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2020 Draft

If Prince pans out we might not need to go tackle at all in the first 2 rounds.

Last week Prince looked better than any point at Ohio State. He obviously has done some targeted conditioning work. More lean and athletic looking. It's the first time I've seen him look like a normal athlete and not a total disconnect between upper body and lower body.

Still, we're talking degrees. Prince looked superior than the Davenport guy who came from Houston. But all 5 players on the current Ohio State offensive line look superior to Prince, and many by wide margin.

In general I'm not a fan of devoting first round picks to offensive line. It has been a recent overreaction. Those guys are typically the weakest athletes on the team. It would be like drafting a shot putter to start a track and field roster. Offensive line is known for smart late blooming technicians, but guys who already have sufficient athletic ability. The early '70s glory years were loaded with that type. Just because the recent Dolphin picks have flopped doesn't mean you throw out a half century of logic and desperately believe it has to be first round. Players like Mason and Thuney and Armstead settle into 2nd through 6th round range. No reason the Dolphins can't begin identifying that caliber.

Deiter is okay but you'd prefer a more nimble higher upside guy. I was surprised they made such a safe pick but it seemed to be the trend in that draft. Christian Wilkins in the first round was a decent selection but difficult to see him becoming a star. Slimm posted recently it's like a half player. As I posted after that draft, my pick would have been Dexter Lawrence. He is a superior athlete to Wilkins by considerable margin and was rated above Wilkins at almost every stage of their careers. Only the bowl suspension and related adjustments shoved Wilkins alongside in the late going. Like so many prior examples, the Dolphins preferred late conventional wisdom to long term. I will never agree with that. Right now Lawrence is being extremely disruptive and is Pro Football Focus' 4th highest rated rookie. According to PFF, Lawrence since week one is second in interior pressure rate only to Calais Campbell.
 
Last week Prince looked better than any point at Ohio State. He obviously has done some targeted conditioning work. More lean and athletic looking. It's the first time I've seen him look like a normal athlete and not a total disconnect between upper body and lower body.

Still, we're talking degrees. Prince looked superior than the Davenport guy who came from Houston. But all 5 players on the current Ohio State offensive line look superior to Prince, and many by wide margin.

In general I'm not a fan of devoting first round picks to offensive line. It has been a recent overreaction. Those guys are typically the weakest athletes on the team. It would be like drafting a shot putter to start a track and field roster. Offensive line is known for smart late blooming technicians, but guys who already have sufficient athletic ability. The early '70s glory years were loaded with that type. Just because the recent Dolphin picks have flopped doesn't mean you throw out a half century of logic and desperately believe it has to be first round. Players like Mason and Thuney and Armstead settle into 2nd through 6th round range. No reason the Dolphins can't begin identifying that caliber.

Deiter is okay but you'd prefer a more nimble higher upside guy. I was surprised they made such a safe pick but it seemed to be the trend in that draft. Christian Wilkins in the first round was a decent selection but difficult to see him becoming a star. Slimm posted recently it's like a half player. As I posted after that draft, my pick would have been Dexter Lawrence. He is a superior athlete to Wilkins by considerable margin and was rated above Wilkins at almost every stage of their careers. Only the bowl suspension and related adjustments shoved Wilkins alongside in the late going. Like so many prior examples, the Dolphins preferred late conventional wisdom to long term. I will never agree with that. Right now Lawrence is being extremely disruptive and is Pro Football Focus' 4th highest rated rookie. According to PFF, Lawrence since week one is second in interior pressure rate only to Calais Campbell.

I mostly agre3. If Amrstead went to a Power 5 school, I think he probably would have went in the 1st, and he would have likely been further along in his development. Outstanding athlete. Bigger picture, OL hits at a much better rate in the 1st than WR but - and I have to check this - at about the same rate as WR in the 2nd and 3rd. So, I think it really depends on your staff and situation. Relative to the talent on the field, this OL is playing better than any Miami OL in recent memory, so I have more faith in this team piecing together a capable unit without premium picks.
 
Last week Prince looked better than any point at Ohio State. He obviously has done some targeted conditioning work. More lean and athletic looking. It's the first time I've seen him look like a normal athlete and not a total disconnect between upper body and lower body.

Still, we're talking degrees. Prince looked superior than the Davenport guy who came from Houston. But all 5 players on the current Ohio State offensive line look superior to Prince, and many by wide margin.

