Re-Grading Miami Dolphins' Past 5 Drafts

NFL draft grades are like the tortoise and the hare. 

Some analysts will rush to provide grades for each team's draft in the immediate aftermath, but slow and steady wins the race here. You can't possibly get a good read on a team's draft in the hours after its conclusion; it takes a few years to get a true gauge of how each team fared in the draft.

Only with a sizable sample can we begin to make heads or tails of what we've seen on draft day.

For some teams, like the Miami Dolphins, coaching changes can play a part as well. Players who were seen as the future of the franchise in 2010 may no longer be a fit for the team just two years later. 

So, with that in mind, let's take a look back at the Dolphins' past five drafts and see how they did, handing out new, more well-founded grades for each class. 

2010

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	28	Jared Odrick	DE
2	40	Koa Misi	LB
3	73	John Jerry	OL
4	119	A.J. Edds	LB
5	145	Nolan Carroll	DB
5	163	Reshad Jones	DB
7	212	Chris McCoy	DE
7	252	Austin Spitler	LB

Best Pick: Reshad Jones

A starting safety in the fifth round? You don't see that every year. But the Dolphins found a diamond in the rough in Reshad Jones, the Georgia defensive back who has taken over the starting spot at safety in the Dolphins defense. His versatility between free safety and strong safety has given the Dolphins options on how to build their secondary going forward. 

More importantly, his playmaking ability has given them a reliable security blanket on the back end. 

Worst Pick: John Jerry

At the time, the Dolphins were building an offensive line in the mold of a power-blocking scheme, which looks for "bigger, stronger" offensive linemen to bully (no pun intended) the man in front of them. At 6'5" and 340 pounds, John Jerry looked like the perfect fit. Unfortunately, he couldn't stay in shape, and two years later, he was looking at a brand new coaching staff that was searching for smaller, more athletic linemen to execute a zone-blocking scheme. 

Should Have Had That Guy: Emmanuel Sanders

Ten picks after the Dolphins selected Jerry, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. The Dolphins have spent the past four years trying to reshape their wide receiving corps, with success at times and failure at other times, but the selection of Jerry did not prevent them from having questions on the offensive line. 

Overall Grade: B+

Koa Misi is going to be a starting linebacker for the Dolphins this season. Reshad Jones continues to hold down one starting spot at safety. With three successful picks, the Dolphins were batting .375 in this draft—and just because Jared Odrick is gone, it doesn't mean he was an unsuccessful pick.

2011

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	15	Mike Pouncey	OL
2	62	Daniel Thomas	RB
4	111	Clyde Gates	WR
6	174	Charles Clay	TE
7	231	Frank Kearse	DT
7	235	Jimmy Wilson	DB

Best Pick: Mike Pouncey

Interior offensive linemen are among the least "sexy" picks a team can make in the draft, but when you get a player like Mike Pouncey, the value is too hard to pass up. The Dolphins were wise to pounce (pun intended) for a player who has proved to be a perfect fit for their offense—even though the coaching staff changed the scheme dramatically the year after he was selected.

Pouncey's versatility to play both center and guard has already come in handy as well, with the Dolphins shaking things up on the offensive line last year. The Dolphins understand his value, which is why it was no surprise when they signed him to a five-year, $45 million extension.

Worst Pick: Daniel Thomas

One number describes this pick: 3.62. That is Daniel Thomas' career average yards per rush attempt, and it ranks as the sixth-worst of any running back with at least 200 carries since 2011 (72nd out of 77). The Dolphins were hoping he could be a between-the-tackles force for them, with his size, strength, burst and vision acting as his weapons in getting yards in small spaces. 

Unfortunately, he just never got in rhythm and was the victim of a changing scheme that wanted more of a one-cut back. 

Should Have Had That Guy: DeMarco Murray

Thomas had the sixth-lowest yards per carry in that above list, and DeMarco Murray had the seventh-highest. Yes, surroundings are everything, especially for a running back who needs his offensive line to open holes. If the Dolphins had selected Murray, though, they wouldn't be facing some of their current issues and question marks in the backfield. Murray was taken in the third round; Thomas was a second-round pick. 

Overall Grade: B-

The Dolphins found three players with starting-caliber talent in this draft, but four years later, only one remains on the roster. Jimmy Wilson and Charles Clay left the fold, but both are starting for their new teams and would probably still be starting for the Dolphins if they were around. 

2012

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	8	Ryan Tannehill	QB
2	42	Jonathan Martin	OT
3	72	Olivier Vernon	DE
3	78	Michael Egnew	TE
4	97	Lamar Miller	RB
5	155	Josh Kaddu	LB
6	183	B.J. Cunningham	WR
7	215	Kheeston Randall	DT
7	227	Rishard Matthews	WR

Best Pick: Ryan Tannehill

The jury is still out on whether Ryan Tannehill will become an elite quarterback; he has taken steps forward in each of his years in the NFL but is not showing the ability to consistently take over games. Olivier Vernon might be the Dolphins' best value pick of the draft, but given Tannehill's potential to be the quarterback of the future, he's the better pick.

