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The Miami Dolphins were aggressive in the 2016 NFL Draft, and they targeted specific players, then went and got that player. They traded up, they traded back, they traded out, and they traded for a pick they had traded earlier. It was near-chaos, but it was fun and exciting. In the end of the three-day selection process, Miami had eight members of their 2016 draft class, and they got some highly talented players.
Many fans are confused by the Dolphins draft, where they addressed the offense more than the defense and they selected players who may not have been as recognizable a name as another player who was still on the board. But, Miami knew who they wanted, they knew the price they were willing to pay, and they made things happen.
Was it a good draft for the Dolphins? According to ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., yes, it was.
Kiper writes of the Dolphins' draft:
Bizarre circumstances, great player. Let's just go with that for the short version of how the Dolphins ended up with arguably the single-best prospect in the draft all the way down at No. 13. Laremy Tunsil has so many natural gifts for the tackle position, it's just now a matter of where he plays. Left side? Right side? Either way, if he's on the field, Miami gets better. Not many people know Xavien Howard, but that's not much of a reach in Round 2 -- he was going to go there. From there, this was all about getting Ryan Tannehill and Adam Gase more weapons. Kenyan Drake is Reggie Bush-lite, Leonte Carroo is a productive threat who can make catches down the field, and Jakeem Grant is a jitterbug who is electric in space if you can get him the ball. Thomas Duarte is one to watch, a hybrid wideout-tight end split who could develop. The Dolphins didn't do much for their defense, but they sure as heck tried to help their QB and ended up with a major steal early in the process.
Kiper gave two A grades, four A- grades, and five B+ grades. The Dolphins landed in the B+ category.
That seems like a fair grade, with Miami adding some key players at positions of need like Tunsil, Howard, and Drake, plus they picked up some receiver depth in Carroo and Grant, a depth cornerback in Jordan Lucas, a developmental quarterback in Brandon Doughty, and a tight end prospect in Duarte. It was not a homerun draft, but it was a solid double, maybe stretching to a triple if everyone fulfills their potential, and the Dolphins are in scoring position, awaiting the coaching staff to drive them home.