In general I'm not a fan of devoting first round picks to offensive line. It has been a recent overreaction. Those guys are typically the weakest athletes on the team. It would be like drafting a shot putter to start a track and field roster. Offensive line is known for smart late blooming technicians, but guys who already have sufficient athletic ability. The early '70s glory years were loaded with that type. Just because the recent Dolphin picks have flopped doesn't mean you throw out a half century of logic and desperately believe it has to be first round. Players like Mason and Thuney and Armstead settle into 2nd through 6th round range. No reason the Dolphins can't begin identifying that caliber.

Deiter is okay but you'd prefer a more nimble higher upside guy. I was surprised they made such a safe pick but it seemed to be the trend in that draft. Christian Wilkins in the first round was a decent selection but difficult to see him becoming a star. Slimm posted recently it's like a half player. As I posted after that draft, my pick would have been Dexter Lawrence. He is a superior athlete to Wilkins by considerable margin and was rated above Wilkins at almost every stage of their careers. Only the bowl suspension and related adjustments shoved Wilkins alongside in the late going. Like so many prior examples, the Dolphins preferred late conventional wisdom to long term. I will never agree with that. Right now Lawrence is being extremely disruptive and is Pro Football Focus' 4th highest rated rookie. According to PFF, Lawrence since week one is second in interior pressure rate only to Calais Campbell.

This is what has me unsettled going into this offseason. Grier's drafting is loaded with steady eddie's instead of trying to get a premiere talent like Lawrence or even Brian Burns. Wilkins will probably be comparable to Jared Odrick when he's done here. You should be looking for those types in the middle rounds, not the 13th pick or even late in the first round.
 
It's a mindset with Grier. You can't draft difference makers if that's not your intent in the first place.

In order to compete with the best in the league and compete for championships, you have to hit on elite players. You have to take certain risks. Drafting "starters" here and there ain't gonna get it. That a C level performer.

There's a difference between an approach that just tries to keep you employed, and an approach that tries to win. Sometimes you have to risk losing to win.

The worst part is you can't be a dart thrower at the lines of scrimmage. If you can't be accurate at the lines of scrimmage - you can't compete with winning front offices.
 
I mostly agre3. If Amrstead went to a Power 5 school, I think he probably would have went in the 1st, and he would have likely been further along in his development. Outstanding athlete. Bigger picture, OL hits at a much better rate in the 1st than WR but - and I have to check this - at about the same rate as WR in the 2nd and 3rd. So, I think it really depends on your staff and situation. Relative to the talent on the field, this OL is playing better than any Miami OL in recent memory, so I have more faith in this team piecing together a capable unit without premium picks.

That's what I have been seeing as well. Has me encouraged. The oline coach has earned his paycheck. He's working with a bunch of meh but the oline hasnt been a dumpster fire. Yet.
 
That's what I have been seeing as well. Has me encouraged. The oline coach has earned his paycheck. He's working with a bunch of meh but the oline hasnt been a dumpster fire. Yet.
Not only that but he's getting guys that just got here and having to put them out there together a few days later. I'd like to see what he can do with a bit more talent and a whole off season working with the 5 starters.
 
Honestly not as many as youd think. But it also depends on who is available at what pick. If when the Steelers pick we have a shot at the Georgia tackle? You have to consider it. If we either the Steelers or Texans end up with a mid first and Creed Humphrey or the Wisconsin C are there? You consider it.
 
we have some young lineman

Boehm (26)
Calhoun (23)
Dieter (23)
Davis (28)
Prince (22)

I don't think adding another mid-round kid is the answer.

I think the answer Is using that FA money to shore up that line once and for all. Brandon Scherff needs to be a priority. Anthony Castonzo is another that I could see us overpaying for.

A Castonzo-Dieter-??-Calhoun/Boehm-Davis/Prince OL with this coaching staff tells me we can focus elsewhere in the draft.

The only thing that will be considered IMO is a center, especially with the infatuation with Erik McCoy here last year (myself included). Someone like Biadasz makes a TON of sense with that Texans pick (other than the gut feeling of trading Tunsil for a Center). He also has chemistry with Dieter which is obviously not a bad thing.

1. Tua
Steelers. Trade down
Trade down spot Biadasz (and get extra extra ammunition)
Texans Ruggs

Is not a bad first round
 
If the new brain trust is doing things the Patriot way, that usually means no o-line in round 1. They draft defence in 1st most of the time. Personally, I want Thomas, the tackle from Georgia, on the team somehow. Then go CB and pass rusher or WR.
 
One in the first and one in the third.
Rest will be FA additions.
Get the left side of Georgia' o-line, move Deiter to Center, hope we can outbid people for Scherff, Davis at RT.

We'd be in great shape...
 
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