Nick13
Seasoned Veteran
1. Rolando McClain ILB Alabama
As much as it pains me to take talent that the Liar has produced, McClain is a must have. We need an anchor in our defensive middle and it becomes clearer every day that that isn't Channing Crowder. A tandem of Crowder and McClain would be pretty solid up front and give our ILB's some stability for years to come.
2. Cam Thomas NT North Carolina
I know he's a reach, but with Dan Williams off the board and all the weight issues surrounding Cody, Thomas is the next best NT and one I particularly like because he's a bit more mobile than the others, he's a big dude make no mistake, but he does more than just eat up a gap. If we don't grab Thomas here, we likely don't get him at all because he played well at the senior bowl, and i'm very skeptical of any NT not named Cam Thomas or Dan Williams.
3. Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona
His injury, and not having played for a year will hurt his stock, which means i think he'll be on the board when we pick in the 3rd. He'll be a top 5 TE in the league...just not right away. He'll DEFINITELY need time to hone his route running. He's got great awareness and extremely soft hands for a TE, so he won't be unproductive, but he relies INCREDIBLY on his size and athleticism to make plays in college as opposed to solid fundamentals. If he can get a little more crisp in his routes and really start to understand the game he could be one of the best of all time....I'm not joking here, I've watched every game Gronk has played (half of them in person), and he's got all the physical tools, and he's shown growth every year, if he keeps growing and getting smarter, he'll go down as one of the all time draft steals.
4. John Jerry OG Ole Miss
Dont kid yourself that our line is set. This is a Bill Parcells team and if there is a talent there for the trenches, he's taking him. Smiley has failed to impress me and our line has been subject to injuries on the interior the past couple of seasons. Jerry could likely push for a starting spot off the bat and would provide excellent depth. It's not a sexy pick, but an incredibly savvy pick.
6. O'Brien Schoefield OLB Wisconsin
Was on his way to being the story of the Senior Bowl as he worked to become an OLB after playing his entire college career as a DE. He showed a lot of flashes his first day as well. He probably wouldnt play this upcoming season...but to be perfectly honest, I can't think of a better pick here. Give him a season to watch film and learn from Jason Taylor (a guy who made the same switch much later in his career), and he could be a real diamond in the rough. Everything about the kid has been positive and the Senior Bowl coaches were already marveling at his work ethic in the first day of practice and he even picked off a pass--not something that most rush lineman-or any of our linebackers for that matter-can do.
6. Marcus Easley WR Connecticut
A lot of people want to go WR earlier, but honestly none of the WR's really warrant being picked in the first few rounds, none of them blow me away. Especially considering WR's drafted in the 1st 2 rounds rarely make an immediate impact. I have a feeling Easley could be our Marques Colston. The kid was a walk on and had a pretty solid senior campaign, with 8td's and over 800 yards. Shows the kid has a killer work ethic, combine that with his size at 6'2'' 216 and about 4.4-4.5 speed....well, he's Parcells dream receiver.
6. Joique Bell RB Wayne State
Basically was the team. Rushed for over 2k his senior campaign, he's a little on the slow side, but if he runs well at the combine could get a look in earlier rounds. Dolphins don't need a superstar or someone who is going to upset our backfield chemistry looking for touches, just someone who will work hard and push our guys. Bell, Hilliard and Cobbs would probably all be fighting for 2 spots during camp and the preseason.
7. Ekom Udofia NT Stanford
Parcells and Co like to have insurance policies in their drafts. Udofia is ours for Cam Thomas. Also, Soliai was solid, but not impressive, Udofia has had some injury issues, but when healthy has been effective. Low risk high reward pick.
7. Cam Nelson S Arizona
A decent safety, not a ball hawk or game changer, but not someone who is going to embarrass you either. Just a solid contributor. He's very good against the run and is solid covering TE's, lacks a little bit in deep coverage, but can work very well in tandem with a talented corner. Arizona's secondary was one of the best in the Pac-10 and Nelson was a big reason why, he was the 'glue' so to speak. He's also a decent blitzer and an excellent QB spy.
