The Draft and the Dolphins

This is my Dolphins Draft Value Board, which I hope to update every two weeks or so. On this Value Board is the Top 40 players I want the Dolphins to draft (based on their team needs), with a brief explanation for each player. I have also posted my 7 RD Dolphins Mock Draft w/ trades and predicted comp picks.

Because Harrington has a more polished throwing motion, I rate him over David Carr. Norv Turner would love to see this guy in Miami, but that's wishful thinking.

How much of a lock is McKinnie to be a great player? Well, just look at previous OTs that were Top 5 picks in the last 6 drafts: Tony Boselli, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Pace, Walter Jones, and Chris Samuels.

I rank Carr below Harrington because his 3/4 sidearm throwing motion may lead to a lot of batted down passes. Still, Carr is blessed with a golden arm and has all the intangibles to be a great passer in this league.

Williams has more of a chance to fall than Peppers, Harrington, McKinnie, and Carr, but those odds are slim-none. Imagine a secondary of Madison, Surtain, Williams, and Freeman for the next 5+ years.

Henderson's mediocre senior campaign could drop him out of the Top 5. At 6-7, 300 pounds, he has the tools to dominate at the next level if he stays injury free.

Green's biggest asset in his vision... something Lamar Smith clearly lacked last season. His powerful cutback style reminds me of Curtis Martin.

Watching a woeful, decimated Dolphins OL in '01, this is the guy I've always had pegged for the Dolphins to take in the late 1st round. His engulfing run blocking ability and no-nonsense attitude would be tremendous assets for this team.

While Gaffney often comes off as flamboyant and immature, he is a polished player with good speed and great hands on the field. He and Chris Chambers would make a lethal duo, but likely won't last past #18, where Redskins coach Steve Spurrier would love to adopt his former pupil.

Physically, Fonoti is the best interior lineman to come out of the draft in quite some time. If he is willing to pay the price, Fonoti could be another Larry Allen.

While Florida LT Mike Pearson is currently ranked ahead of Jones, I feel Levi will be the better pro with his long arms, great size, and agility for a big man.

Reed is so much like Troy Brown, it's scary. While the Dolphins have bigger needs on offense, I wouldn't exactly throw my remote on April 20th I heard Reed's name called. His awareness, hands, strength, and YAC is rare.

Foster has great power and hands out of the backfield, and could be the back to build a ground game around. His reputation as a fumbler and off the field problems could knock him down into the 2nd round, however.

Since declaring for the draft, Lelie has reportedly bulked uo into the 190 pound range to compliment his great hands and speed. I keep picturing these wideouts next to Chambers, and I'm intrigued of having two do-it-all players on the outside.

The TE was an afterthought in Chan Gailey's offense... Norv Turner may not have the same philosophy. I'm usually not in favor of drafting TEs in the first round, but Shockey's 6-6 frame, great hands, and long arms could be lethal weapons in the red zone. This guy could be special.

Haynesworth made a mistake by leaving a year early, and is more of a work-in-progress than anything else. Playing next to Daryl Gardener for a few years could allow Haynesworth to realize his immense potential, but probably won't fall into the mid 20's.

He can cover, he can hit, he can make plays, and he is a leader.. he's just small. Although he isn't an immediate need, a secondary of Madison, Surtain, Reed, and Freeman looks enticing.

After Henderson and Bryant, I rank Sims, Haynesworth, and Harper in a deadlock for the #3 DT. Very underrated player that can make plays in the backfield.

The questions surrounding Davis are similar to those surrounding Chris Chambers lasty year: sloppy routes, questionable hands. However, his athletic ability and work ethic could make him a 2nd round steal.

Polished route runner with good hands that should have stayed another year at Florida for his senior season; an exact replica of Darrell Jackson in '00.

Yep, that's right. McCown has the physical ability and love for the game to be a starting QB in this league. He'd make a great project for Norv Turner.

I have him ranked 5th among OGs. Why? Gurode, Fonoti, and Simmons had the chance to be special, and Weary gets a high grade because he can play C. Metcalf played LT in college, but projects strictly as a G at the next level.

