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We've reached the 54th pick in the SB Nation NFL Bloggers Mock Draft. With that, I have my final chance to make a pick for the Miami Dolphins in this draft. Before we get to the 54th pick, here is a look back at my first two picks:
Rd | # | Team | Player | Pos. | College |
1 | 12 | Miami Dolphins | Desmond Trufant | CB | Washington |
2 | 42 | Miami Dolphins | Damontre Moore | DE | Texas A&M |
With the first pick, the Dolphins look at address a key need at cornerback. As a reminder, I made this pick before Brent Grimes was signed, so I saw cornerback as the pressing need instead of offensive tackle. As such, I skipped a chance to take Lane Johnson, but I did it because I needed to shore up the cornerback position
In the second round, Moore was not my intended target, but the fact that he was still on the board and at a position of need, meant I could not miss the chance to take him.
Which brings us to the 54th pick. There were a lot of options on the table here, but I decided I would rather reach at the pick to ensure we got a player I wanted, rather than risk him being gone before the 77th pick. I've gotten a lot of flak in the Mocking the Draft post about my selection, with many people seeing the Dolphins picking Justin Hunter rather than my selection....
Ryan Swope, Wide Receiver, Texas A&M
To explain my pick, I wrote:
"The Dolphins added two need positions with their first two picks, cornerback Desmond Trufant and defensive end Damontre Moore. Now, they look to add a little bit of a luxury pick that still falls in as a need as well.
"Swope's ridiculous 4.34 second 40-yard dash was the second fastest time at the Scouting Combine and tied with Tavon Austin. Bringing in another speed threat to go along with free agent signing Mike Wallace could add another dimension to Miami's offense. Of course, there's also the benefit of adding Swope into his college head coach/Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman's offense and teaming him up with college quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the NFL.
"There are concerns about Swope's catching ability as he seems to body catch more passes than he should, but he does seem to catch everything. He also has some medical concerns, having multiple concussions at Texas A&M.
"There's a chance Swope could be still on the board with the Dolphins' first third round pick, but with his speed, that's not a risk I was willing to take. I want Swope on the Dolphins' roster, and I would rather reach a little for him here than end up missing him before pick 77 rolls around. The Dolphins now have eight remaining picks, two of which are in the third round, to find an offensive lineman, their only real need still not filled."
Do you think I was wrong in the selection of Swope here? Will he last to the 77th overall pick? Let us know in the comments below, and make sure you head over to Mocking the Draft's article and vote for the grade you would give my pick.