As much as it pains me to take talent that the Liar has produced, McClain is a must have. We need an anchor in our defensive middle and it becomes clearer every day that that isn't Channing Crowder. A tandem of Crowder and McClain would be pretty solid up front and give our ILB's some stability for years to come.
2. Cam Thomas NT North Carolina
I know he's a reach, but with Dan Williams off the board and all the weight issues surrounding Cody, Thomas is the next best NT and one I particularly like because he's a bit more mobile than the others, he's a big dude make no mistake, but he does more than just eat up a gap. If we don't grab Thomas here, we likely don't get him at all because he played well at the senior bowl, and i'm very skeptical of any NT not named Cam Thomas or Dan Williams.
3. Rob Gronkowski TE Arizona
His injury, and not having played for a year will hurt his stock, which means i think he'll be on the board when we pick in the 3rd. He'll be a top 5 TE in the league...just not right away. He'll DEFINITELY need time to hone his route running. He's got great awareness and extremely soft hands for a TE, so he won't be unproductive, but he relies INCREDIBLY on his size and athleticism to make plays in college as opposed to solid fundamentals. If he can get a little more crisp in his routes and really start to understand the game he could be one of the best of all time....I'm not joking here, I've watched every game Gronk has played (half of them in person), and he's got all the physical tools, and he's shown growth every year, if he keeps growing and getting smarter, he'll go down as one of the all time draft steals.
4. John Jerry OG Ole Miss
Dont kid yourself that our line is set. This is a Bill Parcells team and if there is a talent there for the trenches, he's taking him. Smiley has failed to impress me and our line has been subject to injuries on the interior the past couple of seasons. Jerry could likely push for a starting spot off the bat and would provide excellent depth. It's not a sexy pick, but an incredibly savvy pick.
6. O'Brien Schoefield OLB Wisconsin
Was on his way to being the story of the Senior Bowl as he worked to become an OLB after playing his entire college career as a DE. He showed a lot of flashes his first day as well. He probably wouldnt play this upcoming season...but to be perfectly honest, I can't think of a better pick here. Give him a season to watch film and learn from Jason Taylor (a guy who made the same switch much later in his career), and he could be a real diamond in the rough. Everything about the kid has been positive and the Senior Bowl coaches were already marveling at his work ethic in the first day of practice and he even picked off a pass--not something that most rush lineman-or any of our linebackers for that matter-can do.
6. Marcus Easley WR Connecticut
A lot of people want to go WR earlier, but honestly none of the WR's really warrant being picked in the first few rounds, none of them blow me away. Especially considering WR's drafted in the 1st 2 rounds rarely make an immediate impact. I have a feeling Easley could be our Marques Colston. The kid was a walk on and had a pretty solid senior campaign, with 8td's and over 800 yards. Shows the kid has a killer work ethic, combine that with his size at 6'2'' 216 and about 4.4-4.5 speed....well, he's Parcells dream receiver.
6. Joique Bell RB Wayne State
Basically was the team. Rushed for over 2k his senior campaign, he's a little on the slow side, but if he runs well at the combine could get a look in earlier rounds. Dolphins don't need a superstar or someone who is going to upset our backfield chemistry looking for touches, just someone who will work hard and push our guys. Bell, Hilliard and Cobbs would probably all be fighting for 2 spots during camp and the preseason.
7. Ekom Udofia NT Stanford
Parcells and Co like to have insurance policies in their drafts. Udofia is ours for Cam Thomas. Also, Soliai was solid, but not impressive, Udofia has had some injury issues, but when healthy has been effective. Low risk high reward pick.
7. Cam Nelson S Arizona
A decent safety, not a ball hawk or game changer, but not someone who is going to embarrass you either. Just a solid contributor. He's very good against the run and is solid covering TE's, lacks a little bit in deep coverage, but can work very well in tandem with a talented corner. Arizona's secondary was one of the best in the Pac-10 and Nelson was a big reason why, he was the 'glue' so to speak. He's also a decent blitzer and an excellent QB spy.
