I am still undecided regarding my feelings about how Miami did on day two of the draft. I love the Jamar Taylor pick; I'm not so sure about Will Davis and Dallas Thomas. So, instead of a long post analyzing each pick, I have decided to post videos of each players highlights and let you decide for yourselves. All videos courtesy of www.draftbreakdown.com.
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In my haste to put up a post yesterday regarding the Dion Jordan pick, I failed to give any real supporting data for why I love the acquisition. Today I plan to rectify this oversight on my part. Jordan is a freakish athlete and gives the Miami Dolphins a lot of flexibility and an added dimension; pass rushing has been sorely missed in Miami for several years. Not only does Jordan improve the front line of our defense, but his ability to rush the passer will take some of the pressure off of our existing corners. Finally, Jordan has elite speed and length and as an outside linebacker at Oregon was asked to cover tight ends and slot receivers, and he did it well. This added aspect to Jordan helps our defense out even further, as Miami will face many of the elite tight ends this season. Let's take a look at what makes Jordan so special, from a numbers standpoint.
In a move that sent shock waves throughout the entire draft audience, and Miami Dolphins fans everywhere, the newest member of the team is the defensive end/outside linebacker from Oregon Dion Jordan. Miami executed a trade with the Oakland Raiders to move up to the third selection in order to take Jordan. While most people, fans and prognosticators alike, assumed that Miami was trading up to secure LT Lane Johnson, they decided to take the pass rusher instead. Initially I, and I think most fans, hated the move. The more I think about it though, the better the move looks for us.
In the final installment of my three-part look into the Miami Dolphins draft strategy, I'm going to take a look at the third (and for me, final) round and how Miami can use this draft to address the final holes in their roster. As I am not yet a great evaluator, I am not going to attempt to evaluate the fourth through seventh rounds. Maybe next year.
As I mentioned in yesterday's post on Miami's first round choice, Miami has some very important holes that need to be filled. We still need a left tackle to protect Ryan Tannehill's blindside. We need at least one cornerback to put on the opposite side of Brent Grimes. We also need an elite pass rusher that we can put opposite of Cam Wake to give us some much needed skill up front. For all the talk of Miami's corners being weak last season, a lot of those issues would have been moot had Miami had another threat rushing the passer. With their first pick in the draft, I have Miami addressing a concern that is not mentioned here, the need for a playmaker on offense. The addition of Tyler Eifert will give our passing game an added dimension in someone who can attack the seams and poses a big target in the red zone. With Dustin Keller coming off of an injury and being on a one-year contract, the need for a TE who can be a bit more of a guarantee would not be a terrible pick for us.
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Chris Spooner. I am an overly-passionate Dolphins fan who has many opinions about his team, and the sports landscape as a whole. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy voicing them. Archives
July 2017
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