Nick13
Seasoned Veteran
1. Jake Long T Michigan
My Analysis:
he's the right pick. he addressed one of, if not our biggest need and gave us flexibility in the later rounds because we didnt need a tackle.
Best Case Scenario:
Becomes a franchise left tackle and anchors our line for the next 10 years.
Worst Case Scenario:
he becomes a top RT in the league.
Value:
Extremely High, If he doesnt pan out on the left side, we can move him to the right and he should thrive there, either way we have a top olineman for the next few years.
Grade:
A
2a. Phillip Merling DE/OLB Clemson
My Analysis: i didnt really have feelings either way. He raised my eyebrows becuase i was suprised he was still on the board, as he was rated as the number 3 DE.
Best Case Scenario:
Supplants Jason Taylor and becomes our edge rusher
Worst Case Scenario:
He becomes the Bill Parcells Version of Matt Roth
Value:
Moderately High, he was rated a lot higher than this on a lot of boards, and there for has high value for that. he should get a roster spot based on his run stuffing ability, but his ability to develop pass rushing skills at the next level will be what makes or breaks him in the eyes of Dolphins fans.
Grade:
B
2b. Chad Henne QB Michigan
My Analysis: not a pick i was happy with. i didnt feel any QB in this draft warranted a 1-2 round pick, especially not for a team that drafted a QB in round 2 last year. i wanted to see John Beck get a chance. plus, i like next years QB class better, and we have now crippled ourselves in grabbing a QB next year. Let's make a scenario here: Chase Daniels (random example) blows up next year and him and Tebow are the top QB's on the board, we are picking in the top ten, and Daniels falls to us...do we become the Lions and pick a first day QB 3 years in a row? (the Lions did it with WR's), or do we pass and pick somewhere else even though we know the QB on the baord is better than what we have? it's not pretty.
Best Case Scenario:
He becomes our starting QB. I doubt Henne is going to be the next Tom Brady, he doesnt have a chin dimple for one, but he could become a solid starter in the league, a guy who isnt going to make pro bowls, but is the clear cut number one qb on our roster.
Value:
Low, it is likely that he still would have been there at our pick in the third round, of the teams that picked behind us, only Tampa and Detroit could have picked a QB, and at the point we made this pick, we picked ahead of Detroit (the trade changed that, but the trade wouldnt have happened if Henne was on the board), so that leaves Tampa, and Tampa already has a bunch of QB's on their roster, even so, we could have played chicken with Tampa if they had wanted him and called them and said, "you want Henne, so do we, who wants him more? if you want him more, show us by making it worth our while to trade the pick to you, if not, we'll pick him and you miss out".
Grade:
D+
3. Kendall Langford DE Hampton
My Analysis:
This one had me scratching my head. when you see the talent that was on the board at the time: Early Doucet, Dan Connor, Phillip Wheeler, Charles Godfrey, Brad Cottam, Pat Sims, Shawn Crable, Jeremy Zuttah, Tom Zbikowski, Marcus Harrison, and Cliff Avril. All those guys would have filled needs for us, and i dont think that Langford is going to end up being the best of that bunch in the league.
Best Case Scenario:
Langford develops into a solid run stopper and a good pass rusher, had 8 sacks from DT in 07, but level of competition is a factor.
Worst Case Scenario:
He becomes Eddie Moore and Doucet becomes Anquan Boldin. sorry to bring it up, but it seems like a bone head move on that level.
Value:
Very Low, I think he might have been on the board with our 4th rounder, and even if he wasnt, there were plenty of better players without the questions of competition level. I feel like this is a guy who Parcells and Co fell in love with and were dead set on taking in this round regardless of who else was there, not a very savvy draft strategy. We also probably could have traded down further here as there was so much talent still on the board and still gotten him later in the round. He also doesnt really fill a need, we have guys thay play the DE position pretty well, they're a bit long in the tooth sure, but in the third round, i dont think its the right time to be thinking about that when we have so many other needs.
Grade:
D+
4. Shawn Murphy OG Utah State
My Analysis:
his bench of 29 reps is impressive, but i think that he is another reach here. With Anthony Collins still on the board i dont know why we took a lower tier olineman, since Collins was projected by most to be a second rounder, and could have made a top notch guard OR a solid tackle. Dre Moore was also on the board, another guy projected to go in round 2. Does solidify our line as we need depth and he provides that, but again, coming from a small school competition level is a concern.
Best Case Scenario:
Starts at Guard from day one and plays solid for a few years.
Worst Case Scenario:
he never sees the field, and turns out to be a Joe Toledo.