Overstreet ruined a lot of OTs draft positions at the Senior Bowl, using outstanding quickness, hustle, and technique. He's a great ST player, too. Even if he isn't starting, Overstreet is a player you want on your team. First round is too early, but I'd lobby for this guy in the 2nd round if we had one.

WR Antonio Bryant, Pittsburgh. See Albert Connell and Terry Glenn... a player that talks about greatness instead of achieving it. Bryant will be a headache for any team that drafts him. Put that on my tab.

DT Anthony Weaver, Notre Dame. A lot like former Notre Dame DE Renaldo Wynn: can play DE and DT, but has limited upside potential. He's too much like Kenny Mixon.

DT Larry Tripplet, Washington. He's a good run stuffer, a relentless player, and a leader on and off the field. However, I don't see him commanding double teams at the next level. He's not much different than Jermaine Haley.

QB Kurt Kittner, Illinois. Mel Kiper Jr. compares him to Drew Brees. Ha! Brees had great intangables and awareness to offset his limited physical ability. Brees also could consistantly complete short and deep passes, which Kittner has had trouble doing. I currently have him ranked 7th among QBs behind Harrington, Carr, McCown, Ramsey, Fasani, and Davey.

RB Adrian Peterson, Georgia Southern. I like this back, who runs with great vision and decent power for his 5-10, 205 pound frame. If I had a #41, he'd be on the list. He, Portis, and Gordon are all very close on my board.

With Dixon, Ruddy, and Perry in their 30s and coming off mediocre seasons, the Dolphins must upgrade talent on the interior line. Andre Gurode could challenge for a starting job at G. With Gurode on board and a FA addition at RB, McCown, Peterson, Williams, and Henrich would be a solid nucleus of raw talent at QB, RB, OL, and TE. I'm hoping Peterson's 5-10, 208 frame and small school background knocks him into the 4th round, but that may not happen. Oh well. DT Earnest Grant, DT Jermaine Haley, and S Arturo Freeman proved to be late round steals on defense. Hall and Kelly could be similar steals. At 5-6, 165 pounds, Lockett has very limited long-term potential. However, he'd be a good 7th round selection because of his return ability.

This is my Dolphins Draft Value Board, which I hope to update every few weeks or so. On this Value Board is the Top 40 players I want the Dolphins to draft (based on their team needs), with a brief explanation for each player. I have also posted my 7 RD Dolphins Mock Draft w/ trades and predicted comp picks.

Because Harrington has a more polished throwing motion, I rate him over David Carr. Norv Turner would love to see this guy in Miami, but that's wishful thinking.

Green's biggest asset is his vision... something Lamar Smith clearly lacked last season. His powerful, cutback style reminds me of Curtis Martin. When Green ran a 4.59/40 at the combine, his chances of falling to the late 1st round increased greatly. I'll tell you this much... if we trade for Ricky Williams and this stud falls to #25 on draft day, my foot is going through the TV!

Williams has more of a chance to fall than Peppers, Harrington, McKinnie, or Carr, but those odds are slim-none at best. Imagine a secondary of Madison, Surtain, Williams, and Freeman for the next 5+ years.

Playing next to Daryl Gardener for a few years could allow Haynesworth to realize his immense potential, but surely won't fall into the mid 20's barring any unforseen incident. If Haynesworth tears it up at the combine, he could go ahead of teammate John Henderson on draft day.

Physically, Fonoti is the best interior lineman to come out of the draft in quite some time. If he is willing to pay the price, Fonoti could be another Larry Allen.

Workouts will determine how high or low Lelie goes in this draft. There are whispers that Lelie may run a sub 4.3/40 at 6-3, 205, which would catapult him into Top 5 status.

After a dominating SR Bowl week, Sims isn't just "that guy that played with Julius Peppers" anymore. Even with Bowens, Gardener, Haley, Grant, and possibly Larry Chester on board, Sims would be a temptation if he fell to us in the late 1st round. That, however, isn't going to happen.

Over the last two seasons, Reed has caught 159 passes for 2867 yds and 17 TDs (an average of 7 catches, 128 yds, TD every game). That is simply unbelievable. Many question Reed's speed and ability to seperate at the next level; I think he'll be fine. His awareness, hands, strength, and YAC is rare.

