NFL Draft 2011: Is Miami Dolphins OC Brian Daboll the Key to Their Draft?

Brian Daboll has a B.A. in economics from the University of Rochester. I know graduates with that background and that's an incredibly difficult major to finish. Instead of going into economics, he followed his passion, football. He was a defensive player/stud while with the Yellowjackets until seriously injuring his neck. He lived the life of a poor intern until he was noticed by a significant college head coach. 

He has been mentored by the likes of Nick Saban and Bill Belichick. Nick Saban admired Coach Daboll, and I'm not totally certain that such a recommendation translates to the pro ranks, but it has gotten him far. His mentors might be a wonderful add to any resume, except that the Belichick coaching tree has not nearly been as successful as the Bill Walsh era of leading/mentoring, which is odd because an organization with such success should have a line of great coaches. 

Daboll had some success with the Patriots as a wide receivers coach. He did not have that same success with the Cleveland Browns. That's pretty much what we know about him.  

And yet, the Miami Dolphins held a press conference to introduce him. Huh? Both Brandon Marshall and Karlos Dansby have immediately impacted the play of this team, neither were publicly introduced. 

They must think pretty highly of Coach Daboll, and if that's true, what does that mean for this draft process? We don't know how much influence Coach Henning and Coach Lee had on the draft process (enough to assume that they all should take responsibility for the Pat White fiasco). 

However, the way the Dolphins brass rolled out the red carpet for Brian Daboll gives us some insight into how they may allow Daboll to impact this draft. 

Daboll told the Sun Sentinel back in January that the most important traits he looks for in a quarterback are “Accuracy, pocket presence and I would say his ability to lead the troops under pressure. He is going to have to be good on third down in terms of handling pressure looks that he is going to get and beating man-to-man coverage. He is going to have to be accurate with the football.” 

So, if you're wandering which quarterback the Dolphins are interested in, look under accurate and cool-headed when examining all veteran and rookie quarterbacks. This also means a good mix of watching a quarterback in the shotgun and under center. 

Daboll also provides us a hint of what he will do with his offense. He wants to create "mismatches."

I realize that this is the goal of most offenses, to match a wide receiver with a linebacker. But to create an offense based on the weaknesses of a defense is complicated. This is what makes Tom Brady and his receiving corp so efficient, they create mismatches. That's what made Deion Branch and Wes Welker better for the Patriots' offense than Randy Moss (at least for last year) because they created better mismatches. Up until last year, no one could really cover Randy Moss. 

The Miami Dolphins' offense, in the hands of an accurate QB, can definitely take advantage of mismatches. The Dolphins have enough in terms of wide receivers and a tight end to move in that direction. I think the Dolphins have a good wide receiving corp, even beyond Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess. 

The 2011 Miami Dolphins will not be the same Baltimore Ravens from 2001 with their exquisite defense and good offense (Trent Dilfer knew how to manage a game). With Brian Daboll and Mike Nolan, we'll probably see a form of the Patriots, both offense and defense. 

Which means, I believe, we're going to see a whole bunch of offensive guys drafted by Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano (and Brian Daboll). I think Daboll will have that kind of influence based on the amount of excitement over the hire of this offensive coordinator. 

I think it means drafting a quarterback in the first round. I think it also means drafting either a running back or offensive lineman in the second and third round. I'm assuming they're going to get a second-round pick. I also believe that the Dolphins will not reach for any of those players (Mallett with the 15th pick, etc.). 

The Miami Dolphins rarely hint that they love one player or another. We know the Dolphins love Brian Daboll. 

I look forward to seeing how this will translate in the 2011 NFL draft.