Of all the problems Miami had last year, the two that loomed largest were its inability to stop the run and its inability to protect the passer. There was another problem, however, that cost them aplenty and probably was not readily apparent to the average fan, and that was their inability to pick up first downs in short yardage situations. In many incidences, this deficiency killed promising drives while in others it led to field goals instead of touchdowns. Coincidentally, Miami dropped six contests by three points or less. This mock draft seeks to resolve two of those problems – the inability to protect the passer and the inability to pick up first downs in short yardage situations. I’m hopeful that our off-season free agent pickups will shore up our run defense. So with that in mind, here’s how I’d like to see Miami’s draft shape up this weekend.
1. Jake Long (T)
2a. Antoine Cason (CB)
2b. Martellus Bennett (TE)
3. John Grecco (G)
4. Brian Johnston (DE/LB)
6a. Shannon Boatman (T)
6b. Jerome Felton (RB)
7a. Pierre Garcon (WR)
7b. Justin Harper (WR)
Jake Long (T, 6’7†313 lbs)
Parcells wasted no time locking up the 6’7â€, 313lb pocket-protector that is Jake Long with the first pick in the draft. Long actually helps solve two problems; he excels as a run-blocker and he has the size, strength and speed to overpower and wall off would-be sackers. I think this is a great pick.
Antoine Cason
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I got tired of seeing our defensive backs chasing other teams’ receivers into the endzone. With Cason and Allen as our starters and Lehan as our nickel guy, our secondary would be vastly improved. Moreover when our rivals spread the field on us, we would have the talent to match up with them.
Martellus Bennett (TE, 6’6†260 lbs)
A guy like Bennett should help Miami in two ways. He could serve as both a third tackle and receiving target on passing downs and he has the size and strength to block defensive ends and linebackers on running downs. His presence on the field along with Jake Long would bring an unprecedented physical presence to the Miami’s offense.
John Greco (6’5â€, 315 lbs)
Even after the Jake Long selection, Miami still has a huge hole on its offensive line. I’d like to see them fill it with Greco, a smart, strong, tough-guy whose forte is run-blocking. I think Miami should grab him here because I’m afraid he won’t be available when they pick in the fourth round. I’ve read where the Patriots are supposedly enamored with the possibility of reuniting him with his collegiate line mate Nick Kaczur.
Brian Johnston (DE, 6’5†280 lbs)
Referring to Brian Johnston Sports Illustrated said, “He is a complete defender who totaled 145 tackles and 38 tackles for loss the past two years. Johnston measured 6-5 and 280 pounds at his pro day last month and ran the 40 under 4.7 seconds. Two dozen teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, have expressed strong interest in Johnston.†I read somewhere that Miami is interested too. If he’s available here, I hope they pull the trigger.
Shannon Boatman (T, 6’8†320lbs)
This guy is a major sleeper in this class. At 6’8†320lbs, he’s actually bigger than Jake Long but the story doesn’t stop there. He has good feet too and I believe that if Miami picks him up, they would gain a great deal of strength, size and flexibility along the offensive line. He might not be available here but if he is, they should take him.
Jerome Felton (RB, 6’ 250 lbs)
Tired of getting stuffed in short yardage? Well 6’ 250lb Jerome Felton just might be the answer. Check out what the NFL network says about this guy. “Felton has quietly developed into one of the most dominant scoring machines in college football. Blessed with the quickness and lateral agility of a tailback, this bruising runner inside the red zone has outstanding body lean, as he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage only 15 times during his career for minus-22 yards on 575 rushing attempts while scoring 63 times on the ground. The school's all-time record holder in scoring with 414 points, he also excels in the classroom, twice earning Southern Conference academic accolades with a 3.25 grade point average in Political Science.†One can only imagine how much damage a guy like that running behind an offensive line that excels at run-blocking can do. I’d like to find out.
Pierre Garcon (WR, 6’1 210 lbs)
This guy seems to have it all – good speed, excellent strength, and good hands. So what makes him available this late in the draft? He played at a small school. The Dolphins have already given him a “once overâ€. Let’s see if they liked what they saw.
