Mockeration 1.0: Dolphins 2010 Mock First Round

February 24, 2010

At this point not even Bill Parcells, Jeff Ireland or Tony Sparano know who they will be drafting on April 22-24, 2010, instead their focus is on the NFL Combine. Nevertheless fans love hearing what experts and Average Joes alike have to say about their team's draft. Thus, we venture into the world of mock drafts and explore what analysts, writers and bloggers believe Miami's first round pick will be. Let the "mockeration" begin.

And with the 12th pick in 2010 NFL Draft the Miami Dolphins select...

• ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
• RealGM Football, Jeff Risdon - C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson 
• WalterFootball.com, Walter Cherepinsky - Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama
• Draft Countdown, Scott Wright - Jason Pierre-Paul, LB, South Florida
• NFLDraftDog.com - Jason Pierre-Paul, LB, South Florida
• NFL Draft Blitz, J.R. Glymph - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State 
• NFL.com, Bucky Brooks - Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas
• Draft King, Lou Pickney - Jason Pierre-Paul, LB, South Florida
• FanHouse, Chris Burke - Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State 

The general consensus amongst outsiders is that the Dolphins will be taking a linebacker in the first round. A few still believe that Dez Bryant is the player of choice if he's available at the 12th spot, while one outlier believes that C.J. Spiller is the answer.

Like building a fortress, the Trifecta believes in establishing a team from the inside-out. The groundwork is laid in the trenches on both the offensive and defensive lines. Knowing that considerable investment was poured into the offensive line and the defensive line holds its own, the attention turns to the linebacking core. 

Wide receiver is still a position in need of significant improvement, but only from the standpoint of a legitimate number one receiver. The linebacker unit is in flux with Joey Porter's departure, Jason Taylor's uncertainty and the mediocre play from the rest of the group. Hence the reason why a solid LB selection is the most plausible choice in the first round. 

For one thing, drafting a receiver usually does not translate into instant impact, although 2009's WR draft class seemed like an exception to the rule (i.e. Percy Harvin, Austin Collie, Hakeem Nicks and Mike Wallace). But even when it does, those impact players do not necessarily come in the first round. In the 2009 draft, Collie was a fourth round pick and Wallace was a third round pick. And looking further into history we find top receivers in the later rounds, such as Terrell Owens (third round, 1996), Cris Carter (fourth round, 1987) and Steve Smith (third round, 2001).

Who's to say that Miami can't steal a hidden gem with their 43rd or 74th pick overall? While Miami's WR options for 2010 have already been discussed, now it's just a matter of digging deeper and making every pick count. And you can trust the Trifecta with that task as ten players from the last two drafts have already played significant roles in the past two seasons.