Round 2 - OT Jonathan Martin
Round 3 - DE Olivier Vernon
- TE Michael Egnew
Round 4 - RB Lamar Miller
Round 5 - OLB Josh Kaddu
Round 6 - WR B.J. Cunningham
Round 7 - DT Kheeston Randall
- WR Rishad Matthews
Chad Henne's injury marked the end of his tenure as the Dolphins' starting quarterback. Though Matt Moore played well in the second half of the season, he wasn't seen as the future at the position. After losing out on the Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn sweepstakes, they needed to acquire their quarterback of the future in the draft. On defense, Miami is switching to a 4-3, which is surprising considering the success that unit had last year.
Despite being fairly inexperienced at quarterback (he played receiver for two years!), Ryan Tannehill showed enough flashes, causing his draft stock to rise drastically. His skill set includes all the necessary tools for success - good arm strength and velocity, excellent mobility, and instinctive pocket awareness. Playing in a pro-style offense in college will aid him in the transition, but having his former head coach as his offensive coordinator will really give him an advantage. With a coach who knows all his strengths and weaknesses, Tannehill will be placed in the best position to succeed. He will most likely be starting by next year.
With his size and athleticism, Jonathan Martin looks the part of an NFL tackle. A finesse blocker, he lacks physicality to his game which concerned teams enough that he dropped to the second round. When in pass protection, he rarely allows defenders past him. His excellent balance, range and overall athleticism keep even the better pass rushers at bay. Nevertheless, though he plays fairly well when run blocking, his lack of explosion and natural power could translate into his struggling in that area. In Miami, he will play on the right side as a bookend to Jake Long.
Coming out early to escape the sanctions that will come down on the University of Miami, Olivier Vernon was drafted in the third round mostly because of his potential to play at a high level. He excels in exploding through gaps on the inside, but when matched up one on one, Vernon can still power his way through blocks. Adept at finding the ballcarrier, he should be an asset in stopping the run. However, playing too high takes away some of his natural power. Coaches can help improve his technique in this area though. While he doesn't fit as a prototypical edge speed rusher, Vernon can find his role on defense in a couple of years.
A move tight end from Mizzou, Egnew comes with questions concerning his ability to transition to the NFL, which former Mizzou tight ends Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman failed in. Because he lacks the speed and quickness to gain a lot of separation on underneath routes, he was asked to go into motion frequently. However, Egnew can run vertical, intermediate routes very well, and being a big target, he provides an inviting target. If utilized properly, he can threaten defenses, particularly in the redzone.
Injury-prone players tend to drop in the draft, which is the case with Lamar Miller. An explosive, big play threat, he uses his vision to find cutback lanes then dart through for a big gain. He lingers behind the line of scrimmage too often which leads to tackles for losses though. While Miller won't dominate by running between the tackles, he shows the ability to run through arm tackles and churn out yardage after contact. Because of his natural receiving skills, the Dolphins have discussed involving him as a receiver this year. Emerging as the lead back is a definite possibility for Miller in the future.
Josh Kaddu is an athletic linebacker who should fit in the Dolphins' scheme. Because he doesn't possess great instincts, Kaddu relies too much on his athleticism. Consistent in pass coverage but also decent rushing the passer, he can be a versatile player for this defense. As he develops and puts on some weight, he might play a key role for them. At first he should mainly contribute on special teams where he can put his great athleticism to use.
In the sixth round they took B.J. Cunningham who doesn't show much quickness or suddenness, but, nonetheless, he can be productive if used properly. With buildup speed as he gets into his route, he can threaten the defense downfield. Also, Cunningham will pluck the ball consistently away from his frame and will win most jump balls. On short passes his physicality allows him to break tackles and make plays. If he plays up to his ability, the receiver from Michigan State could contribute as a third receiver on the outside.
Once seen as an early round prospect, Kheeston Randall disappointed in his senior year and fell in the draft as a result. A massive man, he plays with natural power and eats up space. As he routinely gets better leverage than his opponent, Randall can shed blockers and move upfield consistently. Though he might have maxed out his potential, this was a pretty good pick in the seventh round.
With their last pick they took a flier on another late round receiver. A strong receiver who consistently plucks the ball, Matthews can play more than one receiver position. However, his lack of suddenness and speed doesn't bode well for his future in the NFL. He will probably hang out on the practice squad for his first couple of years in the league.
As Miami didn't draft many immediate impact players, don't expect an major improvement this year. Tannehill should eventually play at a high level. However, Jonathan Martin will have some adjustment period as his transitions to right tackle, which isn't his natural position. Vernon and Egnew will need time as well. Vernon didn't produce much when on the field, and Egnew will start behind Anthony Fasano and Charles Clay. Miller in the fourth round represented amazing value for a player that could far outplay his draft position on the field. None of their later round picks stood out.
No comments:
Post a Comment