There has been a ton of talk recently about the rising stock of Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston, especially among Dolphin fans. He had a terrific workout at the Scouting Combine, which made his stock soar even more. And it's gotten to the point where some Dolphin fans are calling for Gholston to be Miami's #1 overall pick.
This talk has increased even more amongst Dolphin fans because of the following report by Adam Schefter:
Miami, which owns the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, sent its defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni to Columbus to personally work out Gholston on Monday morning. Miami is scheduled to pick first overall.
The night before the workout, the Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, who have the second pick, each took Gholston to dinner. Gholston had two dinners Thursday night, and two private workouts Monday.
Here's the thing about Gholston, though, that worries me a bit. He seems to potentially be a "workout wonder," one of those guys whose measurables impress scouts so much that they rate him higher than he should be rated.
Also, there's some question as to whether or not Gholston would have the ability to be effective as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Will he be able to play the run well? Does he have the ability to drop back in coverage effectively? Those are key questions.
Below is a little tidbit from the Sporting News' Russ Lande:
The fact that he might not be very fluid in the hips is worrisome from the Dolphins' point of view. And that's the one aspect in which Chris Long really impressed at the Combine in February.
Armando Salguero reaffirms Lande's report:
Again, this has to make you question if Gholston is worthy of the number one pick. After all, instincts and football IQ are things that Vernon's competition, Chris Long, excels at.
Lastly, there's this scouting report on Gholston from NFL Draft Countdown:
Again, his awareness and instincts, as well as his ability to drop into coverage and his technique, are all questioned. So now the question becomes if a guy like this, with so many question marks, is a good idea to take #1 overall and hand $35 million in guaranteed money to.
That's a question only Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland will be able to answer. However, if you ask me, taking a player who is a bit of a project with the first pick in the entire draft is not something I think this franchise, in the state it's in right now, can afford to do.
Thoughts?