| Jeff Risdon. 22nd May, 2007 - 4:28 pm
 The picks:
1st round, #9 overall--Ted Ginn Jr., WR/KR, Ohio State
2nd round, #40--John Beck, QB, BYU
2nd round, #60--Samson Satele, C, Hawaii
3rd round, #71--Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida State
4th round, #108--Paul Soliai, DT, Utah
6th round, #181--Reagan Mauia, FB, Hawaii
6th round, #199--Drew Mormino, C, Central Michigan
7th round, #219--Kelvin Smith, LB, Syracuse
7th round, #225--Brandon Fields, P, Michigan State
7th round, #238--Abraham Wright, DE, Colorado
Best pick: Booker
Worst pick: Beck
Analysis:
The Dolphins 2007 draft is going to be talked about for a long time, and probably not in the light that the guys making the picks would prefer. They defied all conventional wisdom by taking Ted Ginn at #9 overall. Ginn is the fastest player to ever enter the NFL, a proven dynamic kick and punt returner and an outstanding open-field threat. He’s still not polished as a wideout, though he did show steady improvement throughout his college career. Ginn gives the team a legit deep threat to stretch the field and keep the safeties honest, something they sorely lacked the last couple of seasons. But to say he’s the 9th best player in this draft even 3 years from now is a major stretch. At his optimal ceiling he’s a #2 WR, and his frail build and slow recovery from a foot injury caused some teams to significantly lower his stock.
With their 2nd round pick they chose John Beck as their QB of the future, instead of Drew Stanton, Trent Edwards, or even Troy Smith. Beck is 25, played in a system that does not translate well to the NFL, and has average attributes (at best) across the board. In short, he’s got career backup written all over him if all goes well. The two guys he reminds me of most are Steve Walsh and Brooks Bollinger, and those are not complimentary comparisons. They took him at least fifty spots too early.
Things improved over the next couple of rounds, potentially. Satele is a fire hydrant who’s not afraid of attacking the dog trying to violate him. His brute power and surprising athleticism for such a compact build should earn him a starting job at either G or C right away.
The Dolphins had a pressing need for a 3rd down/change of pace back to help Ronnie Brown, and Booker is a perfect fit in that role. He’s an elusive Ladell Betts-type with great hands and good vision, and by sharing the load with Brown his blocking and toughness deficiencies are limited.
I also like the Soliai pick. He’s a massive powerhouse who can plug the middle of the line in a 3-4, but he moves well enough to make plays in a 4-3 front. He’ll need a couple of seasons of development before making much of an impact but could be a very good starter down the road, when the Dolphins need it more.
All of the 6th and 7th rounders are marginal NFL prospects, though Fields is a very adept directional punter with good hang time and should stick.
Mauia is a former 360 pound DT who has dropped to 285 and become a lead blocker, and he has enough speed and charisma that he’s worth the relatively small gamble. The Dolphins will try him at long snapper as well.
Mormino is a lead-footed leaner who will be lucky to earn the job as Satele’s backup, though the Dolphins sorely need his type of aggressive depth up front.
Grade: D-
With their first pick the Dolphins passed on Brady Quinn, the highest rated QB on their draft board and took Ginn, who will have a far greater impact on special teams than offense over the next two years. They badly reached for an iffy QB prospect in the 2nd round, bypassing significantly higher rated talent at CB, T, TE, LB, and S--all of which are in need of upgrades and/or youth. A couple of nice fits in the 3rd and 4th round keep this from being an F, but no question this draft is going to be viewed in infamy for what could have been. |
