2010 Draft - Round 1 Report

Well round 1 has come and gone, we got a legitimate 3-4 DE, and a HIGH second round pick, so while there may be some disappointment in the fact we didn't draft one of our favorites, we still did better than most teams.

Buffalo used their pick on CJ Spiller - a great playmaker, but not a Left Tackle or a QB, their two biggest needs and best value pick for the #9 overall.

Cleveland took CB Joe Haden at #7 instead of a QB or a defensive lineman. I think that pick may turn out to be even worse that Buffalo's.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Jacksonville taking Cal DE, Tyson Alualu with the 11th overall pick. I had Alualu in the mid 50s on my board.

Oakland swiped up Alabama ILB Rolando McClain and early reports are they are trying to switch to a 3-4. It makes sense for the personnel they have, but they will have to target a weakside OLB in round two - they pick one spot ahead of us at #39 overall so Miami may want to try to trade up with Cleveland (or whomever Cleveland trades with because they are expected to try to get to #33 to get a QB.

My favorite prospect, Michigan's Brandon Graham, went to a 4-3 team - another head-scratching move. In fact, there were several head-scratchers once we got through the first 6 picks. Ultimately, once again, the New England Patriots worked the board to perfection, picking up extra draft picks and still getting a great player in Devin McCourty - though they had Jared Odrick very high on their board as well.

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Now, let's talk Odrick. He is 6'5", 305 lbs and pretty much has been that way since 8th grade - this is not a guy who has grown or gained an inch during 4 years of college - he played at the same size in HS, and he played allover the field in HS, not just as a DT. He's not a fantastic player, in comparison to Suh and McCoy, but what he does bring to the table is drive, determination, coachability, ZERO diva-itis, and long arms which help broaden his tackle area. I'm planning on watching a PSU game or two to get some more analysis done, but from what I have seen, he is a very good tackler. He's also a guy who played several positions in College, in PSU's hybrid defense there was a lot of 5-2 fronts similar to what Miami does so perhaps that was a factor in their decision. We all know that Miami wants to be able to take 7 DL to the game and rotate them constantly to keep them fresh and also to prevent o-linemen from 'locking on' to any specific player. It's a great theory, but it was hard to see it working all the time in 2009 - perhaps it was a personnel issue.

At the same time, there is a very strong possibility that either Paul Soliai, Philip Merling or Tony McDaniel are going to be traded. If not then I wouldn't expect any of the 3rd tier guys: Ikeaka Alma-Francis, Ryan Baker, and Lionel Dotson to be around much longer.

I think someone threw out the possibility of us going to a 4-3 scheme. That would entail us asking a couple of players to put on 30 lbs and the entire front 7 to unlearn everything they've been doing for the last two years - not to mention Bill Parcells relinquishing full control - and Mike Nolan changing his mind-set of the last decade. It's not going to happen.

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Now, let's discuss what's going to happen tonight. The Dolphins have the 40th, and 73rd overall picks tonight. We have 2 shots at greatness.

Most fans want or think we should go OLB here. I thought so last night too but I've thought about it and now think it may not be good value at #40. I think we should wait until #73 or later. However, there are many options, so here are my three suggestions. Please chime in with your comments and your dream scenarios.

SCENARIO #1:
#40 - Sergio Kindle, OLB - medical issues forced Merling to drop, Dolphins could get an even better deal here.

#73 - Morgan Burnett, FS - The safety out of Georgia Tech could be a real steal at 73. In pads he looks like Sean Smith's clone, with his 6'3", 210lb frame topped with dreads. The difference is he can hit people and tackle. His ball-skills are stellar with 14 picks in 3 seasons.




SCENARIO #2:
#40 - Nate Allen, FS - Allen is probably the highest rated Safety still on the board unless you are a USC fan. To me, Allen is very much like Yeremiah Bell, and that's not a bad thing considering how valuable Bell has been and the fact he's getting older. Allen is a solid, physical player and could play both safety positions.



#73 - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, DB - Owusu-Ansah represents value with his position flexibility, being able to play FS and nickel corner, and his return skills. Miami could double up on safety on Day 2, and get a couple of OLBs on Saturday.

SCENARIO # 3:

#40 - Golden Tate, WR - Let's be realistic, Brandon Marshall helps bring Bess and Camarillo from average to slightly above average.  Using the 2nd rd pick on an already above average or even pretty good WR and then lining him up across from Marshall, would then make him good or REALLY good.  This would also benefit Marshall and Henne and of course whichever shmuck we have playing tight-end.  Tate would be really good value at #40 and can return kicks.

#73 -  Torrell Troup, DT -  One of the best options to replace Soliai, Troup's work ethic is stellar, he's intelligent, and he's 6'3", 314 lbs.  If he lasts till 73, we should not hesitate to take him.