Dolphins’ fifth-round pick had 34 sacks in 40 games. His coach separates fact from fiction
The sheer numbers — 34 sacks and 47.5 tackles for loss in 40 college games at the FBS level — would suggest that Dolphins fifth-round draft pick Curtis Weaver should have gone far earlier than 164th overall, the spot where Miami snagged him in the fifth round of last month’s NFL Draft.
After all, former NFL general manager Charley Casserly said Weaver was the best player still on the board after three rounds of the draft.
So what happened?
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein cited “below-average ability and athleticism in stopping the run. This is a classic case of bad body, good player. He’s not going to wow you when you see him.”
And ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. noted that a lot of his sacks last season came against bad teams, including four last season against 5-7 FCS school Portland State and three against 4-8 UNLV. That’s seven of his 13.
Boise State defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding hears all of those comments and offered answers — and perspective — in a recent phone conversation.
For starters, on the sacks-against-bad-teams argument, he said:
“One thing I will say with that comment is he got a sack against Florida State, pressured the quarterback in a lot of situations. At some point, you are doing the most with what you’re presented with. He doesn’t pick the competition.
“And more than the competition, you can’t deny the consistency in his numbers. It’s not like any of it is a fluke. When the competition goes up, he will increase his response.”
On the question of Weaver’s aptitude against the run, Schmedding said: “Against the run, he was solid. That’s an area where he has to improve, but it also depends on what you’re asking him to do. He has the ability. When we played a team like Wyoming, he did a nice job playing the D gap and the C gap. You would like to see more consistency.”
And what about the 6-2, 265-pound physique?
“He can tighten up the body,” Schmedding said. “He’s not one of the guys that will come off looking chiseled. But he has done a good job of getting himself into shape and taking it to another level. He can improve his body with diet and conditioning. He knows the areas he can improve.”
But what shouldn’t be lost in all of this analysis is that Weaver is a gifted pass rusher — a commodity coveted by NFL teams.
“He’s a better football player than he is when he tests,” Casserly said. “The guy has a knack to rush the passer.”
Schmedding agrees:
“He’s one of the most elite pass rushers out there,” Schmedding said. “You have to start there. No. 2 and what people don’t know is he’s a very smart player. He’s able to learn very quickly, understands not just his position but also what’s going on around him.”
As a pass rusher, “he has a few pass rush moves he can go to. He can beat you with speed; he’s deceivingly slippery. He’s loose in his hips and shoulders and can get around on a blocker. He also has the ability to spin and counter inside, which he has done a nice job of honing those techniques.”
Schmedding said Weaver played primarily as a linebacker at Boise State, but the Dolphins are listing him as a defensive end. Calling him an edge player is probably the most accurate depiction.
“He played with his hand on the ground at times for us,” Schmedding said. “He’s been a versatile guy. I think his primary [NFL] position will be outside linebacker. I would put him in position to rush the passer.”
Weaver was pretty good when used in coverage, intercepting two passes.
“He was in coverage more than we should have,” Schmedding said, laughing. “He’s better at that than most would anticipate with his size.”
Schmedding is surprised Weaver lasted all the way to pick 164, after being projected as a potential late first-round pick in some January mock drafts.
“We all were surprised to a point,” Schmedding said. “There were a lot of factors this year. He didn’t work out at the Combine. For Covid-19 to hit, people weren’t able to see him at his pro day. But the bottom line is he’s on a team.”
Weaver said his draft projection was rounds one to three and “it was stressful just waiting for your name to be called just like everybody else in the draft. But I’m glad that Miami called me. I’m just blessed.”
That’s the attitude you would expect from a young man who as an 8-year-old wrote a letter to his grandmother, when she died, promising to make her proud someday.
“God gives us opportunities in life and it’s what are you going to do with it to take it?” Weaver said after the Dolphins drafted him. “That’s the big thing for me.”
NOTABLE
▪ NFL Network said the Dolphins are “nosing around” on free agent cornerback Logan Ryan, a player we reported in March that held some appeal to them.
But the odds are against this. Ryan — who also is receiving interest from the Jets — would likely need to agree to a deal well below market value for Miami to get him. Tennessee reportedly doesn’t plan to re-sign him.
Miami already has the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback duo (Byron Jones, Xavien Howard) and used the 30th overall pick on Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
▪ Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t the Dolphins’ only draft pick who purchased an expensive car for his mother on Mother’s Day.
Dolphins first-round cornerback Igbinoghene bought a Mercedes for his mom, who lives in Alabama. Both players’ college coaches rave about the character of those two Dolphins rookies.
▪ The Dolphins formally announced the previously-reported signings of draft picks Tagovailoa, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, Weaver and long snapper Blake Ferguson. Third-round cornerback Brandon Jones also agreed to terms, per ESPN.
Here’s what each of the 11 Dolphins draft picks will earn in the next four seasons.
▪ Tagovailoa offered this message on Twitter after signing his contract this week:
“Thank you to @MiamiDolphins for making this dream come true for me and my family. It’s in my heart to give back to the communities that have raised me. Plans are underway to start charitable outreach efforts in Hawaii, Alabama and Miami. Stay tuned, stay safe. Go fins! Blessed!”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 2:30 PM.