I have Foster and Duckett ranked right next to each other. He, too, is a back that a running game can be built around. When I see players like Green, Duckett, and Foster, I start thinking that a fresh start with a hungry rookie may be the way to go.

While Florida LT Mike Pearson is currently ranked ahead of Jones, I feel Levi will be the better pro with his long arms, great size, and agility for a big man. He can play guard, too.

Projection: Early-Mid 1st. (Note: Edwards' broke his leg toward the end of the '01 season. His off-season workouts will determine his draft status. Edwards is said to be 100%, though.)

Henderson's mediocre senior campaign could drop him out of the Top 5, and possibly out of the Top 10. He's 6-7 and under 290 pounds, which means he is somewhat lean for a DT. At this point, I really question his injuries and ability to maintain leverage on running plays.

You probably haven't heard much about this guy, but he'll be a great pro with the ability to play FS and SS. I wouldn't mind seeing Lewis and Freeman at safety for the next 5 years.

While Pearson/Jones and Wade would make a great bookend tandem for the next 10 years, LT isn't of critical importance with Fiedler's mobility. Pearson is somewhat lean at 6-7, 290, and is merely an average run blocker.

Freeny is an interesting player. He has 4.5/40 speed off the edge, which would be a great compliment to Taylor. As we learned with Jamar Fletcher, taking a situational player isn't the best move in the first round. However, I miss having two sack artists off the edge.

Personally, I think Bryant is overrated, and will be the 4th DT taken in this draft. However, he'd make a great compliment to Daryl Gardener inside.

He can cover, he can hit, he can make plays, and he is a leader.. he's just small. Although he isn't an immediate need, a secondary of Madison, Surtain, Reed, and Freeman looks enticing.

The questions surrounding Davis are similar to those surrounding Chris Chambers last year: sloppy routes, questionable hands. However, his athletic ability and work ethic could make him a 2nd round steal, or a 1st round consideration.

Yep, that's right. McCown has the physical ability and love for the game to be a starting QB in this league. He'd make a great project for Norv Turner. McCown is my favorite player in this draft.

Polished route runner with good hands that should have stayed another year at Florida for his senior season; an exact replica of Darrell Jackson in '00.

He's one of the few OLBs in this draft that can hold his own at the point of attack. I think Derrick Rodgers is extremely overrated, and an OLB tandem of Harris and Greenwood would give the Dolphins size and speed.

The TE position is a need, and Shockey make sense because he carries a 1st round grade. However, I am a big fan of Jed Weaver; I think he'll benefit most from Norv Turner's arrival.

Questions about Johnson's speed has dropped him into the late 2nd/early 3rd round category, which is nonsense. He should have come out last year.

It didn't take Stallworth long to realize he made a mistake by coming out early. An underachiever for most of his college career, Stallworth began to come on late in '01, which makes his decision to come out even more questionable.

- DT Anthony Weaver, Notre Dame. A lot like former Notre Dame DE Renaldo Wynn: can play DE and DT, but has limited upside potential. He's too much like Kenny Mixon.

- DT Larry Tripplet, Washington. He's a good run stuffer, a relentless player, and a leader on and off the field. However, I don't see him commanding double teams at the next level. He's not much different than Jermaine Haley.

- QB Kurt Kittner, Illinois. Mel Kiper Jr. compares him to Drew Brees. Ha! Brees had great intangables and awareness to offset his limited physical ability. Brees also could consistantly complete short and deep passes, which Kittner has had trouble doing. I currently have him ranked 7th among QBs behind Harrington, Carr, McCown, Ramsey, Fasani, and Davey.

- RB Adrian Peterson, Georgia Southern. I like this back, who runs with great vision and decent power for his 5-10, 205 pound frame. If I had a #41, he'd be on the list. He, Portis, and Gordon are all very close on my board.

- DE Will Overstreet, Tennessee. If I had a #41, he'd be it. Overstreet ruined a lot of OTs draft positions at the Senior Bowl, using outstanding quickness, hustle, and technique. He's a great ST player, too. Even if he isn't starting, Overstreet is a player you want on your team.

