Update: Here's our pick-by-pick analysis of the Miami Dolphins 2009 draft picks: "Dolphins Draft Recap - Analyze This." With the 25th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select...[insert name]. The truth is that, there is no external consensus as to who the Fins will pick on Saturday, April 25th. In order to understand what choices many mock drafters have put out there, we will list the players others chose to go at the 25th pick:
- WalterFootball.com - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
- NFL Draft Dog - Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois
- Draft King - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
- NFL Draft Blitz - James Laurinaitis, MLB, Ohio State
- Scott Wright's Draft Countdown - Everette Brown, OLB, Florida State
- Sporting News - Clint Sintim, ILB, Virginia
- NFL Draft Site - Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
- FFToolbox.com - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
- National Football Post - Sean Smith, CB/FS, Utah
- Football's Future - Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
- Scout.com - Aaron Maybin, DE/OLB, Penn State
- About.com - Larry English, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois
Vontae Davis, Larry English and Percy Harvin are the only players who were predicted to go to Miami by more than one mock draft. Another clear trend is the fact that many mock drafts believe that Miami will either select a Cornerback, Linebacker, or Wide Receiver - positions that definitely need to be addressed somehow.
Going with the most popular pick, Vontae Davis, we had predicted him as a potential pick earlier in the year and are optimistic about the skills he brings to the table. Speed, physicality, and solid route coverage are the three areas where Davis excels. His addition could bolster Miami's secondary to an even tougher unit, with the current presence of Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson.
At the OLB position, Larry English portrays some of the same upsides that Vontae Davis does at his position. English is fast, athletic and has fierce instincts. He may not be great at pass coverage or have a lot to show in the height department, but his overall skill package is good enough to be considered a first round pick. Adding English would be great for the Linebacker core, as Channing Crowder and Joey Porter will have some young company to assist with their duties.
I'm not too sure on LB being such a crucial position to address, to the point that we pick one in the 1st round, but if English proves worthy of Parcell's approval then he'll be on his way down to South Florida come April 25th.
Percy Harvin - there's a funny story about this. I had criticized Draft King for predicting that Harvin would be selected by the Dolphins on the basis that he was "too good" to pass up on earlier in the 1st round. I had also promised Draft King that I "will officially write a blog post praising Draft King for their expertise." That bet online is still on and I have no problem giving Draft King props because Percy Harvin could be a useful play maker in Miami, at least in my eyes. It looks like Harvin at # 25 is not such an irrational pick after all, as a matter of fact, he may even drop to the 2nd round.
One thing that's for sure is the Miami needs to fill in many holes if they hope to compete in the AFC East this time around. Tom Brady will be back and ready to play; Terrell Owens will be lined up on the opposite end of the line of scrimmage for quite a few times; and the Jets defense will be re-tooled with the likes of Calvin Pace, Bart Scott, Lito Sheppard, and Jim Leonhard. On top of it all, the Fins have arguably the toughest schedule in the NFL next season.
2 comments:
I think that the ideal situation would be for Hakeem Nicks to fall to us. He's the big physical reciever that we need. Our tackle situation is set and we can get guards in later rounds. The fact that we have two picks so close together means we don't need to target one player. If we could get one of the DB's Vontae Davis, Darrius Butler or Sean Smith with one of those picks and a LB like Larry English, James Laurinaitis or one of the USC guys we'd upgrade our defense. I don't like the idea of adding Harvin, and not because he smokes pot. Although when you know you're getting drug tested that's pretty stupid. But he's to similar to Tedd Ginn and Devon Bess.
To sum up I'd prefer Nicks, but I don't think he'll be there and I wouldn't trade up for him. Then I would rank the players in this order...
Clay Mathews
Vontae Davis
Darius Butler
Brian Cushing
Sean Smith
Larry English
James Laurinitis
I think it's realistic that we could get two of those players in the first and second round and that they would both be starters by seasons end.
Great points. It's good that we have two picks within a close time span. I just hope that we draft some solid DBs and a decent WR that can turn into a legitimate go to guy. That's tough to come by in the NFL, but Parcells has an uncanny ability of evaluating talent. Maybe we'll get someone that turns out to be a Ty Law for DB. I'm not sure who he's drafted at WR in the past. Keyshawn Johnson?
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