Justin Harper (WR, 6’4†217 lbs)
The 6’4†217lb Harper put up pretty good numbers at Virginia Tech despite inconsistent quarterback play. He’s an excellent athlete good size and speed and elusiveness. Could he be our Marques Colston?
1. Jake Long (T)
2a. Antoine Cason (CB)
2b. Martellus Bennett (TE)
3. John Grecco (G)
4. Brian Johnston (DE/LB)
6a. Shannon Boatman (T)
6b. Jerome Felton (RB)
7a. Pierre Garcon (WR)
7b. Justin Harper (WR)
Jake Long (T, 6’7†313 lbs)
Parcells wasted no time locking up the 6’7â€, 313lb pocket-protector that is Jake Long with the first pick in the draft. Long actually helps solve two problems; he excels as a run-blocker and he has the size, strength and speed to overpower and wall off would-be sackers. I think this is a great pick.
Antoine Cason
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I got tired of seeing our defensive backs chasing other teams’ receivers into the endzone. With Cason and Allen as our starters and Lehan as our nickel guy, our secondary would be vastly improved. Moreover when our rivals spread the field on us, we would have the talent to match up with them.
Martellus Bennett (TE, 6’6†260 lbs)
A guy like Bennett should help Miami in two ways. He could serve as both a third tackle and receiving target on passing downs and he has the size and strength to block defensive ends and linebackers on running downs. His presence on the field along with Jake Long would bring an unprecedented physical presence to the Miami’s offense.
John Greco (6’5â€, 315 lbs)
Even after the Jake Long selection, Miami still has a huge hole on its offensive line. I’d like to see them fill it with Greco, a smart, strong, tough-guy whose forte is run-blocking. I think Miami should grab him here because I’m afraid he won’t be available when they pick in the fourth round. I’ve read where the Patriots are supposedly enamored with the possibility of reuniting him with his collegiate line mate Nick Kaczur.
Brian Johnston (DE, 6’5†280 lbs)
Referring to Brian Johnston Sports Illustrated said, “He is a complete defender who totaled 145 tackles and 38 tackles for loss the past two years. Johnston measured 6-5 and 280 pounds at his pro day last month and ran the 40 under 4.7 seconds. Two dozen teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, have expressed strong interest in Johnston.†I read somewhere that Miami is interested too. If he’s available here, I hope they pull the trigger.
Shannon Boatman (T, 6’8†320lbs)
This guy is a major sleeper in this class. At 6’8†320lbs, he’s actually bigger than Jake Long but the story doesn’t stop there. He has good feet too and I believe that if Miami picks him up, they would gain a great deal of strength, size and flexibility along the offensive line. He might not be available here but if he is, they should take him.
Jerome Felton (RB, 6’ 250 lbs)
Tired of getting stuffed in short yardage? Well 6’ 250lb Jerome Felton just might be the answer. Check out what the NFL network says about this guy. “Felton has quietly developed into one of the most dominant scoring machines in college football. Blessed with the quickness and lateral agility of a tailback, this bruising runner inside the red zone has outstanding body lean, as he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage only 15 times during his career for minus-22 yards on 575 rushing attempts while scoring 63 times on the ground. The school's all-time record holder in scoring with 414 points, he also excels in the classroom, twice earning Southern Conference academic accolades with a 3.25 grade point average in Political Science.†One can only imagine how much damage a guy like that running behind an offensive line that excels at run-blocking can do. I’d like to find out.
Pierre Garcon (WR, 6’1 210 lbs)
This guy seems to have it all – good speed, excellent strength, and good hands. So what makes him available this late in the draft? He played at a small school. The Dolphins have already given him a “once overâ€. Let’s see if they liked what they saw.
Justin Harper (WR, 6’4†217 lbs)
The 6’4†217lb Harper put up pretty good numbers at Virginia Tech despite inconsistent quarterback play. He’s an excellent athlete good size and speed and elusiveness. Could he be our Marques Colston?