So we’ve had almost 24 hours to digest the Dolphins first round selection of Mike Pouncey (G/C Florida). It seems that fans were initially unhappy with the pick, but some are beginning to warm up to the idea of having a smash mouth offensive line…The Dolphins HAVE been trying to build one for some time now! What’s done is done, so if you are unhappy, fine. But like it or not, Mike Pouncey will likely be the Dolphins opening day Center.
We now move onto day 2 of the Draft, which will unveil rounds 2 and 3. The Miami Dolphins currently hold pick number #79, which means they’ll likely be on the clock around 10 o’clock tonight. That is, unless the Dolphins see fit to move up into the 2nd round and draft a player they truly covet. The fan base wants a play maker. The front office knows they need playmakers. The front office also knows that it HAS to produce a playoff caliber team in 2011 or they’ll be out of a job in January 2012 (or sooner).
Trade up target?
Connecting the dots with some inside information, leads us to believe that the Dolphins will try to trade-up into the 2nd round tonight. Jason La Canfora reported just that earlier today on NFL Network. Our guess is that the Dolphins would like to trade up into the second round to select a quarterback (Ryan Mallett, Andy Dalton, or Colin Kaepernick). The Dolphins could also be interested in moving up to select Ryan Wlliams (RB Virginia Tech). Williams could probably come in and start from day 1 for the Dolphins, filling their currently empty backfield. Either way, the Dolphins will likely have to give up their first round pick in 2012. For a desperate regime, it might not be too illogical to trade a pick next year (when they might not be here) for a player that they can sign and develop for a full year. Would you rather have Ryan Mallett or Colin Kaepernick in your system for a year, or draft a rookie next April in the 1st round and wait another year for him to develop?
La Canfora previously said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Dolphins selected Kaepernick with the #15 pick in the first round, so he would be our guess as to whom the Dolphins would trade up for. Our initial thoughts last night were that the Dolphins would try to trade down in the 1st round and take Kaepernick with the late first round pick. They couldn’t find a trade partner, so they took Mike Pouncey at #15. The Dolphins also did extensive research on Ryan Mallett so he could be the quarterback they want in the second round. It’s a tough call to make, but certainly one that’s worth investigating for Jeff Ireland. What do you think? If the Dolphins traded up into the 2nd round, which player would you select?
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