia

2nd (50) - Deone Bucannon / S / Washington St.

3rd (81) - Jeremy Hill / RB / LSU

4th (116) - Telvin Smith / OLB / Florida St.

5th (155) - Kevin Norwood / WR / Alabama

6th (190) - Jack Tyler / ILB / Virginia Tech

7th (234) - Brandon Linder / OG / Miami





1st (19) - Xavier Su'a-Filo / OG / UCLA

2nd (50) - Calvin Pryor / S / Louisville

3rd (81) - Carl Bradford / OLB / Arizona St.

4th (116) - Billy Turner / OT / North Dakota St.

5th (155) - Tyler Gaffney / RB / Stanford

6th (190) - Jeff Janis / WR / Saginaw Valley St.

7th (234) - Avery Williamson / ILB / Kentucky

Much appreciated. I like option #2 the best, although I would substitute Mosley for Moses at the top and not worry about overloading the linebacker position.

I'm simply not a big fan of Morgan Moses at 19. Can't see him being a great player in the NFL. Likewise, I have my doubts about Khalil Mack. I realize that's an out of bounds opinion and many turn out to be wildly inaccurate. I don't knock anything specifically in his game but I've seen that type of thing fail to pan out so many times I'm not going to ignore it: Not high rated out off high school. Small school. Lots of rationale that it won't matter, due to a game or several against the big leagues. Meanwhile, the full connect rate is lower than where the guy is drafted.

That Buchanon kid is a pain in the rear. I bet against Mike Leach so often because he refuses to run the ball. Generally I collect but Buchanon ruined at least one or two of them. I'm glad he's gone from that program. Actually, the other guy Horton isn't bad either, the little cornerback. I'm glad he's gone also. I didn't bet USC against Washington State but I certainly rooted hard for my alma mater and Horton ruined them with two interceptions. I suspect he's somewhat underrated, like many Pac 12 defensive backs in recent years.

Linder would be good value in the 7th round. He's not an impressive athlete but his Senior Bowl practice issues pushed his rating lower than it should be. Can play guard or tackle. I could see him doing everything right in camp and having a long career, even as a journeyman backup and spot starter.

Anyway, the chart atop the thread points out the atrocity that Jeff Ireland pulled off last year. Look at Cleveland's slots. Jealous, right? Miami was similar last year, in fact slightly better than Cleveland 2014 in terms of the location of the 5th choice. We had 5 among the first 82 compared to the Browns this year with 5 within the first 83. What a waste. Slimm summarized best several months ago, that merely picking numbers at random would have bested Ireland's haul.

These were the Dolphin specifics entering the 2013 draft: 12, 42, 54, 77, 82, 111, 146, 166, 217, 224, 250

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I don't know much about Darby's background but the very first thing that jumped out at me was his work in the Shrine game and from there I had to go back and look at him a bit. He had one of those interceptions during that Shrine game that was just a total eye opener. I think he victimized Jeff Matthews the Cornell guy on the play, just read the play and must have crossed 80 feet horizontally to pick off the ball.

Once I looked at more of his work, the ability to click and run the alley stood out immediately. He reads the quarterback's drop depth and can translate it. He reads the quarterback's shoulders and eyes well too. There are times when he sees exactly what's going to happen and crosses an inordinate amount of green while the throw is happening. That's something that to me really stands out- everyone on the field is flowing with their coverage and this guy is running like he's being chased by a dog straight to where the football is being thrown before it's out of the quarterback's hands. Good ball skills, hence the interception in the All Star game as well as a few in the regular season.

As far as his physical ability he's compact enough to handle physicality and hitting at the next level, but he is kind of small and does not have the length to really assert himself at the point of the catch. He's not really that fast on a pure straight line although his burst is very good and his hip swivel is also good. He keeps his bearings and balance well that way.

I think one reason he might not go as high, aside from physical shortcomings, is because sometimes there's this habit of hesitation to him like he's trying to do too much. But he does show the ability to correct his mistakes in-game. That's probably worth something.

I think he reminds me a bit of another guy we mutually liked in Duke Ihenacho. I could be off.

