Grading the Miami Dolphins 2011 NFL Draft

..and I mean lot of em….I’ve gotten used to Dolphin drafts. Taking a guard at 15 was a reach but, ok, I understand he was the best G we could do, and yeah, it was a need. The Thomas trade-up lost us a couple late rounders who would have been ST/PS players anyhow, so I’m ok with that I guess. The one guy I’m excited about is Gates; a WR with Ginn-esque speed only with hands and stones. Not hands of stone. I dont know anything about Clay other than his clips but from what you see, he looks good. Polite may be gone. The last two picks were the last two picks. Maybe Kearse is a relative of Jevon. That could be a good thing. And since Montana (school of Mines?) seems to be a breeding ground for future Dolphin stars, no surprise we take a Grizzly.

Anyway, even though I didnt get my QB, I’ll give our draft an optimistic B.

Not a kickoff return specialist who could one day develop into a WR. His route running is weak…. But he totally dominated at that level. I really only saw his 4.37 speed a few times too, but he was able to put it on when he needed it.

Them not drafting a QB (didn’t matter if it was in the first round or later ones, they didn’t draft one). Might come back to bite us in the you know what, especially with Mallett going to NE. Yeah, it was a reach getting Pouncey at 15, but he probably would have gone within the 10 right after that. Im not even sure if Pouncey is the best O lineman in the draft, lotta people made it sound like he was. Didn’t bother me that we didn’t take Ingram either, there’s a reason why he went at 27/28. And if the Saints didn’t trade back into the first, he might have been an early 2nd round pick. We filled a need, he’ll start right away, at Center or Guard, he’s the kind of guy Sparano likes.

Was wondering if Quinn was still there at our pick would we have picked him?

We picked up a RB, speedy WR, a hybrid TE, a DT(dont think he’ll make the squad, maybe practice squad) and a CB(who I gotta good feeling about).

We didn’t get our franchise QB. But it doesn’t surprise me. They are giving Henne one more chance and I’m fine with that, yeah those dumb 4th quarter picks cost us the game against the Lions and Browns. If he doesn’t lead us to a postseason berth this year he’s out. We then look for a first round talent in next years draft(not reach like the Titans and Vikings, think the 49ers reached a bit too, sorry Neo). I have a feeling we are gonna go after a QB in FA, probably Palmer or Orton. If thats the case let em battle it out with Henne.

Weren’t you the one who said drafting Pouncey first was your absolute “nightmare” scenario, not four days ago? And now you’re saying it could turn out to be one of Ireland’s best drafts to date?

Hmm…

It’ll be interesting to see who makes the cut, who gets injured, and who starts.

Wait a sec. oops, I’m talking about last year’s draft.

I know it’s part of da game. But I hate it when someone gets hurt, even if it’s someone we are playing against.

We even gave them the exact grade. I don’t disagree with one thing in your post (which is surprising).

I don’t understand the hate on taking Pouncy with our pick. I admit I had to sleep on it, but then I saw how the draft unfolded. Sometime you have just have to played the hand you are dealt. I would much rather take Pouncy than have selected Locker or Ponder that high.

Everybody is complaining about thomas not having great speed, however I compare him to backs like Michael turner, Cedric benson, and a little Jerome Bettis. None of those guys are track stars so let’s give the kid a chance. At least he runs hard- you can see the effort and toughness in his film. He runs a little upright, but remember he has only been a full-time rb a couple years which translates to high upside.

We filled every need we had. Now it is up to the coaches to max each players individual talents.

I really am disturbed by the number of people who say our draft was a bust becasue we didn’t take a QB. This years draft didn’t have one first round QB in my opinion. They were all over blown due to the small number available and the overall weakness at the position. Anyone who understands anything can see clearly that next draft is the one where a solid QB is going to come from.

It seems when talking HB everyone also is forgetting about Kory Sheetz. This guy is already on our roster as a HB and just may be the fastest guy on the field at any time. I mean he can fly. Come on people the tunnel vision around here is blinding you to all else that moves.

If you don’t agree, then why has it only been done 1 other time in 20+ years of the draft? So the Miami Front Office is the smartest in football for the last 20+ years? I doubt it. For the Pouncey pick to be justified, he has to be the best Center / Guard ever. Does anyone think that is remotely a possibility?

The franchise needs playmakers. And the Phins are counting on a 2nd round and a 4th round pick to be those playmakers. How often do those players succeed in the draft? The answer is not often.

I am hopeful that this draft will improve the team and I hope that everyone works out. I hope in a couple of years that we will look back and say this was an awesome draft. But right now, I am not that impressed to be honest.

not impressed either (except with Gates…love that pick!)…thing is, I just KNEW that when the Fins stayed at 15 that Pouncey would be it (even though I really thought that would suck), and that there would be complaints, and you are right CT, getting a guard that high in the draft almost never equates to good value or All-Pro status…but I hope that since
Sparano seems to know how to handle OL players (for instance, he did a great job with a sometimes head case, Incognito, and even Jerry, who was injured a lot last year), that Pouncey, who isn’t as good as his brother at this point, can be made to be as good as his brother at some point.

Hopefully, it runs in families: Vernon Davis sucked until 2009…and last year Vontae showed why he was a first rounder. Peria Jerry of the Falcons didn’t even play in 2009 due to injury but played well last year…hopefully his brother John can do the same in his second year, 2011. Maurkice played better than I think anyone thought he would in Pitt (who’d a thought the best Steeler OL would be a rookie?).

