Swimming Upstream, Tuna’s Solid First Draft Falls Short Of Great

The Dolphins appeared to have a solid draft this weekend, getting things off to a great start by locking up first overall pick Jake Long in the middle of the week to take some pressure off. The first day went very well for Miami, with Long being followed by a guy that many had going in the first round, defensive end Philip Merling, and then snapping up signal-caller Chad Henne, who found himself sliding all the way down the second round.

Henne was snared with the pick acquired from San Diego in the trade for Chris Chambers, which would appear to be a fair swap for both sides at this point. Also, prior to the draft, Miami sent a fourth-rounder to Dallas in exchange for potential starters Anthony Fasano (tight end) and Akin Ayodele (linebacker). Plus, to recoup that fourth-rounder, the ‘Fins sent promising back Lorenzo Booker to the Eagles for Philly’s pick in that round. While I was initially disappointed in the decision to send Booker packing, essentially Miami got Fasano and Ayodele for Booker, which is a trade I can definitely live with.

After a first day that had me optimistic and satisfied, I was somewhat disappointed with Miami’s work on the all-important second day. I was amazed that the Dolphins didn’t select any secondary players, since Miami’s defensive backfield is nondescript, unimposing, thin and lacking in established players. The ‘Fins also didn’t come away with a wide receiver, another position group where the team is absolutely screaming for help. I fear that the triumvirate of Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano got a little too cute on the second day, and appeared to go away from their philosophy of selecting established, productive, injury-free, high-character prospects from name programs. Obviously, we won’t know for sure for two or three more years, but I felt the momentum gained and generated on day one wasn’t carried over to the second day.

All in all, however, I am pleased with Miami’s haul — especially in light of the failures of recent drafts. Six of the nine picks were linemen, fulfilling an enormous need on both sides of the line of scrimmage for the 'Fins, who are finally prescribing to the philosophy that games are won and lost in the trenches. If the team can get three starters next year from the Class of 2008, I’ll be very happy.

First round (number freaking one overall): OT Jake Long, Michigan, 6-7, 315 pounds
Notes: Ideal pick for the ‘Fins, and one that would have been screwed up royally by Rick Spielman, Dave Wannstedt, Rick Mueller, Cam Cameron, Jimmy Johnson or Nick Saban. A behemoth offensive lineman who automatically makes Miami better at three positions: left tackle (where he’ll play), right tackle (they can switch Vernon Carey from left to right tackle, where he’s a better fit) and quarterback (whether it’s Josh McCown, John Beck or even Chad Henne).

Second round (32nd overall): DE Philip Merling, Clemson, 6-5, 272
Notes: Big kid who played in Gaines Adams’s shadow for the underachieving Tigers in the not-so-hot ACC. You never want to read “recovering from a sports hernia” with a high-round pick, but this is a guy who could push Matt Roth for playing time and eventually assume Jason Taylor’s spot along the Dolphins’ defensive line.

Second round (57th overall): QB Chad Henne, Michigan, 6-2, 225
Notes: Forever to be known as the “Green Lantern Jaw,” Henne has a jaw that’s bigger than the rest of his head, then slid down the draft rankings as Saturday progressed. He was rumored to be a Miami target with the 32nd overall pick, which would not have been a good value selection. However, nabbing him at No. 57 is a solid move for a guy that could challenge Beck and McCown for playing time relatively early, thanks to a four-year starting career at Michigan and a gritty demeanor. He’ll love having his Wolverines teammate, Long, protecting his backside as well.

Third round (66th overall): DE Kendall Langford, Hampton, 6-6, 295
Notes: The ‘Fins tried to get a little too clever here and got burned, in my opinion. Having the first overall pick on Day 2 should’ve given the team all evening to field trade offers, re-evaluate the board, reshuffle priorities and land a highly overlooked player. Instead, Miami traded down two spots (for a sixth-rounder), and speculation is that the player they had targeted, guard John Greco of Toledo, was taken one spot before their pick here by the St. Louis Rams. So the Dolphins doubled up on defensive ends, going against their m.o. by taking a small-school, unproven product here. Langford has terrific size and is reportedly a strong fit for a 3-4 defense, but with overwhelming needs along the offensive line and in the secondary, I felt the ‘Fins dropped the ball here and missed out on a great opportunity.

Fourth round (110th overall): OT Shawn Murphy, Utah State, 6-4, 320
Notes: Miami traded up to grab Murphy here, which could have been a reaction move in missing out on their offensive line guy in the third round. Shawn is the son of Dale Murphy, former Atlanta Braves outfielder with an Austin Powers-worthy mole; no truth to the rumor that the ‘Fins used a seventh-round pick to choose Shawn’s father’s mole. Murphy was a guy that the Miami papers had been talking up in recent weeks, so you knew that the Dolphins had a heavy interest in him. As a 25-year-old rookie, he’ll have added maturity and an opportunity to play early, but the question becomes how he’ll handle the transition to right guard, since the starting tackle spots would appear to be locked up already.

Sixth round (176th overall): RB Jalen Parmele, Toledo, 6-0, 224
Notes: A vowel away from being a distant cousin of one-time Dolphins fan-favorite Bernie Parmele, this kid is reputedly a bruising runner. With Ronnie Brown coming off a serious knee injury; Ricky Williams being, well, Ricky Williams; Lorenzo Booker having been traded to Philadelphia; and fellow draftee Hilliard most likely switching to fullback, it would appear that Parmele would have a shot to make the team if he can shine on special teams early on.

Sixth round (195th overall): OG Donald Thomas, Connecticut, 6-4, 303
Notes: Here's the beef: the third offensive line selection for the Dolphins in this draft. A former walk-on with little football experience, so he’ll be a project at best for Miami down the road. Further complicating matters, he attacked a fast-food worker during his junior year in Storrs (they didn’t Super-size his fries, maybe?), so character flags are out there as well. This looks like purely a flier pick on a guy with the measurables that teams like, minus the productivity, experience, self-control and healthy eating habits. Good luck, Donald.

Seventh round (204th overall): RB Lex Hilliard, Montana, 5-11, 228
Notes: Besides looking a lot like former NBA bust Kenny “Sky” Walker, Hilliard fought through some series injuries at Montana to emerge as a hard-charging back. Obviously, the competition level he faced is a huge question mark, and his injury background is what relegated him to the tail end of the NFL Draft. But he’s a guy who will likely be transitioned to fullback. And since Miami’s starting fullback is best known for running through drywall and attacking people on South Beach instead of actually, like, playing football, let’s just say that Hilliard will have a very good opportunity to make the team despite his low draft status.

Seventh round (245th overall): DE Lionel Dotson, DE, Arizona, 6-4, 296
Notes: Tabbed as another “project player,” Dotson is another guy who fits the mold of what Miami is looking for in its 3-4 defensive linemen. He could be a swing player for the ‘Fins, moving inside to tackle in certain situations or coming off the edge in others. His best attribute would appear to be his non-stop motor, and if there’s one thing that Bill Parcells prizes, it’s players that go all out, every play. Dotson is a guy who could wind up on the developmental practice squad if he can show some flashes of potential in training camp. At the very least, you can never argue with taking a flier on a jumbo athlete along the line of scrimmage in the seventh round.