I agree. I don't know if many people will remember Chris Oldham when he came out of Oregon, but Darby reminds me a lot of him. Undersized gamer.

I could see a similar career path for Darby. If it turns out that he's a marginal/solid starter like Oldham, given what he has to work with... that's essentially what I mean when I say he's a kid that I believe can outperform his draft slotting.

 

[hoops]

norwood is a pro...the issue i have though if i had any is what is the upside...not much if any...3rd or 4th wr type...linder is a pretty good run blocker no doubt about that...but he's such a ehhh athlete...we could do worse with a very late round pick so i wouldn't hate that even if he's not very athletic...

someone posted a mock i think it was the other day had norwood or hoffman from byu as the choices...no brainer norwood all day long...at least he can make a 53 and separate a little even if he doesnt have much upside...

i dont much like the idea and will be pissed come draft day if they turn in a morgan moses card at pick #19...i have seen every game he played at uva and nothing has ever said top 20 pick worthy other than the size and arm length... but i also know that ross may have let the cat out of the bag when he said they will find the right tackle in the draft...and if there is one that's probably plug and play and deal with the trouble against speed off the edge but not be a disaster on you it probably is moses...

still won't make me happy...would much prefer zach martin a technician with position versatility and a high end work ethic...even if a true right tackle may be more the need...i'm prepared to be dissappointed though...pretty much every year i can set my watch to it...if not both the first 2 days the second one for sure...sure would start my weekend off with a thud if moses is the guy

no issue with a buchanon pick...he's a striker that needs to be more consistent in the box at times i'd say but he's got instincts in the passing game too...love the length also...no issues there...just wonder how it would pair with reshad jones

nickoe whitlley turned me off last year when i saw him miss a ton of tackles looking for kill shots...if i recall correctly he got cooked in coverage also

 

[ckparrothead]

I must be the only person that doesn't think Brandon Linder makes sense on tape until you see him play tackle instead of guard. I would consider taking him as a right tackle that you could groom and maybe see what you have eventually, although I wouldn't spend much on the strategy.

As for last year's draft I had a favorable rating on Dion Jordan overall, but I would not have taken him at #3 in a trade-up, nor would I have taken him #12 overall if I stayed put. Ultimately it would have been DT Star Lotulelei at that #12 pick for me. The night of the draft I also simuldrafted OT Menelik Watson, TE Travis Kelce, WR Stedman Bailey, S Shamarko Thomas, C/G Brian Schwenke, RB Johnathan Franklin, CB Jordan Poyer, WR Mark Harrison, DE Cornelius Washington, OT Xavier Nixon and QB Peter Lalich. Top priority UDFA targets were TE Joseph Fauria, RB Dennis Johnson, CB Nickell Robey, WR Da'Rick Rogers, LB Jake Knott, DT Kwame Geathers and FB Lonnie Pryor...with WR Sam McGuffie, DT Darrington Sentimore and RB Zac Stacy as the next wave of priorities. Some of them stood out as rookies. Most didn't. I'm still pretty confident in a lot of them though.

What a rich glut of picks Ireland had to work with though. Amazing that he squandered it. That's the cost of giving a guy one more chance just to see once and for all if he's got you headed in the right direction.

 

[ckparrothead]

I agree. I don't know if many people will remember Chris Oldham when he came out of Oregon, but Darby reminds me a lot of him. Undersized gamer.

I could see a similar career path for Darby. If it turns out that he's a marginal/solid starter like Oldham, given what he has to work with... that's essentially what I mean when I say he's a kid that I believe can outperform his draft slotting.

The name tickles a memory but I just realized that I am very, very likely just remembering him on Tecmo Super Bowl 3 for SNES.

