Miami Dolphins draft grades 2018: 2nd and 3rd round marks still honor roll worthy

The Miami Dolphins’ draft grades for the first round of the Draft were really high, making the All A/B Honor Roll. The addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick was widely seen as a great move for a team that needed to find a free safety who has the ability to cover tight ends and running backs. Fitzpatrick fills that hole perfectly, and the Dolphins appeared to have found a perfect pick for themselves, especially given how highly rated he was (top five in some cases), with Miami selecting him with the 11th overall pick.

In fact, most of the grades that were not in the A+ to A range were hitting on the Dolphins because they did not trade up to select a quarterback, despite the team having repeatedly said Ryan Tannehill is the team’s quarterback. They did not have a problem with picking Fitzpatrick, they had a problem with their own preconceived thoughts on what Miami was going to do.

In the second day of the Draft, the Dolphins picked up Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki in the second round and then added Ohio State linebacker Jerome Baker in the third round. How did the media react to Miami’s second- and third-picks of the Draft?

SB Nation - Dan Kadar

It was clear at the start of the draft’s second day that the Dolphins needed to get a tight end. They did so with the ultra-athletic Mike Gesicki with the 42nd pick. Many thought South Dakota State’s Dallas Goedert would have been a better pick, but Gesicki is a superior playmaker and athlete.

At No. 73, the Dolphins got an athletic linebacker in Ohio State’s Jerome Baker. He was expected to be the next Ryan Shazier, which was just unfair. But he flashed a lot of ability at times for the Buckeyes. He’s good at coming up and playing the run or dropping back in coverage. He’s not going to offer Miami a lot in the pass rush game, but he’s a quality player.

Grade: B

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CBS Sports - Pete Prisco

42. Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State - They get one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the draft. Adam Gase will love him.

Grade: B+

73. Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State - Baker is a pure speed linebacker. He is smallish, but can run to the football.

Grade: B+

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NFL.com - Chad Reuter

With Julius Thomas no longer on the team, the Dolphins needed to find a tight end. Gesicki is a phenomenal athlete, like Thomas, but scouts were concerned about his long strides preventing him from winning against veteran defenders. He’ll be tough to defend against on jump balls, though. Miami needed a linebacker, and Baker can move. They met their top defensive need with this pick. However, they still haven’t picked a quarterback.

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Walter Football

42. Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

The Dolphins were going tight end all the way here, as they didn’t have one on their roster. I would have chosen Dallas Goedert, but Gesicki is a very solid choice. Gesicki is extremely athletic and should be able to develop into a potent weapon for Ryan Tannehill. I expected him to go in the middle of Round 2, so the range is definitely right for him.

Grade: B+

73. Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State

Jerome Baker has a great combination of speed and athleticism, and he’s well worth a pick in the third round. I like this choice for the Dolphins, as Baker fills a big need. Miami didn’t have a strongside linebacker on the roster, which was kind of a problem. Baker should be able to start right away, though it’s not like he’ll have competition.

Grade: B+

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Draft Wire / USA Today - Luke Easterling

42. Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

This is a solid marriage of need and value, as the Dolphins get Ryan Tannehill a dynamic playmaker who can challenge opposing defenses down the field and in the red zone. He won’t be much help as a blocker, but that’s not why Miami’s drafting him here. His athleticism was on full display at the combine, and he brings that ability between the lines. He’ll be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.

Grade: B+

73. Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State

Grade: B+

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Bleacher Report - Mike Tanier

42. Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State

The current Dolphins tight end depth chart:

MarQueis Gray: Has played for four teams in five years, catching 27 career passes and zero touchdowns.

Gavin Escobar: Jason Witten’s eventual Cowboys replacement, two or three replacements ago. Has 30 receptions in 64 NFL games. Best known for his artwork.

A.J. Derby: Was waived by the Broncos last season, the one team in the NFL arguably in worse shape at tight end than the Dolphins.

Thomas Duarte: Has a key to the practice squad men’s room.

The Dolphins have needs just about everywhere, but the tight end situation was downright bush league before this pick.

Mike Gesicki is obviously the best tight end in this draft class to anyone who realizes that 1977 was decades ago and tight ends don’t line up next to right tackles and run-block 40 times per game. Because NFL decision-makers have a hard time realizing that, Gesicki still got dinged by some evaluators for not blocking the way Marv Fleming did for the 1972 Dolphins. The rest of us realize that tight ends are basically big slot receivers these days and don’t grade them by their ability to chew nails.

Gesicki has wide receiver speed, athleticism and pass-catching skills, all wrapped in a tight end’s body. He was one of the undisputed stars of Senior Bowl week, upstaging many of the receivers with his athleticism and ability to make catches away from his body. The former high school volleyball star has the body control to make difficult catches and the speed to create mismatches. And he’s a notch above Jimmy Graham on the blocking scale, which is admittedly a low hurdle.

The Dolphins are now 2-for-2 with shrewd selections after picking Minkah Fitzpatrick in the first round. I’m not used to saying all of these nice things about them.

Grade: A-

73. Jerome Baker, LB, Ohio State

Jerome Baker fits most favorably in the NFL as a nickel-package linebacker. He’s a lean-framed glider who is at his best moving laterally, making him perfect for covering backs or tight ends and chasing down plays along the sideline. Make him play heads-up between the numbers for 60 snaps per game, and offensive linemen will be picking him out of their cleats.

The Dolphins have a need at linebacker, as always. They also have a gaping hole at defensive tackle, needs along the offensive line and the usual Dolphins depth issues. Baker is a solid player, but Miami should have addressed other needs.

Grade: B-

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