Longtime general manager praises Dolphins’ offseason, says Patriots should ‘watch out’
Some feedback from evaluators and analysts on how the Miami Dolphins fared in the draft:
▪ Charley Casserly, the former Redskins and Texans general manager, said the Dolphins helped themselves the most of any team this offseason.
“We got our franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Then, we go to the offensive line. Austin Jackson someday will be the left tackle. Robert Hunt will be right tackle or right guard. Solomon Kindley comes in and helps at guard.
“We also bring in Matt Breida, so we got the running game better, pass protection better. We got the franchise quarterback.
“The exciting thing to add to that is the defense. Byron Jones comes over in free agency to go with Xavien Howard. We draft our corner, Noah Igbinoghene. You got three guys who can play man coverage.
“That’s great because you helped your pass rush in the nickel with Curtis Weaver and Jason Strowbridge; he can play nickel defensive tackle. Weaver can blitz. They like to blitz. That’s what Brian Flores did in New England. You have Kyle Van Noy too. With that group last year, we beat New England. Watch out Patriots!”
▪ NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said the Dolphins are “much improved and they should be. They had a zillion picks in this draft, so they will have some misses. But just on the volume, they will have some hits. Austin Jackson, I don’t know he’ll be ready to play at a high level right away at left tackle, but long-term that’s what the plan is. You draft a 20-year-old kid with excellent athleticism. You’ve got the upside there.
“Hunt is a plug and play; I think he’s a starter right away. I’m fascinated to see how quickly Tua can get on the field because all the medical information we’ve had to this point is he’s on track to be able to play at the beginning of the season, so can they get him comfortable enough in this system, in an unusual offseason to get him up to speed to go Week 1, that will be interesting to follow.”
▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gave Miami a B. “That they ended up with Tua Tagovailoa [5] is outstanding ... He’s an elite talent when he’s healthy, but his injury history is worrisome. I said on air Thursday that Miami should try to redshirt him, just to get his body right.
“Miami took its left tackle with its next pick, but Austin Jackson is a little inconsistent for me. I can’t get over watching him get beaten by A.J. Epensa when USC played Iowa. He’s going to need some time.
“Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene is also a developmental player, but he has the raw physical tools that make coaches drool. The upside here is that as I mentioned, Miami can afford to take developmental players with priority picks, just because of where it is in its rebuild.
“Guard Robert Hunt is going to be an immediate upgrade, and safety Brandon Jones [70] has some versatility as a potential slot defender. I wasn’t as high on edge rushers Jason Stowbridge [154] and Curtis Weaver [164], but I don’t mind them in Round 5.
“This is a good class that is going to be remembered for how Tagovailoa ends up, but it could swing to a C or A based on the players picked after the left-handed Signal-caller.”
▪ SI.com’s Andy Benoit gave Miami a B-minus. “For Tagovailoa to succeed, the Dolphins must support him with a strong cast and crisply defined system. He projects to the NFL as more of a timing and rhythm passer than a Russell Wilson-style playmaker. The Austin Jackson selection made sense, too. The Dolphins had just drafted a quarterback who must be protected ... They also found a right tackle shortly after Jackson — another wise move.
“Miami entered this draft with glaring needs at both tackle spots, considering that young veterans Julien Davenport and Jesse Davis are both better suited for utility backup roles. Some had suggested Robert Hunt, who is a compact 6′5”, 323 with just 33.5-inch arm, might play guard in the NFL. But given that Ereck Flowers was just signed to a surprisingly expensive contract to play left guard, and Michael Deiter was drafted in the third round last year to play right guard, the plan at this point is likely for Hunt to be a right tackle.
“Defensively, it was about finding players who fit head coach Brian Flores’ Patriots-style scheme. With just two years of cornerback experience, converted wide receiver Noah Igbinoghene is a gifted but raw prospect. Joining Igbinoghene in the secondary is the third-rounder Brandon Jones. Up front, Raekwon Davis is a somewhat less-heralded prospect, but he has potentially explosive trench-fighting traits and is built for the gritty, two-gap plugging tactics that Miami’s scheme often calls for on first and second down.”
▪ NFL.com’s Chad Reuter gave Miami an A-. “Miami needed a franchise quarterback and offensive line help coming into the draft — and they got both within the first 18 picks on Day 1. Add in a starting safety and run-stopper, and the Dolphins acquitted themselves well over the first three rounds.
“Kindley is power incarnate but also has some mobility for his size (6-6, 337 pounds) — not unlike the guard they signed to a big free agent deal, Ereck Flowers. Strowbridge strengthens the outside of the defensive line. Trading a fifth-round pick for 49ers running back Matt Breida may turn out to be a really good move if the tough runner can stay healthy. Perry has the work ethic and athleticism to succeed in the backfield, as well. Weaver has always had the potential to be one of the best edge rushers in this draft class — if he takes care of business, watch him power past tackles to consistently get after quarterbacks.”
▪ Pro Football Focus gave Miami an A-. Some highlights of their assessment:
“Tagovailoa was the second-best prospect on the PFF Big Board and QB2 over Justin Herbert by a mile. With his accuracy, pocket presence, ability to withstand pressure, decision-making and acumen for extending plays, Tagovailoa is every bit of a franchise quarterback. He was the only quarterback to post back-to-back elite PFF passing grades in the past two years. When your biggest con is that you played with an elite supporting cast that had potentially four first-round wide receivers, you are clearly doing something right.
“Austin Jackson was 94th on the PFF Big Board and was taken 18th overall. This was one of the biggest reaches we have seen in the first round of the draft.
“While it wasn’t on the level of Jackson, taking Noah Igbinoghene in Round 1 was another reach on the Dolphins’ part. He was 55th on the PFF Big Board with poor ball skills and is still learning to play the position. That being said, this is a great fit for Igbinoghene. He played a great amount of press coverage in 2019 and has the athleticism and overall physical tools to develop into a solid corner, but you’re drafting on his potential at that point.
“Continuing on the trend of their two first-round picks, Day 2 was full of reaches once again for the Miami Dolphins. All three of their picks on Day 2 were picked over 50 spots ahead of their rank on the PFF Big Board.
“Robert Hunt was a nasty run-blocker for Louisiana and owned a solid 86.0 grade in that facet of play. As for Raekwon Davis, he was just 115th on the PFF Big Board. He has all the length you could possibly want on the inside and is the definition of a run-stuffer, as he has put up run-defense grades of 87.0 or higher in each of the past three seasons….The biggest reach of them all, though, was taking Brandon Jones 70th overall — he was just 182nd on the PFF Big Board. Whenever he was playing free safety, Jones was a problem within the Texas defense, as he was exposed far more than he should have been.
“Mami had some reaches on Day 2 but got incredible value on Day 3 with Curtis Weaver, who was the 26th-best prospect on the PFF Big Board. Weaver had great production in the past two years, posting pass-rushing grades above 92.0 in each and combining to form a win rate that was three percentage points higher than any edge rusher. The Dolphins got a first-round talent in the fifth round.”
Here’s my Monday piece on what appealed to Brian Flores about Tua Tagovailoa, and news on the team’s offseason program.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 4:50 PM.
