There's no need to go o-line first
For those of us who are arguing that o-line should be the first priority, I beg to differ. There's nothing wrong with going into a draft planning on shoring up a position, and they definitely need to take offensive linemen; I don't think that anyone who has actually watched a Dolphins game in the last few years will argue with that.
But it's a matter of coordinating need with what's on the board. We needed an offensive lineman in the 2004 draft and look: we ended up with Vernon Carey. Is anyone really all that happy with him so far? I remember really, really wanting Shawn Andrews out of Arkansas in that draft. I was absolutely stunned when the Eagles moved up for him because I thought we were going to land our man, and I had no real backup plan. Now, I am more than a casual fan; obviously I do my homework to some extent so that I can have an informed opinion of whom the Dolphins should take, but I am afraid that the regime in place didn't think it through more than I did. Our result? A first-round bust.
Now, I will point out that Levi Brown is better than Vernon Carey; Brown actually has some Pro Bowl potential. But with that said, he's a reach at #9 and we're going to have one heck of a time trading down. I think the first thing we should do is accept that we are picking at #9, as annoying as that is, and then evaluate what's really going to be there.
My vote for a while has been for Alan Branch, a DT from Michigan. He's an extremely talented run-stuffer, and would give our d-line that extra youth and infusion of talent that we need to remain a good defense going forward. There are recent concerns raised about his conditioning, as he appeared to be a little bit out of shape at a recent workout, but I think he is sufficiently talented that we can ignore that. If Cam and Mueller decide that they don't like what they see, I suggest going with Amobi Okoye, also a DT, from Louisville. Don't forget that this is also a need position, and I think it's the best value to take at that point in the draft.
We happen to have 2 2nd-round picks, and I think the first of these is the right time to go o-line. If he's on the board, the Dolphins should take Joe Staley from Central Michigan. He's very athletic and has the best feet of any tackle in this class. He's not as polished as a Joe Thomas, but part of that is based on the fact that he came to college playing tight end and added weight.
Drew Stanton from Michigan St. might be the answer to our qb questions and may well be on the board with our 2nd 2nd-round pick. Zach Miller, a te from Arizona State, would also be a good pick.
My point is this: the Dolphins definitely need offensive linemen, but given the fact that the team does have a lot of other needs we should concentrate on getting the best value we can with each of our picks. Ultimately, this is not going to be a playoff team until our TEAM is good enough. It's not about fixating on one position. If the new regime is really in it for the long haul, they'll agree with me.
