Grading Dolphin draft
With the obvious disclaimer that nobody can accurately appraise a draft for at least a year, everyone is entitled to their quick opinion. Mine (you'd find my draft column here) was that Miami erred in choosing Ted Ginn Jr. over Brady Quinn. I may be wrong; so might the majority who seem to agree. We'll see.
For now, we invite overall opinions of Cam Cameron and Randy Mueller's first draft. Give a letter grade or not, your call.
Meanwhile, below you'll find a condensed sampling of national opinion from four respected draftnik/NFL experts...
This from Mel Kiper Jr./ESPN, who graded Miami a C: "Passing on Brady Quinn was ridiculous. Ted Ginn is a good player, will help Miami in the return game and fills a need. Still, they had Quinn staring them in the face, and they weren't going to have to trade up to get him. The Dolphins were fortunate that QB John Beck was still available in the second round and they were able to salvage their quarterback situation. Samson Satele is a good center, but he might have to play guard because Miami already has Rex Hadnot. Lorenzo Booker could be a really good third-down back. Paul Soliai was a very good pick in the fourth and could see a lot of playing time. Drew Mormino made sense as a backup center. Kelvin Smith has a chance to be a starting linebacker someday. Brandon Fields has strong leg but is inconsistent.
This from Ira Miller/AOL Sports, who graded Miami a D: "This was hard to figure. The Dolphins have plenty of needs yet they used their first pick on an undersized receiver, Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn is a superlative return man, but the ninth spot in the draft seems a luxury for a player whose biggest contributions figure to come on special teams – especially for a team with a quarterback problem and an aging defense. The obvious conclusion is the Dolphins liked BYU's John Beck, their second-round choice, better than they liked Brady Quinn, and maybe they'll eventually be proven right. Of course, in Beck, the Dolphins are getting a player who will be 26 as a rookie. But that's what's great about the draft. Right now, Miami looks bad. Two or three years from now? Who knows?"
This from Pete Prisco/CBS SportsLine, who graded Miami a B: Best pick--Second-round center Samson Satele is a power player who will help upgrade an offensive line that needs it. Questionable move--Passing on Brady Quinn in the first round to take Ted Ginn. It’s not that Ginn isn't a good player, but Quinn is the best quarterback in the draft. They made amends getting John Beck in the second round. Second-day gem: Fourth-round pick Paul Soliai is a wide-body nose tackle who will help stuff the run. Overall--Beck will be a good player, so passing on Quinn might turn out OK. Is Ginn really worth the ninth pick?
And this from John Czarnecki/FoxSports, who graded Miami a C-: Outside of new head coach Cam Cameron, few personnel men I spoke with liked his draft. Most thought the Dolphins really reached on Ohio State receiver/returner Ted Ginn Jr. who still isn't healthy. Ginn could develop into a game-breaking receiver, but most teams rated him lower in the round. BYU quarterback John Beck is very accurate and Cameron loves his intelligence [but] Beck was judged by most teams as the fourth to fifth best quarterback in this draft. Utah defensive tackle Paul Solia in the fourth round was decent value. Florida State RB Lorenzo Booker might end up being the draft's best all-purpose runner. But why do they need him if Ricky Williams is returning? The best thing the Dolphins did was not cave into Kansas City's demands for QB Trent Green, who probably will be released in June.