Value:
Low, with a better lineman on the board, i dont know why we picked him, but if he does end up starting for us, i'll eat crow and tip my hat to Parcells for finding us someone to man that huge hole at guard.
Grade:
C+
6a. Jalen Parmele
My Analysis:
A really good pick. We all hope he becomes a Michael Turner type, and in the 6th round, he's not a huge risk. We needed someone who was going to pound between the tackles so that Ronnie can take a little less punishment, and can run against a softer defense. he put up sick combine numbers, at 224 he ran a 4.47 40, and had a 41.5 inch vertical. Is a solid pass catcher. To get that kind of athleticism in the 6th round is fantastic.
Best Case Scenario:
Becomes our second back and will run for 500-700 yards a season, and be a big time goal line threat with his size, speed and leaping ability-(Imagine him jumping over the pile with a 41.5 inch vertical).
Worst Case Scenario:
Becomes a solid special teamer, with his athletic ability, he's a great choice for kick return/punt return teams as well as coverage. with his vertical, could be a kick blocking specialist.
Value:
High. it's hard to see a downside when you get such a superb athlete, in the 6th round, i think only Ahyta Rubin, or Paul Hubbard would have been better value, and Hubbard has significant injury questions. Having him in the fold makes me feel a lot better about things if Ronnie gets injured again (god forbid).
Grade:
B+
6a. Donald Thomas OG Connecticut
My Analysis:
didnt get this one, i know we need depth on the o line, but we had other needs, and i felt that this might have been the time to go secondary, with Josh Barrett still on the board, i dont know how we dont pull the trigger on him.
Best Case Scenario:
He gives a camp battle for the starting guard spot with Murphy and Mormino and wins and starts for us.
Worst Case Scenario:
He doesnt make the final roster.
Value:
Low. When there is a top notch safety on the board inexplicably in round 6, and your secondary is horrible, you pull the trigger, we already drafted a guard, was it worth it to get two?
Grade:
C
6c. Lex Hilliard RB Montana
My Analysis:
HUH!? two RB's in one round? WTF? this pick i totally dont get. he projects as a fullback, but we had a fullback (Mauia) and we signed one in FA (Grigsby), why do we need THREE?! to me, this was a bonehead pick, i dont know what he would provide us that, again, Josh Barrett or Caleb Campbell wouldnt have done and thensome for our secondary? Adrian Arrington and Mario Urrutia would have made more sense here as well.
Best Case Scenario:
he becomes our starting FB, and we waste money on Grigsby and Mauia
Worst Case Scenario:
He doesnt make the final roster and we wasted a pick on him
Value:
Invisible. i dont see how when two really good safeties are still on the board and two pretty solid WR's are there, you dont jump on that as both of those are need areas. Adding a THIRD fullback seems incredibly foolish, even at the end of the 6th round. Even if Hilliard starts this season, we still wasted money on Grigsby and Mauia (and in Mauia's case a pick, though that isnt the fault of this regime).
Grade:
F
7. Lionel Dotson DT/DE Arizona
My Analysis: I. LOVE. THIS. PICK. not only because i got to University of Arizona, and had him in my mock draft, but because i love what he brings. He's got a non stop motor, and i know you hear that a lot, but with Dotson, it's the god's honest truth, he is relentless. His biggest knock is size, but since we'll most likely be moving him to end, that shouldnt be as big of a problem, he's not a small guy by any means at 6'4'' 296, but that is small to match up against interior Pac-10 lineman...which brings me to my next point, he was facing off against some of the top Oline talent in the country playing in the Pac-10 conference, Chilo Rachal, Roy Scheuning, and Drew Radovich were rated as the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th guards in the draft respectively, and Mike Pollack was the top rated Center, so level of competition certainly isnt an issue, especially considering he got 6.5 sacks against that competition. since he's moving to end, he should thrive and his size will become less of an issue. he's also an incredbily hard worker.
Best Case Scenario:
he starts at DE for us. (i'm serious. watch out for this kid)
Worst Case Scenario:
he provides us depth or situational play
Value:
Extremely High, he's the perfect end for our system, level of competition isnt an issue (like with Langford), and you get him in the 7th round, doesnt get much better than that.
Grade:
A+
Overall grade:
About a B-. not bad by any means, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered by these guys, can Langfords abilites transfer to this high level of competition? is Merling going to be a run stuffer or a pass rusher? are either of these guards really long term solutions? it's going to depend on how these, and other questions get answered before the draft can truly be graded, but as it stands right now, i'm very happy with three of our picks, Long, Dotson, and Parmele. Moderately happy with Murphy. questioning about Henne, Langford, and Thomas. And unhappy with Hilliard
My Analysis:
he's the right pick. he addressed one of, if not our biggest need and gave us flexibility in the later rounds because we didnt need a tackle.
