Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins have had relative success with recent strategy
DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins’ ideal blueprint — draft and develop — will add another foundationbuilding layer in next week’s NFL draft (April 26-28). Miami has eight selections, including the 11th pick of the first round.
The Dolphins have been sticking to a draft-and-develop philosophy and the results have been respectable but not necessarily exciting.
Since 2015 (the last three drafts), 18 of Miami’s 22 draftees remain on the roster, and as many as eight could be starters. None have made the Pro Bowl so it’s tempered success.
“For us, [we’re] very happy with the guys,” general manager Chris Grier said Wednesday during Miami’s pre-draft availability. “They all need to get better, we need to get better [because] 6-10 is not where we want to be, so I think at the end of the day we’re judged on the results.
“We’re happy, we have some good players but we just need to get back to where we were two years ago.”
The Dolphins need their most immediate help at linebacker, defensive tackle and tight end. Backup quarterback could become a priority depending on who might be available, most notably Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. And safety could also be a high-round option.
Both Grier and executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum said the draft prospects at quarterback are intelligent and gametested.
Tannenbaum added there’s no pressure to select a quarterback because they have backups Brock Osweiler and David Fales, who have both worked with coach Adam Gase.
“Any of those two guys gives us flexibility,” Tannenbaum said. “Adam has coached both Fales and Osweiler before so his comfort with that was one of the reasons they’re here. But it’s good to have depth at any position going into the draft, especially at quarterback, and we’ll see how things go.”
Grier spoke well of the tight ends and linebackers.
“I think the tight end group is a deep group this year,” he said. “And there’s some good linebacker value, especially mid to late rounds as well.”
The Dolphins said their minds will likely be made up early next week. But they cautioned things can always change.
Miami’s last three draft classes have supplied eight projected starters for the 2018 season — wide receiver DeVante Parker (2015 first round), defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (2015 second round), nickel cornerback Bobby McCain (2015 fifth round), left tackle Laremy Tunsil (2016 first round), cornerback Xavien Howard (2016 second round), running back Kenyan Drake (2016 third round), linebacker Raekwon McMillan (2017 second round), and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley (2017 third round).
Additionally, cornerback Tony Lippett (2015 fifth round) and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux (2017 fifth round) could win starting jobs.
Miami’s last significant draft-day trade — trading into the third round in 2016 to acquire wide receiver Leonte Carroo — hasn’t worked out well so far.
After selecting Drake in the third round, the Dolphins traded to get back into the third round and took Carroo. They gave Minnesota their 2016 sixth-round pick, and third- and fourth-round picks in 2017 to acquire Carroo, who has just 10 receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown in two years.
Miami’s most memorable recent draft-day trade also didn’t work out well.
In 2013, the Dolphins selected defensive end Dion Jordan with the No. 3 pick. Miami, which had the No. 12 pick, traded with Oakland. The team swapped first-round picks and the Dolphins gave Oakland a second-round pick in the 2013 draft. Jordan, troubled on and off the field, was released in May 2017 with just three sacks in 26 games.
That started a stretch of decent to questionable first-round picks that’s included right tackle Ja’Wuan James (2014), Parker (2015), Tunsil (2016) and defensive end Charles Harris (2017).
Miami’s last first-round pick to earn a Pro Bowl berth was center Mike Pouncey, the 2011 selection who was a three-time Pro Bowl performer although it should be noted quarterback Ryan Tannehill (2012) has been a good pick overall.