Miami Dolphins' Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
The Miami Dolphins have had a tumultuous offseason so far in 2016, and many would be hard-pressed to consider it a good one.
The Dolphins have the chance to turn around the image of the 2016 offseason, as well as the team itself, starting at the NFL draft.
The Dolphins have eight picks in this year's draft and are hoping to get better production from those selections than they have in their last few drafts, which have ranged from halfway decent to unmitigated disasters.
Will the next few days change Miami's draft luck? We'll find out not only over the course of Thursday, Friday and Saturday but throughout the upcoming season.
Keep it here throughout the draft as we update the tracker throughout all seven rounds, from the 13th pick (or earlier if Miami trades up) to the last pick as we analyze and grade each selection as it happens.
Miami Dolphins Picks
1 of 9The Miami Dolphins started with eight picks this year and only three of them coming in the top 100.
Then came Friday when the Dolphins traded up twice. First they traded their fourth round pick to Baltimore to move up to grab Xavien Howard (per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). Then later on Friday night they dealt a conditional fourth rounder in 2017, a third rounder in 2017 and a sixth round pick this year to Minnesota (per Chris Tomasson of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press) to move back into the third round and acquire Leonte Carroo.
Miami then traded out of their fifth round pick with one of the most unlikely of teams: division rival New England. The trade netted them a sixth rounder and two seventh rounders.
Miami made one more trade, trading cornerback Jamar Taylor to the Cleveland Browns to swap picks from 250 to 223.
With all of the wheeling and dealing, Miami ended up picking eight players in the draft—just not necessarily in the spots they originally had.
Here's our review of Miami's 2016 draft with grades and analysis.
Round 1, Pick No. 13: Laremy Tunsil, Tackle, Ole Miss
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It was 33 years ago that the Miami Dolphins pounced on their greatest first-round pick of all time despite said player slipping in the draft due to rumors and accusations about his drug use in college.
That pick, one Daniel Constantine Marino Jr., worked out all right.
In the 2016 draft, it wasn't a rumor but rather irrefutable proof in the form of a years-old video, per Deadspin.com's Patrick Redford, that caused Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil to fall to the Miami Dolphins with their 13th pick.
That number 13 is quite nice to the Dolphins, isn't it?
Prior to the draft and much of the controversy surrounding Tunsil's video, he was considered to be one of the best overall players in the draft—so much so that one couldn't even conceive of him falling to the Miami Dolphins.
Despite that, he's the perfect pick for Miami. He can easily slip into the left tackle position and shift Branden Albert to left guard, or, for at least this season, Tunsil could play left guard alongside Albert.
He's fluid in his blocking technique with incredible footwork and great bend and flexibility.
NFL.com's Charles Davis believes that Tunsil will have an instant impact in his rookie season, and one player who will be glad to see such an impact will be quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
As for the off-the-field stuff, that shouldn't be too much of a concern; as NFL.com's Ian Rapoport points out, Tunsil passed all of his predraft drug tests (h/t Chris Wesseling of NFL.com).
This is an excellent pick all-around and lucky for Miami that he fell this far.
Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick No. 38: Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor
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There's a lot to like about Miami's second round pick—Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard.
Per Pro Football Focus, opposing teams only had a 32.4 passer rating in 2015 (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Howard also possesses great size, coming in at 6'0", 201 pounds, and is pretty fast, clocking a 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds at his pro day.
Howard also fits pretty well into Miami's scheme with his skill set, which involves taking plenty of risks, as well as great overall ball skills.
On the other hand, Howard appears to have issues stopping the run at times, as his playmaking ability can be compromised against the run leading to missed tackles. Howard can also be a little too aggressive down the field.
To acquire Howard, the Dolphins traded up from No. 42 to No. 38, throwing in their fourth-round pick, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
My main concern is said trade-up: Did Miami have to trade up to get Howard? Considering no other cornerback was chosen between Miami's pick and the original pick at No. 42, one would hazard to guess it didn't.
The trade lowers my grade significantly on a player I didn't see too much as a second-round pick to begin with.
Grade: C-
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Round 3, Pick No. 73: Kenyan Drake, RB, Alabama
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Alabama running back Kenyan Drake seems to be born to be a complementary running back.
That was the role he assumed with the Crimson Tide, serving primarily as a change-of-pace back for Heisman-winning back Derrick Henry. He'll likely serve the same role in Miami as Jay Ajayi's change-of-pace running back.
So why was he drafted so high in the third round? Likely an attempt by the Dolphins to get ahead of a potential run on running backs, a position that they were targeting throughout the draft.
There's a lot to like about this pick, as Drake is a big running back, coming in at 6'1", 210 pounds. He doesn't run like one, as his game is eluding defenders. It's a big reason why 'Bama used him on kickoff returns, including a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
Drake also works as a third-down back, averaging 12.5 yards per reception out of the backfield.
These are all great qualities, but not for a running back you're reaching for in the third round, especially with Kenneth Dixon, Paul Perkins and Devontae Booker still available, as well as with Drake's injury history (Drake suffered a dislocated ankle in 2014 and a broken arm in 2015).