In fact, given the recent shortcomings of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, history may remember Tannehill as one of the two best quarterbacks in this class. 

Worst Pick: Jonathan Martin

This has nothing to do with Jonathan Martin's involvement/victimization in the bullying scandal with Richie Incognito. Martin was taking a turn for the worse well before there were any reports of wrongdoing in the locker room. Who knows whether those events were part of what led him to lose his confidence, but he never showed much promise of living up to the billing as a second-round pick. 

Should Have Had That Guy: Bobby Wagner

Once upon a time, Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby were the Dolphins starting linebackers. It seems like forever ago, but that was only 2012.

Following that season, the Dolphins cut bait with both Burnett and Dansby to sign Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe. Two years later, they've cut bait with both Wheeler and Ellerbe and are beginning a youth movement at linebacker—a youth movement that could have started in 2012 if they had only drafted Bobby Wagner, who has been a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks' elite defense.

Overall Grade: B+

Lamar Miller has taken steps forward in recent years and has the look of a back who could be a bell cow for the Dolphins offense. Vernon is proving to be a perfect bookend for Cameron Wake. If Tannehill turns out to be a top-10 quarterback, this grade could still go up. Three starting-caliber players in one draft is a good haul, if you ask me. 

2013

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	3	Dion Jordan	DE
2	54	Jamar Taylor	DB
3	77	Dallas Thomas	OL
3	93	Will Davis	DB
4	104	Jelani Jenkins	LB
4	106	Dion Sims	TE
5	164	Mike Gillislee	RB
5	166	Caleb Sturgis	K
7	250	Don Jones	DB

Best Pick: Jelani Jenkins

The Dolphins may not have realized they were going to strike gold and find a future starter in the fourth round, but when they picked Jelani Jenkins, that's exactly what happened. The former Florida linebacker became a wildly important piece to the defense last year when Dannell Ellerbe was lost for the season; Jenkins played 912 defensive snaps and started 15 of 16 games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Now, with the linebacker group moving in a new direction without Ellerbe and Philip Wheeler, the Dolphins will be counting on Jenkins even more than they were previously.   

Worst Pick: Dion Jordan

Make no mistake: This distinction is no fault of Dion Jordan's. It's not his fault that the previous regime traded up to grab him and that the coaching staff has since failed to find any way to use him in the defense on a consistent basis. Jordan was considered to be a projection coming out of Oregon; it was unclear whether he'd be at his best as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end or as a stand-up linebacker. That being said, we're no closer to our answer now than we were when the Dolphins drafted him. 

Should Have Had That Guy: Sheldon Richardson

The Dolphins haven't needed a defensive tackle lately. In 2013, they had Jared Odrick, Randy Starks and Paul Soliai on the roster. In 2014, Odrick and Starks were still around. Now, though, they've moved on from all three and just forked over a ton of cash to Ndamukong Suh. Drafting Richardson might have allowed the Dolphins to save their money and still have one of the best defensive tackles in the league.  

Overall Grade: D+

At this point, only one player from this draft has panned out. There's still time for Jamar Taylor, Dallas Thomas, Will Davis and Dion Sims to turn into good players, but Jenkins is the only one who is worth his draft selection so far. Caleb Sturgis has been a disappointment as the kicker. Thomas is supposed to earn a starting spot this year, but that could change if 2014 draft pick Billy Turner usurps him. 

2014

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Round	Pick	Player	Position
1	19	Ja'Wuan James	OL
2	63	Jarvis Landry	WR
3	67	Billy Turner	OL
4	125	Walt Aikens	CB
5	155	Arthur Lynch	TE
5	171	Jordan Tripp	LB
6	190	Matt Hazel	WR
7	234	Terrence Fede	DE

Best Pick: Jarvis Landry

Wide receivers Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Jordan Matthews and Kelvin Benjamin were all drafted before Jarvis Landry, but none had as many receptions as the LSU product. Landry caught 84 passes as a rookie, second-most among the 2014 draft class behind only New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. The Dolphins gutted their wide receiving depth chart this offseason, and they had the confidence to move in a new direction thanks to the presence of Landry. 

Worst Pick: Arthur Lynch

For a fifth-round pick to be among the worst in a team's draft class is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, fifth-round picks are never really expected to make much of their NFL careers. That being said, Arthur Lynch's season-ending back injury puts him in a prove-it situation entering his second year. The Dolphins still have Dion Sims on the roster, so Lynch has some competition for the No. 2 snaps at tight end.

Should Have Had That Guy: N/A

After only one year, it's a little too early to peg a particular player as one the Dolphins should have taken over anyone else they selected.  

Overall Grade: Incomplete

For right now, we haven't seen enough from these players to know exactly how this draft grades out, but if I had a gun to my head, I'd give this class a B-plus.

Even if Ja'Wuan James and Jarvis Landry end up being the only two good players to come from this draft, that's still a nice haul. There's still a chance, also, that players like Billy Turner and Walt Aikens could thrive given the opportunity. Turner could compete for a starting job at guard this year, and Aikens could be in the mix for a lot of playing time at cornerback. This year could be a big step in the evolution of the Dolphins' 2014 draft class.