Miami Dolphins 2012 NFL Mock Draft: Day 1

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It’s here.  It’s finally here.   

After three excruciatingly long months, it’s time to don that Miami Dolphins hat gents, ‘cause it’s GO time.  Get your popcorn ready, sit back, and relax. 

There will be duds.  There will be fireworks. 

And when the dust settles, hopefully this secretive roller-coaster ride of an offseason will come to an end. 

Will the Dolphins brass select a Quarterback in the first round—the only time since 1983?  How will they address the giant, beast-sized hole left by Brandon Marshall?  Can they truly add a real contributor with that extra third round pick?  Will they find a replacement for Will Allen, a well-respected captain and the team’s leading tackler for several years?  Or, perhaps most importantly, will they curse the Dolfans with another offensive lineman in the first round?

The first day of the draft is here.  Are you brimming with excitement?  I’m about to go bonkers. 

I don’t remember the last time I was this emotionally invested in a draft.  Maybe it’s because Dolfans have endured years of mediocrity.  Maybe it’s because we have a promising new head coach and offensive coordinator.  Maybe, just maybe, they can start this new regime on the right foot.

Now, join me as I highlight a few options the Dolphins could consider.

With the No. 8 pick in the draft, the Dolphins select…

The Consensus Pick

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Ryan Tannehill

NFL Draft Scout Profile

Height: 6-4
Weight: 221
40 Time: 4.65

Here’s the fan favorite—and hopefully the answer to the quarterback position since Marino’s retirement.  I personally don’t agree with this pick at No. 8 (you can read my opinion piece here). 

However, the kid definitely has talent.  He’s fast, he’s pretty accurate, and he’s got a lightning-fast release—but he's also raw and probably won’t start for a while.  This guy’s definitely a gamble.  Odds are that he won’t be the next Marino. 

However, this pick can at least give Dolfans some hope.

The Safe Pick

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Melvin Ingram

NFL Draft Scout Profile

Height: 6-2
Weight: 264
40 Time: 4.79

The Dolphins are going to get creamed every time they face Tom Brady unless they can get someone to rush alongside Wake.  Sure, Ingram's got tiny T-Rex arms, but he also has deceptive speed. 

He’s also really strong for his size and extremely versatile—Ingram has rushed from both DE and DT.  He reminds me a lot of New York Giant defensive end Justin Tuck, although maybe even a little bit faster.  You know what I like about Justin Tuck?  He helped annoy and scare the hell out of Brady in the Superbowl, where they held the Pats to 14 points. 

14 points! 

If the Wake-Ingram combo can reproduce that kind of results, I’m sold.

Trade Back!

Nick Perry Highlights

The Dolphins are considering trading back in the draft.  Here are some possibilities I have found for trade-downs—with their respective trade incentives.  So the format is as follows: TEAM (the picks they will trade for the No. 8 pick) - Players that TEAM is targeting at the No. 8 spot.

1) Cincinnati (1, 2)—Dre Kirkpatrick, Michael Floyd

2) Cleveland (1, 2, 4)—Ryan Tannehill, Riley Reiff, Michael Floyd

3) Pittsburgh (1, 2, 4)—Riley Reiff

4) Seattle (1, 3),(1, 6)—Quinton Coples, Melvin Engram

5) San Diego (1, 2 & next year's third)—Riley Reiff

6) Jets (1, 2, 5, 6)—Riley Reiff, Melvin Ingram

7) Philadelphia (1, 2)—Riley Reiff

The Dolphins have a lot of holes so I believe it’s better to have more picks as opposed to fewer picks—even if they are more “valuable.”  This is, in my opinion, the way the Dolphins should tackle the first round of the draft.  They can probably pick up Tannehill later on, and depending on their position would have a shot at someone like Nick Perry (DE), Mohamed Sanu (WR), or Rueben Randle (WR).

What’s Not Going to Happen

This won't happen - unless we trade back.

The dreaded offensive lineman pick.  In the weeks leading up to the draft, I’ve heard it about a million times: “We better not draft another lineman!  Four years and we keep drafting lineman!” 

Well, unfortunately we haven’t solidified the line yet, so it’s still a need.  Thankfully picking an OL at No. 8 would be a major reach.  Furthermore, it seems that they really like Lydon Murtha at RT. 

The only way I could see the Dolphins getting an OL in the first round is if they traded picks with another team—which is, in my opinion, probably the best approach anyways.  Even still, there are better overall players projected to the picks I listed earlier and Ireland usually picks the best player available.

Stay Tuned

In just a few hours we’ll see what the Dolphins do with their first round pick.  Some will hate it and others will love it, but let’s just hope it turns out to be a good decision.  

Be sure to read my upcoming second- and third-day posts.  Until then, happy NFL Draft everyone!