Mel Kiper: Regrading the 2013 NFL draft

[Tiko377]

AFC East


Miami Dolphins
Round Pick Position Player College
(1) 3 DE Dion Jordan Oregon
(2) 54 CB Jamar Taylor Boise State
(3) 77 G Dallas Thomas Tennessee
(3) 93 CB Will Davis Utah State
(4) 104 LB Jelani Jenkins Florida
(4) 106 TE Dion Sims Michigan State
(5) 164 RB Mike Gillislee Florida
(5) 166 K Caleb Sturgis Florida
(7) 250 S Don Jones Arkansas State
Post-draft grade: B-

Summary: As I wrote in April, the Dolphins didn't have to give up a lot to move from No. 12 to No. 3, but it put an extra onus on them to get some value with that pick. And while Jordan flashes a ton of ability, he was highly ranked on my board, and we really don't know if he can stay on the field in a starter's role long term. He was a situational player who was on the field for about 30 percent of snaps as a rookie, during which he showed he can get to the QB. But if you're on the sideline that often, we have to take it into account because that's your coaches concealing things you can't do. After that? Well, there's not much to evaluate. I'm not sure any team in the NFL saw less from a rookie class. Sturgis did a decent job at kicker, but it's quiet elsewhere. This draft doesn't look as hot a year later, but Jordan has talent.

New grade: D+

 

[MP-Omnis]

Uh, black would be nice.

 

[arammell]

Its crazy how bad that draft was. Even worse is how good it looked on paper at the time. I still believe in Dion and think he will end up being a stud for years to come, but MAN did we strike out everywhere else! I'm crossing my fingers that Jamar can ever get healthy enough to amount to something!

 

[MP-Omnis]

It can still be alright in time. Those kids gotta get on the field though. So far the best player in the draft has been Don Jones. Pretty sad.

 

[Kebo]

It was a bad draft. We needed OL and we come away with Dallas Thomas and nobody else. I like a few of the picks but overall a very bad draft. I believe I could have done better, and many of the guys on here could have done better also.

 

[MP-Omnis]

We would be a pretty good team if CK and the boys ran that front office these past few years.

 

[CChambers84]

Don Jones played good

 

[Mudder1310]

I'm interested in seeing what those cats can do now that there are no health concerns. Injuries held back the first 4 picks.

 

[spiketex]

Joe doesn't like to rush the rookies. If you look at the Green Bay approach to the draft, they generally prefer to develop the rookies slowly, but they have a surprisingly high percentage of players they drafted on their roster. A better indication of how good or bad the 2013 draft will be this year. Pressure will be placed on the guys to step up.
It was interesting to see players emerge in the 2012 draft class last year like, Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, Rishard Matthews, even Michael Egnew made progress. (Hayden's snake buddy, regressed). Work off the assumption that Joe Philbin will prefer a longer timeline for players drafted. It appears that this was a significant issue between Ireland and Philbin.

 

[Kebo]

Joe doesn't like to rush the rookies. If you look at the Green Bay approach to the draft, they generally prefer to develop the rookies slowly, but they have a surprisingly high percentage of players they drafted on their roster. A better indication of how good or bad the 2013 draft will be this year. Pressure will be placed on the guys to step up.
It was interesting to see players emerge in the 2012 draft class last year like, Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, even Michael Egnew made progress. (Hayden's snake buddy, regressed). Work off the assumption that Joe Philbin will prefer a longer timeline for players drafted. It appears that this was a significant issue between Ireland and Philbin.

It's still a fail even if 4 or5 of those guys do ok because we did not even address the OL.

 

[DuderinoN703]

Can't blame the grade he gave. Jordan didn't play enough, Taylor was always hurt, Sturgis started off hot then cooked off, Will Davis played more but had mixed results, Dion Sims had a TD to beat the Falcons but that was his only highlight, and Don Jones had one play where he helped change momentum vs the Falcons.

Not enough action to warrant a better grade.

 

[WVDolphan]

We would be a pretty good team if CK and the boys ran that front office these past few years.

You sure about that?

You know, I never even thought about it this way before. I always call Brandon Weeden The Natural or Roy Hobbs. That's because of the way he plays football.

But I was just thinking that it applies in another way. This is a guy that gets drafted in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft out of high school, makes a million or two as a baseball player. Then he decides to walk-on at a prestigious BCS program as a football player, and eventually he's starting, setting every record there is at the school, competing for a championship, etc. He'll make millions in football.

And I've never thought much about it but this year he also successfully made Oklahoma State's golf team as a walk-on. I just looked it up, and Oklahoma State's 12 man golf team is ranked 2nd in the country. And he just walked on, just cuz he kind of likes it. He's got a 2 or 3 handicap when he gets things going.

This is one of those annoying guys that can have never played foosball a day in his life, you teach him how to play, and a week later he's winning thousand dollar foosball tourneys. Some day we're going to be watching him throwing touchdown passes for an NFL team and a lot of people are going to be asking themselves, how did we manage to overthink it on a guy THIS good?

:err:

 

[BennySwella]

Jeff Ireland at his best... anybody will be an upgrade over him... I don't even care who we hire next because they will undoubtedly be better.

 

[fakespike]

like a boss

 

[miamiron]

We have a problem here