Best Case Scenario:
Becomes a franchise left tackle and anchors our line for the next 10 years.
Worst Case Scenario:
he becomes a top RT in the league.
Value:
Extremely High, If he doesnt pan out on the left side, we can move him to the right and he should thrive there, either way we have a top olineman for the next few years.
Grade:
A
2a. Phillip Merling DE/OLB Clemson
My Analysis: i didnt really have feelings either way. He raised my eyebrows becuase i was suprised he was still on the board, as he was rated as the number 3 DE.
Best Case Scenario:
Supplants Jason Taylor and becomes our edge rusher
Worst Case Scenario:
He becomes the Bill Parcells Version of Matt Roth
Value:
Moderately High, he was rated a lot higher than this on a lot of boards, and there for has high value for that. he should get a roster spot based on his run stuffing ability, but his ability to develop pass rushing skills at the next level will be what makes or breaks him in the eyes of Dolphins fans.
Grade:
B
2b. Chad Henne QB Michigan
My Analysis: not a pick i was happy with. i didnt feel any QB in this draft warranted a 1-2 round pick, especially not for a team that drafted a QB in round 2 last year. i wanted to see John Beck get a chance. plus, i like next years QB class better, and we have now crippled ourselves in grabbing a QB next year. Let's make a scenario here: Chase Daniels (random example) blows up next year and him and Tebow are the top QB's on the board, we are picking in the top ten, and Daniels falls to us...do we become the Lions and pick a first day QB 3 years in a row? (the Lions did it with WR's), or do we pass and pick somewhere else even though we know the QB on the baord is better than what we have? it's not pretty.
Best Case Scenario:
He becomes our starting QB. I doubt Henne is going to be the next Tom Brady, he doesnt have a chin dimple for one, but he could become a solid starter in the league, a guy who isnt going to make pro bowls, but is the clear cut number one qb on our roster.
Value:
Low, it is likely that he still would have been there at our pick in the third round, of the teams that picked behind us, only Tampa and Detroit could have picked a QB, and at the point we made this pick, we picked ahead of Detroit (the trade changed that, but the trade wouldnt have happened if Henne was on the board), so that leaves Tampa, and Tampa already has a bunch of QB's on their roster, even so, we could have played chicken with Tampa if they had wanted him and called them and said, "you want Henne, so do we, who wants him more? if you want him more, show us by making it worth our while to trade the pick to you, if not, we'll pick him and you miss out".
Grade:
D+
3. Kendall Langford DE Hampton
My Analysis:
This one had me scratching my head. when you see the talent that was on the board at the time: Early Doucet, Dan Connor, Phillip Wheeler, Charles Godfrey, Brad Cottam, Pat Sims, Shawn Crable, Jeremy Zuttah, Tom Zbikowski, Marcus Harrison, and Cliff Avril. All those guys would have filled needs for us, and i dont think that Langford is going to end up being the best of that bunch in the league.
Best Case Scenario:
Langford develops into a solid run stopper and a good pass rusher, had 8 sacks from DT in 07, but level of competition is a factor.
Worst Case Scenario:
He becomes Eddie Moore and Doucet becomes Anquan Boldin. sorry to bring it up, but it seems like a bone head move on that level.
Value:
Very Low, I think he might have been on the board with our 4th rounder, and even if he wasnt, there were plenty of better players without the questions of competition level. I feel like this is a guy who Parcells and Co fell in love with and were dead set on taking in this round regardless of who else was there, not a very savvy draft strategy. We also probably could have traded down further here as there was so much talent still on the board and still gotten him later in the round. He also doesnt really fill a need, we have guys thay play the DE position pretty well, they're a bit long in the tooth sure, but in the third round, i dont think its the right time to be thinking about that when we have so many other needs.
Grade:
D+
4. Shawn Murphy OG Utah State
My Analysis:
his bench of 29 reps is impressive, but i think that he is another reach here. With Anthony Collins still on the board i dont know why we took a lower tier olineman, since Collins was projected by most to be a second rounder, and could have made a top notch guard OR a solid tackle. Dre Moore was also on the board, another guy projected to go in round 2. Does solidify our line as we need depth and he provides that, but again, coming from a small school competition level is a concern.
Best Case Scenario:
Starts at Guard from day one and plays solid for a few years.
Worst Case Scenario:
he never sees the field, and turns out to be a Joe Toledo.