- Dolphins trade 1st, 3rd, and 5th round selections to the Saints for RB Ricky Williams and a 2nd rounder. - Dolphins are awarded 4th and 5th round compensatory selections.

2) G Kendall Simmons, Auburn. If the Dolphins come away with Ricky and a 2nd rounder, OL will definitely be the first pick. At either LG or RG, Simmons could make an immediate impact.

4) DE Carlos Hall, Arkansas. If Bromell and Mixon depart, a young pass rusher is needed. David Bowens is the only pass rush threat off the bench.

5) G Richard Williams, Gardner-Webb. Williams is a raw, physical speciman from small school Gardner-Webb. He'd make an interesting project for Tony Wise.

As much as I'd like to keep our picks and start fresh with a young back (Green, Duckett, Foster), I'm starting to think Ricky will be a Dolphin. The Browns are the only other team interested, and probably will go the free agent route with Garrison Hearst or Ricky Watters. If the Saints thought Ricky was a headcase before, imagine him in '02 after the Saints tried to deal him all off season. If I'm Randy Mueller, I start fresh with Deuce McAlister. Behind closed doors, the Saints offense was a circus with Ricky Williams playing the role of the bearded lady.

What are your feelings on the draft? Interested? Apathetic? Upset because we may have given up too much for Ricky? I've compiled a list of 20 players that I hope last until the #90 spot. I don't intend on the following players lasting until our spot, as they are projected to go at least one round higher than our first selection.

WR: Donte Stallworth, Ashley Lelie, Jabar Gaffney, Josh Reed, Antonio Bryant, Reche Caldwell, Marquis Walker, Andre Davis, Ron Johnson, Tim Carter

As I've stated in the past, this is my favorite player in the draft. He's physically gifted with the necessary passion for the game. Mike Shula and Norv Turner could make this guy a Pro Bowler by 2004.

While Overstreet is rising to 2nd round territory with a solid post-season, it's hard to project where this undersized, high-motor player will end up. A team could fall in love with his tenacity, or ignore it and focus on physical limitations. If the Dolphins are serious about moving Daryl Gardener to DE, he and Overstreet would make a great 1-2 punch.

The Dolphins just can't get Tim Ruddy out of the starting lineup. In '99, they drafted Greg Ruegamer, a 3rd round bust, after the Bears matched an offer to Casey Weigmann. In '00, the Rams matched an offer for Ryan Tucker. Last year, the Saints teased the Dolphins with the idea of released versatile Tom Ackerman. Just a few weeks ago, Olin Kreutz turned down a lucrative offer to remain with the Bears. McKinney, while a Ruddy clone, would add more pop in the running game.

While Fonoti, Gurode, Simmons, and Metcalf have received more recognition, Weary has quietly maintained his first day status. Weary's ability to play Center is an intriguing asset.

While Foote is athletically gifted, he is a smart, instinctive player that plays with passion. The Dolphins desperately need a player that can step in OLB or MLB at a moments notice; Foote fits the bill.

Similar prospect to Sedrick Hodge, that went in the late 3rd round last year. Believe it or not, Derrick Rodgers will be 32 this year, and depth is desperately needed.

While undersized, Walker is an impressive athlete in the Arturo Freeman mold. Rick Spielman recently said that there are a number of quality safeties available in the middle rounds; Walker could be one of these safeties.

If Ricky Williams goes down, the running game will be on life support once again. Corey Dillon and Curtis Martin are the only two backs in the league that have started every game.

Keep an eye on this guy, who could catch 40-50 passes as a rookie. I rank him slightly behind Graham and Shockey; that's how much respect I have for this guy. Unfortunately, I like Jed Weaver as well.

Taylor won't blow anyone up at the point of attack or double as a DE in Dime Packages, but he'd be a great backup at all 3 LB spots. He's one of those LB's that just gets the job done.

Another talented QB that can be molded into a starter. Because he has the arm and mobility, I rank him above LSU's Rohan Davey and Illinois' Kurt Kittner.