Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the eighth pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, met the local media Saturday morning. It was a glorious, upbeat gathering. Miami general manager Jeff Ireland was glowing like a proud papa.
“There is no ambiguity in what we chose here,” he said.
Some say the upper first round was too high to select Tannehill, the Texas A&M product who will likely sit and learn this season. Tannehill seems to understand the process.
“I want to be on the field and I want to compete,” he said. “But I also realize that I’m a rookie coming in. There are veteran quarterbacks on this team that I have a lot to learn from.”
Miami fans are OK with having patience. Tannehill is the first quarterback the Dolphins have drafted in the first round since they took Dan Marino in 1983. Fans are happy Tannehill is in town.
This, however, won’t make Dolphins fans happy.
Recent Dolphins draft history suggests their other picks in the first three rounds – offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, the second-round selection from Stanford; defensive end Olivier Vernon, the third-round pick from the University of Miami; and tight end Michael Egnew, the third-round pick from Missouri – will range from questionable to terrible.
Again, that’s not me, that’s recent history talking.
Those same draft results show Saturday’s picks (rounds 4-7) have as much chance of making an impact as Thursday and Friday’s picks (rounds 1-3). That’s not good. The guys taken on those first two days are the difference makers. In light of that, it’s a small wonder Miami has few difference makers.
Beyond that, while it’s encouraging the Dolphins broke with tradition and drafted some University of Miami players this year, they took a couple of guys from a 6-6 Hurricanes team, and guys that had significant question marks.
Vernon, the first of Miami’s two third-round picks, totaled nine sacks in three seasons at UM. Granted, that total is skewed because he served a six-game suspension last season for his role in the scandal brought on by disgraced booster Nevin Shapiro. Vernon said his progress was stymied by “little minor setbacks with the suspensions and everything.” Still, nine career sacks makes you wonder.
Running back Lamar Miller, the Dolphins’ fourth-round pick, is also a UM player. He’s speedy, but slight in stature, and that leads to questions about his long-term future. Even his college coach, Al Golden, questioned Miller’s durability last season, and that was against Atlantic Coast Conference competition, not exactly the best college football has to offer. That, too, makes you wonder.
Miller, who grew up in Miami and is happy to be playing for his hometown NFL team, had a lower first-round grade at the end of the season and he did nothing but slip ever since.
“I was upset at first,” he said of going 97th. “But now I’m happy with where I’m at.”
As for those recently underachieving high-round picks for Miami, here’s the hit list:
--In 2011, center Mike Pouncey was the first-round pick and he’s a gem. But the second-round pick, running back Daniel Thomas, is becoming known as oft-injured running back Daniel Thomas. Miami didn’t have a third-rounder.
--In 2010, defensive end Jared Odrick was the first-round pick, linebacker Koa Misi was the second-rounder and guard-tackle John Jerry was the third-round pick. None have been impressive.
--In 2009, cornerback Vontae Davis was the first-rounder. That’s fairly good. Fellow starting cornerback Sean Smith was a second-rounder. That, too, is fairly good. In between, however, are second-round quarterback Pat White – a disaster – and third-round wide receiver Patrick Turner, who is in the NFL, but not with Miami.
--In 2008, left tackle Jake Long, the first selection of the draft, was a money pick. But the second-round brought defensive lineman Phillip Merling, who was cut last week, and quarterback Chad Henne. He’s in Jacksonville now. The third round brought defensive lineman Kendall Langford. He was productive, but he’s currently in St. Louis.
Starting to get the picture?
This year's draft-day doubts start with Tannehill, a converted wide receiver who had 19 starts at Texas A&M as a QB. He’s so relatively raw he doesn’t expect to compete for the starting job this year. He’ll defer to Matt Moore and David Garrard.
“There’s no expectation,” Tannehill said. “I don’t think they have any real expectations for me. They just want me to come and compete, and that’s what I want to do.”
As for the lower-round guys who have turned into key contributors, look to players such as safeties Chris Clemons (fifth round, 2009) and Reshad Jones (fifth round, 2009), cornerbacks Nolan Carroll (fifth round, 2010) and Jimmy Wilson (seventh round, 2011), wide receiver Brian Hartline (fourth round, 2009), nosetackle Paul Soliai (fourth round, 2007) and tight end Charles Clay (sixth round, 2011).
It was a promising three-day draft for Miami, but it would be much more so if there was reason to believe the upper-round picks would outperform the lower-rounders.