 

[EJay]

TedSlimm,

I like all three scenarios, but the first is my preference. Mosley and Hyde with our first 2 picks would be awesome. Neither player addresses needs on the line, but some real gems could still be had in rounds 3-7. Mosley would add much needed talent, speed, instincts, toughness etc. to the middle of the defense and Hyde could be the perfect compliment to our stable of RB's. Moreno would be the main guy, especially in the pass game, but Miller and Hyde could still see a fair amount of carries. Hyde has shown to be a capable pass protector in college and is dynamite in short yardage. Miller would be the speedy scatback. Plus, we'd have insurance in case Moreno proves to be a one year wonder playing with Peyton Manning, becomes injury prone again or just isn't with the team for longer than a year or two.

I like it.

 

[fininpsl]

I must be the only person that doesn't think Brandon Linder makes sense on tape until you see him play tackle instead of guard. I would consider taking him as a right tackle that you could groom and maybe see what you have eventually, although I wouldn't spend much on the strategy.

As for last year's draft I had a favorable rating on Dion Jordan overall, but I would not have taken him at #3 in a trade-up, nor would I have taken him #12 overall if I stayed put. Ultimately it would have been DT Star Lotulelei at that #12 pick for me. The night of the draft I also simuldrafted OT Menelik Watson, TE Travis Kelce, WR Stedman Bailey, S Shamarko Thomas, C/G Brian Schwenke, RB Johnathan Franklin, CB Jordan Poyer, WR Mark Harrison, DE Cornelius Washington, OT Xavier Nixon and QB Peter Lalich. Top priority UDFA targets were TE Joseph Fauria, RB Dennis Johnson, CB Nickell Robey, WR Da'Rick Rogers, LB Jake Knott, DT Kwame Geathers and FB Lonnie Pryor...with WR Sam McGuffie, DT Darrington Sentimore and RB Zac Stacy as the next wave of priorities. Some of them stood out as rookies. Most didn't. I'm still pretty confident in a lot of them though.

What a rich glut of picks Ireland had to work with though. Amazing that he squandered it. That's the cost of giving a guy one more chance just to see once and for all if he's got you headed in the right direction.

I've watched Linder for 4 years in college, and I share your opinion. Many thought he would play tackle full time for the Canes and some thought LT when he committed to the Canes. He's not quite strong enough to be an elite guard, and not great at pulling, but he is pretty fluid, and not deficient in any huge way. Hoops has pegged him well too. I do think he works well enough on the edge to play RT in the NFL at a decent level. Maybe as well as Eric Winston even with a bit of time. I'm also not 100% sure he was getting the best coaching the whole time he was at UM as well. I'd love for us to pick him up in the 6th or 7th rounds.

 

[ckparrothead]

Alden Darby and Deone Buchanon would make a good pairing. Ketchup and mustard. They each bring something different to the table coverage-wise, but they both bring aggressiveness to the table. Buchanon can't really read the quarterback and the route combinations in zone the way Darby does, but Darby probably can't cover bigger bodies in man the way Buchanon does and certainly can't support the run the same way Buchanon does.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

If I were Miami I'd do one of these scenarios with those picks barring trades...

1st (19) - C.J. Mosley / LB / Alabama

2nd (50) - Carlos Hyde / RB / Ohio St.

3rd (81) - Jawuan James / OT / Tennessee

4th (116) - Telvin Smith / OLB / Florida St.

5th (155) - Kevin Norwood / WR / Alabama

6th (190) - Tre Boston / S / North Carolina

7th (234) - Brandon Linder / OG / Miami





1st (19) - Morgan Moses / OT / Virginia

2nd (50) - Deone Bucannon / S / Washington St.

3rd (81) - Jeremy Hill / RB / LSU

4th (116) - Telvin Smith / OLB / Florida St.

5th (155) - Kevin Norwood / WR / Alabama

6th (190) - Jack Tyler / ILB / Virginia Tech

7th (234) - Brandon Linder / OG / Miami





1st (19) - Xavier Su'a-Filo / OG / UCLA

2nd (50) - Calvin Pryor / S / Louisville

3rd (81) - Carl Bradford / OLB / Arizona St.

4th (116) - Billy Turner / OT / North Dakota St.

5th (155) - Tyler Gaffney / RB / Stanford

6th (190) - Jeff Janis / WR / Saginaw Valley St.

