by
Chris Shashaty, Phins.com Columnist
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On
April 24, the Miami Dolphins had a glaring need: cornerback.
On
April 25, they addressed it…emphatically, and twice over for good measure.
Addressing
it is one thing, solving it is another; we won’t know if the Dolphins hit
paydirt in the 2009 NFL Draft for some time to come.
“I
judge it probably in three years”, said Dolphin GM Jeff Ireland. “You have to
judge them in how they contributed to your roster and how well they are playing.”
Right,
and why I like to focus on strategy versus a team’s overall philosophy. Were
they able to move their vision forward?
In
my estimation,
This is why I believe that, overall, they had a very successful weekend.
1(25)
Vontae Davis, CB,
As
was the case last year with Jake Long, the Dolphins were able to address a top
need with the top prospect. The best cover corner in the draft,
Not
many teams have a player of this potential.
Alleged
character issues were the reason he lasted as long as he did, longer than
corners of his caliber usually do. Yet his college coach, Ron Zook, was effusive
in his praise of
“He's
big, he's physical, he's fast, he can play either man or zone, he can play man
off, and he plays the run very well”, Ireland gushed. “He's a good kid, we like
the player very much. We feel like he can compete for a position right away.”
2(44)
Pat White, QB/WR,
White
was the most controversial pick on Day One. Is White a quarterback or a wide
receiver? Did the Dolphins pick him too early? How this plays out remains to be
seen.
Bottom
line is that Pat White is an outstanding all-around talent. What does this
mean? Put in comparative terms, he is as good a runner as Michael Vick but a
better passer and a better receiver. In this world of specialized football, it
is rare to find someone of his caliber and proficiency.
White
is destined for the Wildcat, where his electric talents can be immediately put
to use. The Dolphins also expect him to compete with heir apparent Chad Henne
at quarterback. Is this latter expectation realistic in its chances for
success? Right now, no. For one thing, White’s lack of height (6’0”) behind the
monster line that Parcells and company have assembled could be a problem. For
another, it isn’t clear if White is a better passer than Henne.
Perhaps
an accurate perspective to have for now is to view the Dolphins as a two system
team with potentially two starting quarterbacks (one per system). It will be
interesting to see how this plays out as White gains experience.
“Pat
White has an unusual set of skills that can help us”,
2(61)
Sean Smith, CB,
The
Dolphins were fortunate to be able to get Smith as late as they did in the
second round. At 6-4, 214, he is very big for cornerback. Yet he is surprisingly
fluid and fast, most unusual for a CB of his dimensions. If not as an immediate
starter, he should prove useful in extra DB situations, especially defending the
fade route to the outside and the jump pass in the corner of the endzone.
“It
definitely makes it more difficult for receivers to catch the ball and ball
placement for quarterbacks”, said Smith. “With my reach and size, you
definitely have to keep the ball away from me. I understand splits and route
combinations. I understand the open holes inside defenses where people like to
fit inside zone coverages. Being a former receiver helps me out a lot.”
"As
a defensive back you have to work on your breaks and your quickness. I am a
bigger guy, so I can definitely work on my quickness when it comes to guarding
those smaller wide receivers. That is something I am willing to work on and get
in there and compete."
“His
skill set is rare for his size”, noted
3(87)
Patrick Turner, WR,
Some
draft gurus feel the Dolphins reached badly for Turner, a player they feel
could have been had two or three rounds later. The knock on him is
inconsistency, with only a solid senior season under his belt. What’s
indisputable is that, at 6-5, 221 lbs., Turner epitomizes the Dolphins’ love
for size and adds to the height dimension currently on the wide receiver roster
(Brandon London). Turner appears to be the type of player that will complement
Chad Pennington’s game right away.
“I
feel I bring a red zone threat, I feel I bring a lot of mismatches, I feel like
I'm a possession receiver”, said Turner. “When it comes to third downs, and
being on the other side of Ted Ginn, Jr., and having Ernest Wilford, I feel
like we can make some big plays. I feel that in the fringe area, to be a bigger
guy, I feel I run pretty good routes, and I feel sure-handed, like I can
contribute."
“We
feel real good about this young man”,
4(108)
Brian Hartline, WR,
It
was somewhat surprising to see the Dolphins go with a wide receiver in
successive picks, which tells us that
Hartline
is looking forward to the challenge. “I'm a guy who loves it, personally,
probably my favorite”, said Hartline. “I’ll do returns. I think I'm great in
kickoff coverage. I like cracking heads. It's a lot of fun, and hopefully I can
do that for
Eventually,
the Dolphins will look to incorporate him more fully into the offense.
“Hartline
(comes from) another successful program [
Hartline
was a teammate of Ted Ginn’s at
5(161)
John Nalbone, TE, Monmouth
Once
again, the Dolphins showed a willingness to look at smaller college prospects
in later rounds. Last year, it was Donald Thomas (UConn) and Lex Hilliard (
“Nalbone
(is) about 6-5, about 257, runs real good. Three year starter there at Monmouth”,
5(165)
Chris Clemons, S, Clemson
There’s
little that breeds more confidence about a college prospect than a guy who was
productive and healthy for four years versus major conference competition. As a
redshirt sophomore, Clemons was 12th in tackles in the ACC (102) and
led the Tigers secondary in passes defended (9). As a redshirt junior, he had 94
tackles, with four double-figure tackle games. As a redshirt senior, he had 92
tackles and an interception for a touchdown.
“Big,
strong, tough, aggressive safety”, said
Expect
Clemons to get a long look at strong safety, initially as a back up to Yeremiah
Bell.
6(181)
Andrew Gardiner, OT, Georgia Tech
Gardiner
was a productive four year starter for the Yellow Jackets at left tackle, and
will be groomed as a depth player behind starters Jake Long and Vernon Carey. His
measurables are terrific, some are prototypical. Yet he is viewed as
developmental project, needing improved strength and technique. Gardiner
suffered a shoulder injury his senior season, which no doubt contributed to his
later round selection.
“(Gardiner)
played at a good program”, said
7(214)
J.D. Folsom, LB,
Another
small school player, a “developmental candidate” according to
“He’s
got real good size, he’s about 6-2 1/2, almost 240, runs really good”,
Folsom,
uncertain as to whether or not he would get a shot at the NFL, applied for and
was accepted into veterinary school (
Other
notes: