Miami Dolphins: Complete 2015 NFL Draft Wrap-Up and Analysis

The Miami Dolphins came into the 2015 NFL draft looking to do five things that would improve the team from their 8-8 record in 2014. 

Miami wanted to add a true No. 1 receiver, which they were able to do in Round 1 with the selection of Louisville receiver DeVante Parker. They wanted to fortify their run defense too and thus hope that second-round pick Jordan Phillips—a defensive tackle out of Oklahoma—is the right man for the job there. 

Miami also wanted to add more picks, which they did via a second-round trade with Philadelphia (per Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post) that gave Miami the 52nd pick (used on Phillips), the 145th pick in the fifth round (used on Memphis CB Bobby McCain) and the fifth round's 156th pick (used on wide receiver-turned-cornerback Tony Lippett). 

An improvement at guard was another priority, leading to Miami using its fourth-round pick on Arizona State guard/tackle Jamil Douglas. This was followed by what looks to be the steal of the draft, using the 149th pick in Round 5 on Boise State's Jay Ajayi. 

Finally Miami wanted to beef up their secondary, which they did via the selections of McCain, Lippett and, with the 150th pick, Minnesota safety Ced Thompson. 

Miami went five-for-five, leading to what looks like one of their better drafts of the last decade. Here's the overview of the draft, including my final grade for the draft as a whole. 

The Selections

Secondary, offensive line, linebacker, power running back and No. 1 wide receiver were the big holes Miami had to fill in the 2015 draft. 

Save for the linebackers, you could easily say the Dolphins accomplished their goal. 

There doesn't look to be a single reach in this draft, as the Dolphins wound up getting great value in exchange for moving down five picks with the Eagles. Both of those picks were spent on the secondary, with one going to Memphis' Bobby McCain and the other going to Tony Lippett. 

DeVante Parker and Jay Ajayi are neck-and-neck in terms of best draft pick (to be revealed on the next slide). Both add elements to the offense that were missing in 2014, and if that wasn't enough, they both have the potential to be elite at what they do. 

Barring injury, Parker is almost a lock to become Miami's No. 1 receiver, while Ajayi adds great downhill running, great pass-blocking and great hands out of the backfield, giving the Dolphins a third-down back that will serve as their closer in a four-minute offense. 

The secondary is now deep, as there will be a great battle between free-agent acquisition Brice McCain and new draftee Bobby McCain. In an interesting bit of trivia, it seems like the only McCains of note not playing for the Dolphins in 2015 are 2008 Republican Presidential nominee John and his daughter Megan.

The team also found Louis Delmas' possible replacement in Ced Thompson, a big-hitting safety out of Minnesota. Thompson's story is an interesting one: moving from Los Angeles to a small town on the Salton Sea in California called Bombay Beach, then being very lightly recruited as a running back in high school before deciding to go to Minnesota, where he moved to safety. 

We'll get to Tony Lippett, the biggest project in the draft, later. 

Best Pick: DeVante Parker

This one was a no-brainer. 

The Dolphins had DeVante Parker high on their draft board going into Thursday, then waited anxiously as other teams with a need at wide receiver (including his former teammate Teddy Bridgewater's club in Minnesota) passed on Parker, leaving him available for the Dolphins to snatch at 14. 

The 6'3", 209-pound Parker ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the combine, with a vertical leap of 36.5".

With his size, speed and vertical ability, Parker can catch just about anything thrown his way, which made him a focal part of the Louisville offense in his four collegiate seasons. 

Only West Virginia's Kevin White was seen as having more upside than Parker, and to say that Parker could have the better career wouldn't be crazy. 

Parker will draw double-teams, which will allow Miami's other receivers and tight ends (Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron, Dion Sims and Rishard Matthews) to feast on weaker coverage, forcing teams to decide between keeping a double on Parker or playing man-to-man on each receiver. 

Grade: A+

Worst Pick: Jordan Phillips

I wasn't a fan of the Jordan Phillips selection when it was made, but I'm slowly starting to come around. 

I consider it the worst pick not because of Phillips' ability as a player, but because of the players Miami passed up on in order to trade down to acquire him. 

The Dolphins passed up on linebacker Denzel Perryman, who would've helped significantly with the run game. They also passed up on cornerback/safety Eric Rowe, who would've added a bigger dimension to their secondary. 

The trade was worth it value-wise, but as I saw Phillips selected, all I could think of was the fact that he only made 17 starts in four seasons, had back surgery performed on him back in 2013 and was an underachiever at Oklahoma. 

What has made me feel a lot better about Phillips is the fact that even post-back surgery, the athleticism remains, as well as the fact that College Football Focus had him as the fifth-best run-defending defensive tackle in the draft. 

Phillips had late first-round grades from a variety of sources pre-draft, and Miami was able to get him while still being able to trade down and add more picks. I had the pick graded as a C at first, but he should flourish in Miami's defense next to Ndamukong Suh against the run, which changed my grade. 

Keep in mind, this being the worst pick is relative to the other picks made in this draft. 

Grade: B

Biggest Project: Tony Lippett

There are two projects on the list of selections, with those projects being second-rounder Jordan Phillips and their final pick, Tony Lippett.

Lippett will be moving from wide receiver to cornerback, instantly becoming the tallest of Miami's corners at 6'2", 192 pounds.

At Michigan State he played both positions but had focused on wide receiver in his last two seasons. He was a Big Ten receiver of the year winner in 2014 thanks to a season that saw him grab 65 catches and 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He's compared to Richard Sherman, who also played both wide receiver and corner while in college before transitioning to being one of the NFL's elite corners. The only difference is Sherman started at Stanford as a receiver before making the switch, while Lippett started as a defensive back at Michigan State, switched to receiver, and will switch back to defensive back in the NFL.

If Lippett can be half as good in his conversion as Richard Sherman has been for the Seahawks, this pick is a possible steal. 

Grade: A-

What the Experts Are Saying

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Here's a quick look at what all of the experts are saying about Miami's draft...

Chris Burke, SI.com

Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke was a fan of Miami's 2015 draft, bestowing an A- on Miami's draft class. 

Burke pointed out that it was "Hard to believe either guy was available at the spot he was picked," listing that DeVante Parker was "but a hair (if that) behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White at receiver." Burke said Jordan Phillips "had suitors toward the tail end of round 1 (Indianapolis would have been a match)."

I certainly agree with his assessment of Parker, and the tidbit about Phillips helped win me over to the side of him being a good pick, among other factors. 

As for the other picks: "Guard Jamil Douglas, cornerback Bobby McCain and in particular running back Jay Ajayi all were welcome finds on Day 3," a sentiment I certainly agree with. It can be argued that Miami had one of the best third days of the draft, and those "welcome finds," as Burke puts it, sum up that argument. 

Bryan Fischer, NFL.com

Bryan Fischer of NFL.com pointed out that Parker "was some folks' top wideout in the draft and might have been a consensus top player at the position if he weren't injured his final season," adding: "The Dolphins liked Parker throughout the draft process and got their guy without giving anything up. That's a win." 

As for Phillips and Jay Ajayi: "[Phillips] shows flashes of first-round talent, and the team moved back in the draft to get him to boot. There are concerns over Ajayi's knee, but he's a steal in the fifth round as a versatile back who can run between the tackles."

Fischer rounded out his explanations by saying: "The Dolphins' draft started out well landing a target like Parker, and they grabbed some very solid players in later rounds despite only a handful of picks." Despite such effusive praise for the job the Dolphins did in the draft, Fischer only gave them a B overall, which feels low considering how much he seemed to like the picks themselves. 

James Walker, ESPN

No grades from Todd McShay or Mel Kiper yet, but on ESPN.com Dolphins writer James Walker gave Miami's draft a "thumbs up," saying: 

"

The Dolphins got a dynamic playmaker in the first round with DeVante Parker and did a good job addressing needs in the second half of the draft. The only pick that was confusing was Jordan Phillips in the second round. Otherwise, Miami's early reviews are solid. It will be up to the coaching staff to quickly develop these young players and get an immediate impact in 2015.

"

The second part scares me, but the raw talent of all of these draft picks is definitely there, making this draft class well-deserving of a thumbs up from anyone. 

What's Left to Address?

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Two positions could be addressed by Miami: guard and linebacker. 

Miami did pick up a good guard prospect in Jamil Douglas, and Douglas should compete for the starting left guard spot in training camp. 

However, Douglas is but a maybe, and it would help the Dolphins out if they could get the sure thing at the position. 

Evan Mathis could be that sure thing, and while the Dolphins never asked for them in a trade (per Armando Salguero), it could be because of the belief that Philadelphia will release him. 

If they do, Miami should sign him. It would also be a good idea for the Dolphins to sign La'el Collins once he's cleared in the unfortunate situation he's had to deal with. 

Linebacker wasn't addressed in the draft, but thus far it looks like they're attempting to with three undrafted free agents (per Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post): Penn State's Mike Hull, Utah State's Zach Vigil and Marshall's Neville Hewitt. 

If a veteran linebacker breaks free at some point, the Dolphins should make attempts to kick the tires. 

Final Grade

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

This was an impressive draft for Miami. 

They only made one trade, but got the most out of the value for the trade. They dropped five spots, gained picks and got someone they had highly valued. 

They drafted their future number one receiver, found a guard that could come in and compete right away, and strengthened the depth in their secondary. 

I don't see how this draft could be graded by anyone lower than a B+, but there is someone who graded this draft a B-. 

I respectfully disagree. It's a lot better than that, and at this time next year, we'll have a much better idea of what grade it will get.

Grade: A-

Statistics provided by sports-reference.com/cfb. 

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