If Miami wanted a punt return man, it could've waited—now wasn't the time.
Grade: D
Round 3, Pick 86: Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
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Miami seemed done for the night after choosing running back Kenyan Drake, but then the team went and traded back into the third round to make its best draft pick of the evening.
Miami chose big Rutgers receiver Leonte Carroo, who comes in at 6'0", 211 pounds. Carroo was projected as a second- to third-round pick by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein—and for good reason.
Carroo not only has great size for the position but is also superb at tracking the ball while in the air. He fits in well with Miami's other three wide receivers and makes sense as a replacement for Rishard Matthews.
Carroo won't have much trouble getting playing time in the Miami offense, which likely would've been a challenge for him under previous regimes. He should feast on the fact that most of the coverage will be centered around Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker. His run-blocking ability will also be a major plus, as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel points out that Carroo "prides himself on his blocking."
It's a solid pick, but maybe the Dolphins gave up too much future ammo. Along with their sixth-round pick this year, they traded their third- and fourth-round picks in 2017, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
The compensatory picks in those rounds that Miami could get does soften the blow, as well as the upside to the offense that Carroo adds to the team. It doesn't quite merit a full A, but it was Miami's best pick of the night.
Grade: A-
Round 6, Pick 186: Jakeem Grant, WR, Texas Tech
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For the first time in a while, Miami has a dynamic kickoff- and punt-return man, trading up with Minnesota to draft Texas Tech's Jakeem Grant.
Grant is small, coming in at 5'6", 165 pounds, but don't let the size fool you, let his speed elude other defenses instead, as he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his pro day, and according to Pro Football Focus, he forced 33 missed tackles on 91 receptions.
Where Grant should really help the Dolphins is on kickoff and punt returns. He had a return of 30 yards or more in eight of 12 games last season, including a 103-yard return for a touchdown.
These are the type of picks you make in the sixth round. It might not have addressed a "need," but it adds talent to a team that desperately needs it, and for the Dolphins, anyone who can create a big play is someone worth having.
Grade: B+
Round 6, Pick 204: Jordan Lucas, Safety, Penn State
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Miami went back to strengthening the secondary with their second sixth-round pick, selecting Penn State's Jordan Lucas.
Lucas played both cornerback and safety while at Penn State, starting at both positions while also being elected team captain.
Lucas will be used as a corner for the Dolphins, where his versatility allows him to be used in the slot or on the boundary.
There are concerns around Lucas: he's not very fast and isn't much of a playmaker (three interceptions in 2013; none in the last two seasons). He'll have to shine in special teams play to really get much of a chance with the Dolphins, but from a depth aspect, the pick made sense.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 223: Brandon Doughty, QB, Western Kentucky
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Since 2013 Dolphins fans have asked that Miami choose a quarterback to push Ryan Tannehill or take his job.
Once again the Dolphins did not do this, but they did draft a quarterback who should give third-stringer Logan Thomas a run for his money in Western Kentucky's Brandon Doughty.
Doughty is well-accomplished, winning Conference USA's MVP in 2014 and 2015 and leading the nation in passing yards and touchdowns both seasons.
Despite the accolades, Doughty doesn't have a big arm and would be better suited in an offense more based on precision and not big plays. I even have my doubts he will make the final 53-man roster, considering he doesn't have the arm strength of current third-stringer Logan Thomas, and one has to wonder why choose someone who's ceiling is backup quarterback when other positions could've been filled.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 231: Thomas Duarte, TE, UCLA
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I love this Miami pick. It was a great way to close out the 2016 NFL draft.
Miami's pickings at tight end look more productive than they have actually been.
Dion Sims has shown flashes of potential but hasn't quite lived up to his potential, while Jordan Cameron's 2015 season could best be described as "uneven" (and he still has the same concussion worries that plagued him prior to signing with Miami last season).
With that in mind, while tight end wasn't a priority, the Dolphins did invite a few tight ends on an official visit. One was Thomas Duarte out of UCLA, and Duarte seemed to take a shining to South Florida on his visit.
"I couldn't be more excited. I visited them and loved them. It felt like home," said Duarte while on his post-draft conference call with South Florida media (h/t Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel). Now you can say Duarte is at home, but that's not the only thing that makes the pick a winner.
Duarte would fit an Adam Gase offense well with his ability to create separation from safeties and linebackers, while his size, at 6'2", 231 pounds, makes him a good red-zone target as well.
You can also line up Duarte on the outside, further boosting the Miami offense while eliminating the need to draft another receiver.
His leaping ability helps as a red-zone target, as he ranked fifth among tight ends at the combine with a 33 ½-inch vertical leap.
Dolphins fans should be excited to see what Duarte can add to the team. He'll have to fight for playing time in year one (a challenge since he's almost a pure receiver), but he could be a valuable weapon for Ryan Tannehill to have at his disposal.
Grade: A+
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