7th (234) - Avery Williamson / ILB / Kentucky

In most drafts, I'd be good with Mosley at 19. I think he's a good player. I'd prefer to go D in RD 1, but there's a good chance Barr, Donald, Shazier, and Mack won't be on the board (Mack obviously will be drafted much sooner). If that's the case, I might just go Cooks at 19 - for the same reasons I would have been good drafting Austin last season. They're not the same player, but they can both take advantage of the attention Wallace merits. Lee, Beckham Jr., and Moncrief (no particular order with any of them) would also be on my radar. As I said, I'd prefer to go D, but I wouldn't bypass one of those players for Mosley.

I'd love to land either Bucannon or Ward in the 2nd and Hill in the 3rd, and I'd be very happy with Smith or Turner in the 4th. I'd also be fine with Hyde in the 2nd. A big, talented RB would do a lot for our offense. I'd be good with Norwood, but with the depth at WR, I feel like there might be an even better WR on the board - hard to project who will and won't be there when you get that deep.

Bottom line, any of these would be significantly better than any draft we've had in a long time.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I believe Kevin Norwood is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players in the draft. 6'2", 200 pound receivers with 4.48 speed don't grow on trees... especially not with his level of hands, route running, body control, and concentration. He's the most clutch receiver Bama has had since Julio. He wasn't utilized enough at Bama. He came up huge every time his number was called. Dominated the Honey Badger one-on-one in the national championship game as a sophomore....which was really his only opportunity to completely dominate a game his entire career... and he did. His ability to high point the football and come down with contested catches is elite.

I feel like Brandon Linder has long been underrated long before he was asked to play tackle in place of Seantrel Henderson. Always the most consistent lineman Miami had.

I don't think Su'a-Filo is just a good offensive lineman, I think he's going to be a great one. In fact, if I had to pick the best route for Miami, I'd take Su'a-Filo at #19, followed by Bucannon, Hill, Billy Turner, Kevin Norwood, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Jack Tyler.

 

[j-off-her-doll]

I believe Kevin Norwood is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players in the draft. 6'2", 200 pound receivers with 4.48 speed don't grow on trees... especially not with his level of hands, route running, body control, and concentration. He's the most clutch receiver Bama has had since Julio. He wasn't utilized enough at Bama. He came up huge every time his number was called. Dominated the Honey Badger one-on-one in the national championship game as a sophomore....which was really his only opportunity to completely dominate a game his entire career... and he did. His ability to high point the football and come down with contested catches is elite.

I feel like Brandon Linder has long been underrated long before he was asked to play tackle in place of Seantrel Henderson. Always the most consistent lineman Miami had.

I don't think Su'a-Filo is just a good offensive lineman, I think he's going to be a great one. In fact, if I had to pick the best route for Miami, I'd take Su'a-Filo at #19, followed by Bucannon, Hill, Billy Turner, Kevin Norwood, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Jack Tyler.

I think Su'a-Filo is the 2nd best run blocking O-lineman in the draft, and it's hardly a knock when you come in 2nd to Greg Robinson in that category. I'd take that draft 10/10 times.

 

[hoops]

i dont think linder has the athleticism and lateral agility and quickness to survive in the nfl at tackle...i think you are better putting that in a phone booth at right guard...try it out sure but dont draft it to play tackle

somethings a bit odd about sua filos feet...cant put my finger on it...he's a very good move athlete but sometimes i think his feet are a little heavy...hard to figure out...mid section looks a little needs cleaning up also but man he can move well...got no problem with that at #19...would prefer it over moses i know that much

khalil mack i expected a more fluid hipped athlete than i saw at the combine...it wasnt bad by any means but it wasn't as fluid as i expected...god that kids body beautiful though...huge thighs and lower legs hands look massive on the frame...just oozes explosion...real pop and strength in his hands too...if i got to pick one edge rusher to get to the qb period macks my guy...he looks like a super hero...

