Of course, revisionist history can be a lot of fun when you're laughing at the misery of others, which is why most Dolphins fans will get a kick out of the 2012 NFL re-draft article Sports Illustrated writer Don Banks (yes, the guy with the Dirk Diggler hair) posted late yesterday afternoon. Banks isn't necessarily a go-to name when it comes to draft scouting and analysis (not for me, anyway), but it's difficult to argue with the logic he puts forth on most of the redrafted selections. Here are some choice excerpts from Banks' write-up:
3. Cleveland Browns (original selection: Trent Richardson, RB Alabama)
Re-do pick: Russell Wilson, QB Wisconsin
"A no-brainer for the perennially quarterback-needy Browns. At least with Luck and Griffin, great expectations came with the draft slot. Not so with Wilson. He sat and watched 74 other players have their names called before he heard his in the third round," Banks wrote. "Like the other two quarterbacks taken before him, Wilson led his team to the playoffs and left no doubt as to his readiness to become the face of the franchise. The Browns sure didn't turn a corner by taking a first-round running back, no matter how stout the Richardson pick might look in the future."
Re-do pick: Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
"Blackmon had some first-year impact as the season unfolded, but this just in: without a quality quarterback, big-play receivers don't make too many big plays," Banks wrote. "All I know is one NFL team in Florida used a top 10 pick to address its need at quarterback last season and feels pretty good about the position going forward. And one didn't, and doesn't. Taking first-round quarterbacks in back-to-back years as Jacksonville would have had to do with Blaine Gabbert and Tannehill isn't likely, I know. But it's also not completely out of the question any more with the rookie wage scale. And yes, you can consider this my official vote of no confidence in Gabbert."
Of course, Tannehill at No. 5 means the Dolphins have to go with a non-quarterback at No. 8. Yay ...
Re-do pick: Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
"With no top-10-worthy quarterbacks left to select, the Dolphins would gladly scoop up the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year, who turned into a tackling machine for the Panthers in 2012," Banks wrote. "Kuechly started the year at outside linebacker and then moved to the middle to replace Jon Beason. Miami would find a role for Kuechly, and the threesome of Karlos Dansby and Koa Misi would make any Dolphins fan happy."
Jeff Ireland's fan club will certainly approve of this next selection.
Re-do pick: Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
"The Chargers offensive line was makeshift at best this season, and Martin, a second-round pick of Miami's, would have been very useful in the effort to protect quarterback Philip Rivers," Banks wrote. "He started the season at right tackle and shifted to the key left tackle slot after Jake Long was injured. Ingram didn't make the quick transition to the pro game that was expected, and San Diego has to address the offensive line in this year's draft."
So, in Don Banks' world, Ryan Tannehill is a top-five player, and Jonathan Martin is worthy of the No. 18 overall pick. Food for thought, no?
You can read the complete version of Don Diggler Banks' 2012 redraft mock
here.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7876521/gyi0062971652.0.jpg)