What an incredibly crazy night the second- and third-rounds of the 2014 NFL Draft became for the Miami Dolphins. Three trades over the two rounds, two extra draft picks acquired, one original selection used as compensation, and, of course, two new rookies headed for South Florida. With the 63rd overall pick, the Dolphins added wide receiver Jarvis Landry from LSU while the 67th overall selection was used to add North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner.
Both picks were good selections for the Dolphins. They continued the rebuild of the offensive line, adding Turner to first round pick Ja'Wuan James from Tennessee, as well as picked up a receiver who simply catches everything (literally - Landry had one drop, one, last year). The problem with the picks, however, was simply name recognition. Landry was not in the top tier of receivers and Turner comes from an FCS school. It's hard for Dolphins fans to immediately know what their team just added.
In an effort to assist all of us in getting to know the two newest members of the club, we turned to SB Nation's Dan Kadar, who gave us his thoughts on both Landry and Turner.
Jarvis Landry, wide receiver
Comparisons to Wes Welker are often lazy. It's always the short slot receiver with moderate speed. But if there is a Welker in this year's draft, it's Landry. His hands are good, he's a savvy route runner and does the little things to get open. Landry also likes to do the dirty work. He'll play coverage on special teams solely because he wants to hit people. He'll go over the middle on shallow drag routes, and doesn't mind getting popped. Landry is pro ready and should contribute faster than most rookie wide receivers this year.
Billy Turner, offensive lineman
As a preface to Turner, I love the Dolphins taking two offensive linemen in the first two days. I view it like Chicago last year. They took Kyle Long in the first round and Jordan Mills later and figured out where to play them after the fact. While it seems like Turner will move inside to guard and Ja'Wuan James plays right tackle, I could see it just as easily going the other way around.
Turner has a bad attitude on the field, and that's a good thing. A 56-game starter at North Dakota State, Turner played both tackle spots in college. He's strong at the point of attack and will absolutely maul a defensive lineman. Turner blocks with aggression and often keeps on his block through the whistle. Turner was able to dominate in college, but that was partially due to being at a lower level. Going forward, he'll have to play with better technique. At NDSU, it didn't matter if he was too high in his stance because he was often the best player on the field. Turner needs to sink lower and generate more pop with his lower half. What may push Turner inside to guard in the NFL is his first step. It's only average and speed rushers can beat him to the edge. That power and aggression, though, should make him a good run blocker.