As
training camp quickly approaches, I’ve held off on recapping the Dolphins’ draft. Since a high-round pick gets hurt before the season for a remarkable
number of seasons in a row, I was sort of waiting for that to happen, and sure
enough, second-round projected starting corner Xavien Howard got slapped on the
PUP list with a knee injury.
With that
out of the way, football is nearly here so it’s worth taking a look back at how
the latest incarnation of Miami’s ever-evolving front office fared in the
draft. Outside of first-round gift Laremy Tunsil, I actually liked what the
‘Fins did later in the draft this year. There were too many early-round gambles
and trades for my liking, but the team did land some intriguing prospects later
in the process to somewhat redeem this year’s effort.
With last year’s draft, I predicted the future with way too much accuracy. I hope to be pleasantly
wrong more often this time around.
And away
we go …
1st
Round, 13th Overall: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Mississippi
This
selection has received as much attention as any 13th-overall pick in
the history of the NFL Draft, so I’m not going to belabor the point. If Tunsil
can single-block an above-average end without getting the quarterback folded in
half, I don’t care if he has a one-hitter in one hand and a bag of Funyuns in
the other. Bottom line this was an easy pick whether Tunsil pans out or not.
Miami doesn’t usually have situations like this fall into their lap in a
positive way, and it was good to see them not overthink it.
2nd
Round, 38th Overall: Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor
So, forget
everything I said about the first pick and not overthinking it. The good vibes
from the Tunsil choice went out in the window quickly as the ‘Fins gave up a
fourth-round pick to move up four spots for a guy that wasn’t sparking a lot of
buzz (two Tunsil puns for the price of one, you’re welcome). If you’re going to
move up in this area, you do so for Miles Jack, who was the guy they really
wanted anyway. Granted, if Howard is one of your starting corners—and he’d
better be—on the first day of the season, all will be forgotten, but pick
management comes into question here.
3rd
Round, 73rd Overall: Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama
The
second-straight shaky pick came at another position of need, but there were
more proven backs available at this stage and even Drake admitted to being
surprised he went so early. This guy hasn’t been healthy since he was 13 years old,
and I just never want his value as a gunner on special teams to be a prominent
talking point for a third-round skill position player. Ever.
3rd
Round, 86th Overall: Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
The
third-straight headshaking pick, and you could make a compelling argument that
it is actually the fourth in four picks at this stage. Are you sensing a theme?
Miami gave up a ton to move back into the third round to get this kid, a
potential No. 4 wideout who had some off-the-field issues. Carroo is described
as a playmaker and has been compared to Antoine Boldin, and I’d love to see it.
In the short term, though, this trade knocked the ‘Fins out of some highly
valuable mid-round possibilities, making this a luxury move that I’m not sure
this team could afford at this point in their development.
6th
Round, 186th Overall: Jakeem Grant, WR, Texas Tech
The
Dolphins waited so long to pick again that it barely felt like the same draft.
When they did, however, they made one of my favorite selections in this electric
return man and slot project. If you’re going to load up on back-end picks at
the end of the draft, you take guys like this with a dominant skill and hope
they turn into something more. Even if Grant reduces some of Drake’s value as a
return guy (don’t get me started) and even if the NFL is dead set on reducing
the importance of special teams, Grant is still a playmaker type that I like in
this spot.
6th
Round, 204th Overall: Jordan Lucas, SS, Penn State
Miami
needed a safety, so this made some sense—until it was announced that Lucas
would line up at corner. But the ‘Fins need corners, too, so who the hell
knows. Lucas is a guy who has to hope he can buy himself enough time on special
teams to make the team for a year and transition to a new spot. I figured the
Dolphins would target a linebacker around this time of the draft, but again,
defensive backs are a massive need.
7th
Round, 223rd Overall: Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
No issues
at all with a development QB here; it’s smart to take one in probably every
draft. Doughty is an accurate kid who doesn’t possess a huge arm, but sees the
field well. At the very least, you can always use a camp arm and Doughty should
be aiming for a practice squad spot this year with the hope of becoming the
backup next year if Matt Moore moves on.
7th
Round, 231st Overall: Thomas Duarte, TE, UCLA
Like Lucas, Duarte is another transitional option as he goes from
wideout to tight end. He’s a very intriguing athlete, but the key is obviously
to see how he adapts to the blocking aspect of the game. Miami’s tight end
depth chart is sort of in flux, so there is long-term potential for Duarte to
earn a larger role if he can make the team as a rookie.