people sleeping on billy turner too if he gets into round 4...yeah he's raw but his issues the more i looked are very coachable and he's an ideal move fit right tackle for benton..his kick slide and lateral quickness and feet are high end...needs to trust his feet more and not lean and reach...punch and move your feet

that bc backer pierre louis showed as very fluid at the combine...moved very well...looked like weakside guy to me but i havent done any of his games...that tripp kid though from montana gonna send me looking for some of his work...he looked damn good...gotta see what kind of instincts that kid has and where he projects cause i havent seen a lick of his work...on the to do list...liked the size and speed and fluidity...tested damn well

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Linder suddenly was out there at right tackle in maybe the 7th or 8th game of last season after Seantrel Henderson again found his way into Golden's doghouse. I looked up and #75 Jared Wheeler was playing right guard with Linder flanking him at tackle. Very odd, because Wheeler was a seldom used senior. Miami had lost interest in awkward Malcolm Bunche, who ended up transferring to UCLA even though he had only one year of eligibility remaining.

For the most part, Canes went heavy run oriented when that Linder/Wheeler pairing was out there. It was surprisingly effective. I think that was the lineup for the final possessions at North Carolina, when Miami shoved it into the end zone twice late to rescue the Thursday night game and remain phony undefeated. Dallas Crawford was carrying on almost every play down the stretch, after Duke Johnson was lost for the season earlier in the game. I attended that roader. It's not as easy to keep track of personnel when so many peripheral factors are going on, like Tar Heel fans shouting in your ear, and not in friendly terms.

Linder's technique looked fine at right tackle but like hoops I worry about his agility and size out there. He'll always give max effort and that was sufficient in college.

Linder was long considered the most dependable Canes offensive lineman. Posters on the Miami forums raved about him while expressing frustration with Henderson. I always thought Linder was somewhat like an interior version of Jason Fox in terms of tenacity and smarts, but lacking a crucial 5-10% in athletic ability compared to Fox. That can be all the difference in the NFL.

BTW, not a Dolphin need but the Canes punter O'Donnell is an excellent prospect. I'll be very surprised if he isn't a long term punter in the NFL. Extremely advanced coming out of college, much moreso than Matt Bosher. O'Donnell can vary the way he holds and spins the ball depending on the situational requirement, just like golfers with the best wedge games on tour.

 

[PhinsTD]

Linder suddenly was out there at right tackle in maybe the 7th or 8th game of last season after Seantrel Henderson again found his way into Golden's doghouse. I looked up and #75 Jared Wheeler was playing right guard with Linder flanking him at tackle. Very odd, because Wheeler was a seldom used senior. Miami had lost interest in awkward Malcolm Bunche, who ended up transferring to UCLA even though he had only one year of eligibility remaining.

For the most part, Canes went heavy run oriented when that Linder/Wheeler pairing was out there. It was surprisingly effective. I think that was the lineup for the final possessions at North Carolina, when Miami shoved it into the end zone twice late to rescue the Thursday night game and remain phony undefeated. Dallas Crawford was carrying on almost every play down the stretch, after Duke Johnson was lost for the season earlier in the game. I attended that roader. It's not as easy to keep track of personnel when so many peripheral factors are going on, like Tar Heel fans shouting in your ear, and not in friendly terms.

Linder's technique looked fine at right tackle but like hoops I worry about his agility and size out there. He'll always give max effort and that was sufficient in college.

Linder was long considered the most dependable Canes offensive lineman. Posters on the Miami forums raved about him while expressing frustration with Henderson. I always thought Linder was somewhat like an interior version of Jason Fox in terms of tenacity and smarts, but lacking a crucial 5-10% in athletic ability compared to Fox. That can be all the difference in the NFL.

BTW, not a Dolphin need but the Canes punter O'Donnell is an excellent prospect. I'll be very surprised if he isn't a long term punter in the NFL. Extremely advanced coming out of college, much moreso than Matt Bosher. O'Donnell can vary the way he holds and spins the ball depending on the situational requirement, just like golfers with the best wedge games on tour.

Duke was injured vs. Florida State...otherwise I agree with you. We were a better team when we went physical and ran the ball behind those two. Linder has always been underappreciated and I think he'll make a roster next year.