On the other hand, I am glad they didn’t draft Mark Ingram or Ryan Mallett (liked Mallett, but really question is he’s a first round talent…sorry, he’s got Ryan, as in Leaf not Matt, written all over him.) May be wrong but he’ll never do anything with the Pats.

Finally, having mid-first round picks like 15 (or anywhere between 13-20) is usually not the best place to draft. Hopefully, Ireland’s first draft without the “Tuna” works out well and we all should hope Ireland has more acumen than many on here give him credit for. I still think not drafting Dezzie boy last year at 12 was a stroke of genius.

Does anybody knows what’s the Pigmalion Effect means?

That’s why Patriots no need pick up players at the top of the draft. They squeeze all potential of their players. They take people, not players.

Since a lot of years ago, Phins FO don’t have any clue about how to draft. That’s our sad world.

And it needed to be a exciting draft. I’m not even talking about not drafting a QB. Drafting 1 speed guy doesn’t do it. We needed more. Daniel Thomas? 11 fumbles and 7 lost in two years. We traded up for that? There’s nothing more I hate than fumblers. I hope he fixes that problem because it’s only going to get harder in the NFL. A good power-back but count me as highly skeptical.

My grades
Pouncey B+ Will be great for us but I wanted a playmaker at 15. (Reaching was fine with me) Regardless he will help anchor our line for years
Thomas F- Is “F-” even possible? could be a B if he wasn’t a fumbler. That’s how much I hate fumblers.
Gates A+ Just what we needed.
Clay C good project. Needs to work on his blocking since all his positions require it.
Kearse C Good size. Good project
Wilson B+ Great Value. Just don’t mess with his family.

  2 good players
+2 good prospects
+1 Giant question mark
+1 Value pick
= C
I felt we needed to do more to make our offense more dynamic. I hope we add a fast back whenever FA starts. Of course i hope all will be starters but that isn’t realistic.

I’ll readily admit he was probably hands down the best C/G in the draft. I say probably because just like Newton and everyone taken afterward, Pouncey has yet to play a snap in the NFL. But a G doesnt carry the responsibility of a blindside tackle.. All I’m saying is: as good as Mike Pouncey is or ever will be…how much better is he than another widebody with quick feet taken in, say, round four five or six? How many guards not named Larry Little (cut by San Diego and picked up by the Phins as a FA) or Bob Keuchenberg (Free Agent) have the Dolphins really called impact players??

I’m still of the opinion that there were other needs as well as OL; impact players at skill positions that could have been taken at fifteen and OL addressed later. So we agree to disagree.

as “unsung heros’s”…their value is so under-rated.
Without them…nothing good works! [See Dolphins, last season]

Check our Jason Scotts comment above on 1st round C/G over the past several years.
[Logan Mankins…no value, right.]

[In my extra time] on Jimmy Wilson…..a very good football player! This is our ‘last’ draft pick who spent two years in jail for Murder. Talk about “off field” issues! Did he rob a liquor store? Was it a drug deal gone bad? NO! Is this kid worth it?

As he went to visit his aunt, he walked in on a man who was punching her….smashing his Aunts face and body with his fists. He ran, got a rifle, and saved his Aunt from her possible death by killing him!

A young black man guilty of killing another man gets a very high bail. One he could not afford, and cost him 2 years in prison, until it was deemed “justifiable” and he was acquitted. But after two years in prison does one just go back home…go back to school and play football?

It surely must have been an accident that Ireland heard about this kid in the first place. I mean he is the idiot savant who works in the FO…right?

To “everyone” else….this was just another black kid with a prison term. Why did Ireland gravitate to him? Why ask his couches about him? Mike Hudson….the LB coach on JW team said Jimmy Wilson was “THE” fiercest player he has ever coached! So what did Ireland do? Smack his lips and go after him? NO!

Ireland said, "I had to check ‘every’ coach, teacher, and schoolmate about the kid BEFORE he went to prison. Because “Prison” will change you."
Then we had to cross that, with what happened in his life and play…AFTER his release."

Ireland….what a fucking moron!

Seriously, I have more and more respect for this mans abilities to evaluate talent, everyday!

That had the Dolphins simply traded down to recoup a second round pick we may have very well had the same draft plus Mallet.

not drafted?
I mean I understand he might not be the prototypical size
but doesn’t 4.2 get you drafted?

The fumbling. The fumbling. The fumbling.

I’m gonna be optimistic, I really am; but my stomach will have a little lump in it until I see the kid get through 5 or 6 games without losing the rock.

It just popped up in my head. What happen if a team, like the Redskins, get the number one pick in the draft and need a QB, but what if the Patriots want to do everything possible to get Luck? Now they can go to the Redskins, say that they developed Mallett for a full season and he learned the game from one of the best in Brady PLUS we’ll package in 2 1st rounders and 2 2nd rounders for you to use this year. Teams might buy in on that and take it, IMO.
 
   Just a thought. If Mallett can stay out of trouble and say all the right things for a full year, he might be intriguing to a team who holds the number one pick.

But with Goody, you never know.

Hey, to be thinking like that, did you just take a monster bong hit of Cali’s finest?
LOL!

But with Hoody, you never know.

Hey, to be thinking like that, did you just take a monster bong hit of Cali’s finest?
LOL!

But with Hoody, you never know.

Hey, to be thinking like that, did you just take a monster bong hit of Cali’s finest?
LOL!

Watching my Lakers kick sum Mavs a$$!!!! Lol!

Dont know if I would go that far. LOL!

Dont know if I would go that far. LOL!