Alright Already

Friday, April 22, 2005
Damon Fairchild
MDBW Staff Writer

On the Eve of the NFL draft, many of us stay up late wondering, reading others and making our own mock drafts, watching expert analysis on ESPN and the NFL Network, and praying like we did as children that not only will we get what we have been asking for, but that if we don’t that whatever we do get will bring us happiness. Will we get a pink bunny suit or a Red Rider BB-gun?

With the uncertainty that always surrounds the draft, it is most likely we will end up with a few of both, but considering that the Dolphins just acquired a second round pick from the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, this closes the huge gap that would have been between the number 2 overall pick and the Dolphins’ third rounder. However, Saban still only has six picks to work with, so what will it take then to get the job done?

Now, because neither they nor I have a crystal ball, I won’t try to predict what the Phins will do, but what I believe they should do to get the most out of this years draft class. In doing so, I will undoubtedly show my lack of expertise and it will more than likely become clear to you that the last time I played or had any affiliation with organized football it was at a little college in Idaho, and oh by the way it was intramural football. We did win the championship in a 60 team league, so maybe I have more clout than I originally gave my self credit for.

So, enough beating around the bush. I’m going to get right into it. My draft philosophy is the following: In order to pick well, you must have an understanding of the important balance between drafting to address needs, while taking into consideration the best player(s) available. In round one, I would advise the Dolphins to lean more heavily toward picking the best player available and if everything plays out as it more that likely will with the Niners picking a QB, the player with the most speed, explosiveness, and potential to be a long term fixture on American televisions is Braylon Edwards.

Rising on all draft boards and arguably the most sought after player in this year’s class, the Dolphins would be wise to pick him here for two reasons. The first of course is the impact it could have on the Dolphin’s offense no matter who is in the backfield. Imagine Chris Chambers working one on one on a regular basis, Marty Booker the same and Randy working against linebackers instead of safeties. Now two realistic deep outside threats, those same safeties will have to stay honest and won’t be able to creep up around the line of scrimmage which will open up running lanes that weren’t there for our RB’s last year.

The second reason for drafting Edwards in the number 2 spot is found in the first sentence of the previous paragraph. He is not only highly regarded, but also highly sought after. By picking him the Phins could force someone like Minnesota’s hand. If they want him badly enough, they can trade picks for him once we have him. While this is a less likely scenario, it is still a possibility and could net us an extra pick or two if we are lucky.

All that for round one. Now, since most of you will either read this after the draft to see how wrong I was or if you are all mocked out, I’ll spare you going round by round analysis and get to the chase. Sticking with the same draft formula, the newly acquired second rounder give Saban a world more of options. He can go offense or defense here (assuming he picks up an offensive player in the first round). Offensive line might be the best choice however, since the second round is where the best value at that position will be found anyway. In the third round we look either Safety or QB depending on who is the better player available. My preference would be to give Kyle Orton of Purdue or Aaron Walters of Arizona state a chance here as there is a good chance one of them will still be on the board at this point. As for rounds 4, 5, and 7, lets hope the brain trust can find a safety, linebacker, and OL that if nothing else will provide some depth in areas we surely need help.

So there you have it. A fat guy’s opinion. A lot of words and not much said, but the good thing is I know even if the Dolphins screw this draft all up that I am Santa at my house. If things don’t work out in for Miami in December, then I’m getting’ a Red Rider BB-gun.