Earlier I spent some time sharing my ideal first round draft scenario. But now it's time to flip the script and spend a few minutes discussing what possible first round scenarios would we be most disappointed with. And to kick this discussion off, allow me to share my three least favorite possible round one scenarios with you. Odds are ,some of you will strongly disagree with me - especially you Florida Gator fans.
That's where I will start. The absolute biggest nightmare first round scenario, in my opinion, would be for the Miami Dolphins to draft Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey with the 15th overall pick. It's not that I think Pouncey is a bad player, either. The issue I have comes down to value.
I simply don't believe in taking an interior offensive lineman in the top 20 unless that player is elite. And I do not see Pouncey as being an elite player, plain and simple. I see a kid who isn't fundamentally sound; who has some leverage issues. I agility and quickness but I'm not convinced he has elite strength - something I want in an interior lineman drafted in the top 20.
Here's the bottom line with Pouncey. If his name wasn't "Pouncey" then the kid wouldn't be as highly regarded. That right there is the ultimate red flag in terms of value.
Now if the Dolphins could move down in the first round and still land Pouncey, I could live with that - even if it's just a couple of spots later and returns only a third round pick. Pouncey AND an additional third rounder? That's good value. Pouncey at 15? I just can't get on board with that selection.
The other two scenarios, neither of which has been as widely speculated about as the Dolphins drafting Pouncey at 15, would be the Dolphins drafting either Andy Dalton or Jake Locker at any point in round one. Locker's issues are obvious. His accuracy just scares the living daylight out of me. He takes too many chances. And he might have some durability concerns - having missed games in college due to neck, hand, and leg issues at various points.
As for Dalton, I really don't understand the love for him. I get that he's a very bright kid and a good person. I get that he's a leader. And his collegiate record at TCU is quite impressive. But he has the worst arm of all the upper-tier quarterbacks in the '11 class. He's not as accurate as you'd like from a kid with average arm strength. Like other quarterbacks in the draft, he'll have to adjust to a pro-style offense. And he's not athletic at all.
When it comes down to it, I'd select Ryan Mallett, Christian Ponder, and Colin Kaepernick before I even considered Locker or Dalton.
What possible first round scenarios would least like to see?