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DE Dion Jordan (1st Round Pick, 3rd overall). Grade: A
For those who've been clamoring for it, Sunday was the first time that Jordan got extended playing time to show his ability. And the third overall pick did not disappoint.
Jordan was productive in all aspects of his role, and the pass rushing skill that he was expected to have coming out of college was on full display. He generated a team-high five total quarterback hits and hurries and garnered the team's highest defensive grade from Pro Football Focus, while still playing less than half of Miami's defensive snaps.
A game like this doesn't tell us all we need to know about Jordan, but hints at a future that lives up to the pre-draft hype.
Season GPA: 2.57
CB Jamar Taylor (2nd Round Pick, 54th overall). Grade: I (Incomplete)
Taylor remains inactive while recovering from a sports hernia.
Season GPA: N/A
OL Dallas Thomas (3rd Round Pick, 77th overall). Grade: I (Incomplete)
Thomas was a healthy scratch for the third game in a row.
Season GPA: N/A
CB Will Davis (3rd Round Pick, 93rd overall). Grade: I (Incomplete)
Davis appears closer to returning from injury, as he was activated for the first time in Week 3. He did not see any defensive snaps, however.
Season GPA: N/A
LB Jelani Jenkins (4th Round Pick, 104th overall). Grade: D
When starting weakside linebacker Philip Wheeler sat out a second-quarter defensive drive, it was Jenkins who stepped in. Unfortunately, it wasn't pretty. Blockers had little trouble flushing the rookie out of the way and Atlanta got big gains running the ball in his direction.
Along with a minimal special teams contribution, and it adds up to a forgettable performance.
Season GPA: 1.77
Dion Sims (4th Round Pick, 106th overall). Grade: B-
Sims played just 12 snaps, down from 34 a week ago, and did not play particularly well for most of the afternoon. One particularly egregious play was this half-hearted block attempt that got his quarterback hit and resulted in a turnover.
But, that's nothing that catching the game-winning touchdown won't fix. Sims got his number called in the final minute, and delivered an impressive grab for the go-ahead score. The reception was the first of his NFL career.
Season GPA: 2.23
RB Mike Gillislee (5th Round Pick, 164th overall). Grade: I (Incomplete)
Like Davis, Gillislee was active for the first time this season, but didn't see any action.
Season GPA: N/A
K Caleb Sturgis (5th Round Pick, 166th overall). Grade: A
Sturgis' perfection to begin the season continues after he hit 2-of-2 field goals against the Falcons, including another from 50-plus. His work on kickoffs has also been solid, with opponent's average drive starting at the 19.4 yard line.
Season GPA: 4.0
DB Don Jones (7th Round Pick, 250th overall). Grade: A
Simply put, Jones was a dynamo in special teams. Rarely can a defender make a significant impact on a game with just a handful of plays on the field, but Jones did that against Atlanta, and seems to have the ability to do it with some consistency.
Jones recorded two special teams tackles and drew a holding penalty, but his forced fumble on punt returner Harry Douglas late in the third quarter put the Dolphins offense in position for the game-tying touchdown pass to Brian Hartline.
In football, the little things can be big things and Jones' special teams work has been a huge positive for Miami.
Season GPA: 3.0
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All player data is courtesy of Pro Football Focus and all contract info is courtesy of OverTheCap.com.