Part 2: Looking deeper into possible Dolphins draft targets
By Miami Jules (@Miami_Jules on Twitter)
The NFL draft is more than just a 3 day event during which NFL team owners, managers, and coaches huddle in their “war room” hoping that the players they select will go on to be productive ones for their respective teams. The process leading up to the selection of players on draft day, involves months of the studying of film, careful evaluations, not just of the players but of the systems these players played in, along with meticulous analysis of players’ past athletic, academic and personal overall history and character. These evaluations and analyses are undertaken by each team’s scouts who then present their findings to the higher levels of the organization as a narrowed down package of yet additional evaluations and analysis to be made, followed by interviews.
We, as fans or arm-chair draft analysts, obviously do not have access to this process and the best we can do is evaluate what we perceive to be the needs or weaknesses of our favorite team and try to match them with players who are entering the draft. We then hope that on draft day, after we have looked at film on these payers and studied what is available to us, the player we have in mind isn’t selected by a rival team 1 pick before our turn on the clock starts. It is for that reason, that I’ve prepared 3 different sets of selections and have tried to pass along to the reader as much information on these players as possible.
We will call the third and last draft scenario the “Life is a Box of Chocolates” scenario, because even with the best s of experienced and professional scouts, nothing is guaranteed, if it was, no undrafted free agent would ever play one down in the regular season, and all 1st round picks would be in the Hall of Fame.
1-Taylor Lewan – OT from Michigan- 6’7”, 315 LBS and is currently ranked #26. Lewan may suffer from a bit of a”Bad Boy Syndrome” and has been dubbed by some with the nick name “Facemask”. Comparisons to Jake Long are obvious but is said to to be at the same level as Long coming out of college. Long was a pro bowler and it has only been because of injuries perhaps that Long has not enjoyed the elite status he once did.
“He keeps his head on a swivel and has the competitive drive to win one-on-one battles. Demonstrates enough lateral agility and balance in his kick-slide to maintain the edge, while also possessing the strength to lock up his opponent.” Rob Rang nfldraftscout.com