Offensive line is supposed to be a safe 1st round pick?

[Sivitra]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2319880-br-nfl-1000-top-35-left-tackles

I know we didn't even have an opportunity to draft most of these Tackles at the very bottom of the group but some of our fellow phin fans clamored about acquiring some of these names during their respective drafts such as Luke Joeckel, Matt Kalil, Eric Fisher and Jake Matthews. The only one I know of having any success from that group is Matt Kalil during his rooking season (Who, as you can see. Is not in the best place right now). That's a lot of misses for a position regarded highly at the top of the draft as being "safe". I know that group of guys are playing LT but I'm more comfortable with the idea of taking James at 19 to be a RT then blowing a high selection on any of those bums. The only guy worth squat that was taken high recently has been Lane Johnson... Who we should of taken over Dion Jordan and saved some money from the Albert contract or we could of stayed at 12 and grabbed Sheldon Richardson and with our 2nd round selection nabbed Kiko Alonso and kill 2 birds with 1 stone and avoid the Suh contract and signing Wheeler. **** YOU JEFF IRELAND!

 

[gregorygrant83]

There are no safe picks anymore. Fans and media figures have somehow developed the idea that a first round rookie straight out of the box should be better than a player who was a first round pick four years earlier and now has NFL experience. When the young player gets beat by an experienced pro people quickly jump ship and label the rookie a bust.

 

[spiketex]

There are no safe picks anymore. Fans and media figures have somehow developed the idea that a first round rookie straight out of the box should be better than a player who was a first round pick four years earlier and now has NFL experience. When the young player gets beat by an experienced pro people quickly jump ship and label the rookie a bust.

Gregorygrant is right, again. However, some picks are a lot safer than others. When Miami drafted Ryan Tannehill a few years ago, the safer pick was Luke Kuechly and he was snapped up with the following pick by Carolina. Kuechly was one of the few players that nearly everyone agreed was likely to be successful in the NFL (and he hasn't disappointed). However, we had a bigger need at QB and Tannehill has also turned out to be a great pick (one of Ireland's best) but he was much higher risk at the time.
Sometimes it is necessary to take a risk and other times it can be foolish. The year before we drafted Tannehill, there was plenty of speculation that we were interested in a QB like Jake Locker who ended up going to the Titans and is now retired from the NFL. Mike Pouncey turned out to be the safe draft pick and will be a Dolphin for many years, but if Jake Locker or Blaine Gabbert or Christian Ponder had been available when we picked, there is no guarantee that Pouncey would have been taken. Locker taken 8th, Gabbert taken 10th and Ponder taken 12th overall all turned out to be huge busts, and it is interesting that Tennessee subsequently drafted Marcus Mariota, Jacksonville - Blake Bortles and Minnesota - Teddy Bridgewater. If you don't have a QB you still need to invest high draft picks in them in the hope of finding one, but several years are lost in the process if it doesn't work out.
Miami had 16 QBs after Dan Marino before investing a 1st round pick on Ryan Tannehill. 2nd round draft picks were used on John Beck, Chad Henne and Pat White, but it is interesting to note how timid Miami was in investing a 1st round pick when opportunities to draft players like Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers and others were passed on for the "safer" picks like CB Jamar Fletcher.
There are no safe picks in the NFL.

 

[VCU2000]

If only we had a Crystal Ball.

 

[BB Ocho]

Better than a crystal ball... THIS:

 

[BlueFin]

Every college player is no more than a projection in evaluating them to be NFL players.

College football is the minor leagues.

Some players are safer than others though.....one good indicator is how a player fared when matched up against an opponent who went on to NFL success.

Quarterback is the single most important position in football....and the most difficult to play......so therefore they are naturally the riskiest position to gamble on.

You must however, continue picking them until you strike gold.

 

[fininpsl]

Better than a crystal ball... THIS:

Great Scott!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you've got it!

 

[BigNastyFish]

Most folks don't understand the draft. Key word is "projection." After that -- see how we dominated R5 this past draft!

 

[tay0365]

Most folks don't understand the draft. Key word is "projection." After that -- see how we dominated R5 this past draft!

Yea, we did potentially kick big-time butt in the 5th round...fingers crossed. If our draft went as well as it seems, we may have fixed a lot of issues with one draft.