2011 NFL Draft: Miami to Move into the Top 10 Pick for Ryan Mallett?

In 2008, the Baltimore Ravens hit gold by drafting little known Delaware QB Joe Flacco. In 2010, the Denver Broncos put themselves in the middle of an NFL media firestorm by drafting mobile Florida QB Tim Tebow, whose only knock is that he can't walk on water. Oh, and he has uber-style approach to playing quarterback—he'll just try and run you over. 

Now, the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero has affirmed the Miami Dolphins' current obsession with Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett. A player with Dan Marino-like issues coming out of college, including allegations of chemical abuse, no one is quite sure where to put him. 

Salguero broke down the stats of Mallett, why it makes sense to draft him and the well-established concerns. However, he does highlight the two areas that worry him the most about Mallett: his leadership skills and his subpar performance in the national spotlight versus Alabama.

Salguero has more resources than I. He's a full-time, respected writer. However, as I've read through all of the different scouting reports on Mallett, I only hear questions come from those who didn't play with him. His teammates and coaches seem to only praise him.

FoxSports chronicled his transition from Michigan to Arkansas, where his teammates were expecting one person but clearly got another. Everywhere he's gone, his teammates have enjoyed his leadership ability. 

Salguero was concerned Mallett was unable to win versus Alabama, but the only complaint I remember about Peyton Manning coming out of college was that he could not win the big game, a tag that stuck with him until he finally won a Super Bowl.

Strangely enough, Manning's completion percentage went down his last three years in college, from 64.2 percent as a sophmore to 63.9 percent as a junior and 60.3 percent as a senior. I imagine this was a part of the dialogue when considering the Manning vs. Ryan Leaf debate. 

Mallett's stats improved through college. You can't take one game and decide if he's the guy. 

As much as Salguero presents the evidence through stats, they aren't everything. 

For the first time I can remember, the NFL Network did a mock draft with a "curve," with Michael Lombardi and Paul Burmeister presenting an eclectic, mock top ten draft that had Miami breaking into the top 10 to draft Mallett.

There is a lot of hoopla around the Dolphins and the strong-armed QB from Arkansas. While the NFL mock draft was fun and games, I would never assume the Dolphins would trade up to pick No. 10 to take Mallett unless they are that excited about his game. The move up has a lot to do with Minnesota "lurking" at No. 12 and what the Dolphins would possibly have to trade to move up.

We know the approach that Ireland and Sparano take to the draft: a small draft board with focused plan. 

I look forward to seeing if that plan includes Ryan Mallett.