Chris Lee

Just want to give a shout out to James for hosting a great in-draft blog.  Now on to Miami’s selections:

1st pick - No surprise here Jake Long out of Michigan.  He has all the skills, but the big question here is will he be the next Richmond Webb or just another average lineman.

2nd round (32) - Phillip Merling out of Clemson.  Nice pick as Merling dropped a little, is a mobile athlete with great quickness. 

2nd round (57) - Chad Henne out of Michigan.  Strong and tough in the pocket.  Love this pick, Henne should develop nicely and eventually be the Dolphin’s starter. 

3rd round (66) - Kendall Langford out of Hampton.  Has the size, speed, and toughness.  Should fit well in the defense Bill Parcell’s is trying to build.

4th round (110) - Shawn Murphy out of Utah State.  Son of former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy.  Shawn is big and athletic, all the attributes Parcell’s wants in a lineman.  A lot of upside here and could be a starter in a couple years.

6th round (176) - Jalen Parmele out of Toledo.  Strong and can move the pile.  Still needs some work.

6th round (195) - Donald Thomas out of Connecticut.  Has the ability, but is raw and will need time to develop. 

6th round (204) - Lex Hilliard out of Montana.  Will add more depth at fullback.

7th round (245) Lionel Dotson out of Arizona.  Another type of player Parcell’s likes. 

Overall grade: A-

No suprise at what Bill Parcell’s is trying to build.  Have a strong and versatile O-Line to pound the ball, and a athletic tough defense.  All in all a great draft for the Dolphin’s.  Still surprised no trade was made for Jason Taylor, but something could still develop there.  This team still is at least two years away from thinking of going back to the playoffs, but I like the start.  Can’t wait for the season to begin.

Chris

Chris Lee

Now that we know the Miami Dolphins will take Jake Long out of Michigan with their first overall pick, what are the Phins other draft days needs?  First off I am still up in the air about Jake Long, to me he will either be the next Tony Mandarich or an all pro like former Dolphin Richmond Webb.  I am praying Long ends up being like Webb.  That said, Long is a safe pick for Bill Parcell’s and it shows clear direction toward smash-mouth football.  Here’s hoping to Ronnie Brown fully recovering from knee surgery and Ricky Williams being effective once again. 

Now onto the Dolphins other long list of draft day needs.  One option the Dolphins are looking at behind the scenes is trading Jason Taylor for a mid to low first round pick.  Right now two clubs are interested.  As much as I love Jason Taylor as a player and a person, in order to bring this team out of the doldrums and rebuild this team the must trade Taylor.  Getting into the second half of the first round there would still be quality defensive lineman available like Calais Campbell, Kentwan Balmer, Phillip Merling and Lawrence Jackson.  This would be the ideal situation for the Dolphins enabling them to get two probable starters in the first round. 

One other good possibility for the Dolphins is interest in Michigan quarterback Chad Henne who would still have some time to develop.  He has the tools and the heart to be a good QB in the NFL.  In my opinion Henne will be one the steals of the draft.  Wouldn’t it be great if Henne and Long were reunited in the NFL from their college days?

On to the rest:

Cornerback:  Miami tried to address this need in the off-season but failed to bring in any quality talent.  They could use a pick at this position.

Inside Linebacker: With the loss of Zach Thomas this is a huge gap to fill.  Vince Hall (VT) and J Leman (ILL) if available in round three would be good additions.

Stong Safety:  Lots of bodies at this position, but not much quality.  They will most likely not be spending a pick here.

Running Back: No needs in my opinion with Brown, Williams, and Booker.

Guard:  Maybe spend a late round pick here.

Receiver: Most likely someone with speed in the later rounds. 

Stay tuned for more updates and remember to join in for the NFL in-draft day blog here at STB on draft day.  Should be an interesting day.  I can’t wait.

 Chris

Chris Lee

Lots of exciting stuff happening these days in the Dolphins camp.  Yesterday Miami was awarded two compensatory picks for the upcoming draft, a sixth-round pick (204 overall) and a seventh-round pick (245 overall).  These picks were awarded by the NFL due to losing more players than gained in free agency from last year.

On the topic of draft picks it looks like the Dolphins will be keeping the number 1 overall pick, as other teams are not willing to give up much in return.  That being said I think the focus is still Matt Ryan at number one, but you never know with Bill Parcell’s.  I will update more on the draft later in the week.

On another note Ricky Williams is still recovering from his torn pectoral muscle and will be back at the earliest in May and as late as August.  Hopefully it will be May then he will be ready for the start of the season in good shape.

Stay tuned for Dolphins draft day needs.

Chris