Let me preface by stating I think it's silly to rush to judgment on drafts before any player ever sets foot on the field. I'd prefer to look back in 2-3 years before passing judgment. That said, this is always fun to do, and if anything, provides interesting conversation fodder when your evaluations turn out to be incorrect. Based on the same system I used when grading Saban's drafts from a few days ago (with a few tweaks using the trade value chart instead of Draft Position), I arrived at an aggregate score of 80.08%. Draft Analysis Code: Player Pick Number Value Possible Actual % Grade Jake Long 1 3000 56.02 47.62 85% Phillip Merling 32 825 15.41 12.32 80% Chad Henne 57 571 10.66 8.00 75% Kendall Langford 66 500 9.34 6.54 70% Shawn Murphy 110 288 5.38 3.76 70% Jalen Parmele 176 82 1.53 0.92 60% Donald Thomas 195 46 0.86 0.52 60% Lex Hilliard 204 37 0.69 0.28 40% Lionel Dotson 245 6 0.11 0.06 55% Total 100.00 80.08 80% My scores were based on potential, basis to contribute, etc. They are subjective. Here were my thoughts: Jake Long - 85% - I believe Jake is going to be a solid LT for us, at least that's what I'm hoping. I would have preferred Chris Long with the pick, but I can understand the rationale behind the decision. Phillip Merling - 80% - Good value for us at the start of round 2. I like the pick. I expect Merling will be a DE in our scheme. Chad Henne - 75% - Another decent value for us. Provides depth/competition for Beck. It would not shock me to see him starting in 2 years. Then again, it would not shock me to see him out of the league. Kendall Langford - 70% - Another 3-4 DE for us. I see him as a situational player, possibly pushing Roth or Holliday for a starting position. Shawn Murphy - 70% - Probably my favorite out of the second day picks. Likely to start for us somewhere at G, may have potential at RT, pushing Carey inside. Like what I've heard about his attitude and demeanor. Jalen Parmalee - 60% - A bit of a head scratcher, but I know we've had him in for interviews and talked about him on the board previously. Would not surprise me to see him used in situational short yardage situations, goal line, etc. Donald Thomas - 60% - More depth along the offensive line. I don't know if he pushes Morimoto and Murphy to start, but I do like him. Another lineman with a bit of a mean streak, gotta love that. Lex Hilliard - 40% - I like his name, but this pick is a bit confounding to me. I don't like this pick, easily my least favorite of the draft. Would not surprise me if he doesn't make it out of camp. Lionel Dotson - 60% - Good character guy, more depth for the defensive line. Things I Liked Building from the inside out - I mentioned in the NFL Draft thread that we were basically taking a weakness and making it a strength. I really liked the focus paid to both the offensive and defensive lines. I don't believe we've drafted so many players for the trenches in some time. The front office is to be commended for making this a focus early and often. Jake Long as #1 Overall - I may have preferred Howie's Kid at #1, but Jake Long is the pick that makes the most sense for us as an organization. He's the closest thing in the draft to a sure thing (I would argue even more so than Chris Long, who some feel has hit his ceiling), and for a team coming of 1-15, a sure thing is the best thing for us. Things I Didn't Like No WRs / CBs - Apparently the 2008 Miami Dolphins will resemble the 1968 Dolphins, because we did not get any help at either of these two positions through the draft. As I said, I was completely fine with the O-Line and D-Line focus, but I really feel we could have benefited from a WR or a CB in lieu of one of the RBs that we drafted. I guess we're going to run the ball 40 times a day and call it good. On offense, I'm concerned we do not have a #1 WR. Wilford, Ginn and Fasano aren't exactly household names. On defense, we've got Will Allen and that's basically it. JT Drama - I'm completely sick of the drama surrounding JT. I love JT as a player, I personally hope he is never traded. But for the good of the team and the franchise a decision must be reached regarding his status. If we are going to trade him, do the man a favor and tell him. If we plan on keeping him in our plans for 2008, why not tell him? The man has been a cornerstone of our franchise for 10 years, the least we can do is treat him with a little dignity. Final Thoughts Overall, I believe 2008 will be regarded as a "back to basics" draft for the Miami Dolphins. We took several steps in the right direction with the players that we chose today. I believe, based on the strength of our Day 1 and Day 2 picks, this will be regarded as a solid draft. History, however, is a cruel mistress, so please remember to ask me this question again a few years down the road.