Value:
Low, with a better lineman on the board, i dont know why we picked him, but if he does end up starting for us, i'll eat crow and tip my hat to Parcells for finding us someone to man that huge hole at guard.
Grade:
C+
6a. Jalen Parmele
My Analysis:
A really good pick. We all hope he becomes a Michael Turner type, and in the 6th round, he's not a huge risk. We needed someone who was going to pound between the tackles so that Ronnie can take a little less punishment, and can run against a softer defense. he put up sick combine numbers, at 224 he ran a 4.47 40, and had a 41.5 inch vertical. Is a solid pass catcher. To get that kind of athleticism in the 6th round is fantastic.
Best Case Scenario:
Becomes our second back and will run for 500-700 yards a season, and be a big time goal line threat with his size, speed and leaping ability-(Imagine him jumping over the pile with a 41.5 inch vertical).
Worst Case Scenario:
Becomes a solid special teamer, with his athletic ability, he's a great choice for kick return/punt return teams as well as coverage. with his vertical, could be a kick blocking specialist.
Value:
High. it's hard to see a downside when you get such a superb athlete, in the 6th round, i think only Ahyta Rubin, or Paul Hubbard would have been better value, and Hubbard has significant injury questions. Having him in the fold makes me feel a lot better about things if Ronnie gets injured again (god forbid).
Grade:
B+
6a. Donald Thomas OG Connecticut
My Analysis:
didnt get this one, i know we need depth on the o line, but we had other needs, and i felt that this might have been the time to go secondary, with Josh Barrett still on the board, i dont know how we dont pull the trigger on him.
Best Case Scenario:
He gives a camp battle for the starting guard spot with Murphy and Mormino and wins and starts for us.
Worst Case Scenario:
He doesnt make the final roster.
Value:
Low. When there is a top notch safety on the board inexplicably in round 6, and your secondary is horrible, you pull the trigger, we already drafted a guard, was it worth it to get two?
Grade:
C
6c. Lex Hilliard RB Montana
My Analysis:
HUH!? two RB's in one round? WTF? this pick i totally dont get. he projects as a fullback, but we had a fullback (Mauia) and we signed one in FA (Grigsby), why do we need THREE?! to me, this was a bonehead pick, i dont know what he would provide us that, again, Josh Barrett or Caleb Campbell wouldnt have done and thensome for our secondary? Adrian Arrington and Mario Urrutia would have made more sense here as well.
Best Case Scenario:
he becomes our starting FB, and we waste money on Grigsby and Mauia
Worst Case Scenario:
He doesnt make the final roster and we wasted a pick on him
Value:
Invisible. i dont see how when two really good safeties are still on the board and two pretty solid WR's are there, you dont jump on that as both of those are need areas. Adding a THIRD fullback seems incredibly foolish, even at the end of the 6th round. Even if Hilliard starts this season, we still wasted money on Grigsby and Mauia (and in Mauia's case a pick, though that isnt the fault of this regime).
Grade:
F
7. Lionel Dotson DT/DE Arizona
My Analysis: I. LOVE. THIS. PICK. not only because i got to University of Arizona, and had him in my mock draft, but because i love what he brings. He's got a non stop motor, and i know you hear that a lot, but with Dotson, it's the god's honest truth, he is relentless. His biggest knock is size, but since we'll most likely be moving him to end, that shouldnt be as big of a problem, he's not a small guy by any means at 6'4'' 296, but that is small to match up against interior Pac-10 lineman...which brings me to my next point, he was facing off against some of the top Oline talent in the country playing in the Pac-10 conference, Chilo Rachal, Roy Scheuning, and Drew Radovich were rated as the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th guards in the draft respectively, and Mike Pollack was the top rated Center, so level of competition certainly isnt an issue, especially considering he got 6.5 sacks against that competition. since he's moving to end, he should thrive and his size will become less of an issue. he's also an incredbily hard worker.
Best Case Scenario:
he starts at DE for us. (i'm serious. watch out for this kid)
Worst Case Scenario:
he provides us depth or situational play
Value:
Extremely High, he's the perfect end for our system, level of competition isnt an issue (like with Langford), and you get him in the 7th round, doesnt get much better than that.
Grade:
A+
Overall grade:
About a B-. not bad by any means, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered by these guys, can Langfords abilites transfer to this high level of competition? is Merling going to be a run stuffer or a pass rusher? are either of these guards really long term solutions? it's going to depend on how these, and other questions get answered before the draft can truly be graded, but as it stands right now, i'm very happy with three of our picks, Long, Dotson, and Parmele. Moderately happy with Murphy. questioning about Henne, Langford, and Thomas. And unhappy with Hilliard
