Hey Dolfans, welcome to another edition of Roberto’s Fins Fridays. In this week’s edition I will be letting you guys know my opinions on each of the Fins 2010 draft picks. The rookie’s are set to report this afternoon for rookie mini-camp and I am sure many Dolfans are excited to see what these young men will bring to a team striving to get better. I can tell you right now that I am very excited to see these guys compete and try to make this team.
Jared Odrick, Koa Misi, A.J. Edds and Reshad Jones are four draft picks that have me really excited. The addition of John Jerry was also a very good pick. Nolan Carroll is a player that, if healthy, can help this team and provide depth at corner. Chris McCoy can be developed into a prototypical 3-4 OLB, but must learn to play without his hand on the ground, and Austin Spitler is a pick I like because I think he can become a core special teamer.
Now, On to my analysis on each of the Miami Dolphins 2010 draft picks.
Jared Odrick 6’5 304 Penn State: I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was when the Dolphins selected Odrick. Ever since the Senior Bowl I wanted this kid in a Dolphins uniform. The Dolphins had a lot of holes and other names would have been a sexier pick, but Jared Odrick will make a lot of Dolfans extremely happy. Odrick is a player whose size, strength and athletic ability will help him start as a rookie. At the Senior Bowl Jared dominated in position drills. He is the prototypical 3-4 defensive end, his addition allows Randy Starks to kick inside and man the nose tackle position. One thing I love about Odrick is his motor and instincts to recognize plays. He is real good against the run and can be a real good bull rusher against one-on-one blocks in pass protections. I love this pick.
Koa Misi 6’3 251 Utah: A lot of Dolfans were surprised when the name Koa Misi was selected by Miami, but Misi is perhaps the most ready 3-4 outside linebacker in this draft. Misi is a real versatile player. While at Utah, Koa saw time at defensive end, defensive tackle and inside linebacker. One thing I believe that will really help Misi make the switch to OLB is that while at Utah he would line up at DE without his hand on the ground. Koa has the ability to be extremely disruptive at the line of scrimmage and is projected to be a real good pass rusher by the Dolphins. While his eight sacks between 2008 and 2009 do not tell much, the kid harasses quarterbacks all game long and I think is going to be excellent in Miami.
John Jerry 6’5 328 Ole Miss: Jerry was one of the most impressive players at this year’s Senior Bowl and one of the best o-line prospects in the south squad. He immediately adds depth to a position the Dolphins needed to fill. The kid is a mammoth and has the speed and agility to be a real good pulling guard in this league. One thing I like about Jerry is his flexibility and ability to move well in space. I remember Mike Mayock saying he has a real quick punch and is quick off the ball. I believe Jerry can start right away, but with Smiley, Nate Garner, Incognito and Donald Thomas ahead of him he might have to sit one year. If the Dolphins release or trade Smiley I believe Jerry will win one of the guard spots.
A.J. Edds 6’4 246 Iowa: One of the biggest issues Miami faced defensively last season was the inability of their linebackers to cover in passing downs. That reason alone is why the drafting of A.J. Edds to the Miami Dolphins makes so much sense. In his senior year A.J. recorded 5 interceptions, more than most corner backs in college. Edds is considered the best coverage linebacker in this year’s draft. He has great size, is smart, physical and tough. He gives it his all on every play. One thing many of you might not know is that Edds played tight end in high school. In an interview with Jorge Sedano on 790 The Ticket, Edds explained how playing tight end in high school helped him at linebacker tremendously, knowing how tight ends run routes and play the ball. Edds was also a core special teamer for Iowa. This was a real good pick by Miami in the fourth round and it is very understandable why they traded up to get this prospect. Edds reminds me a lot of Mike Vrabel and I think he will see time at inside linebacker as well as outside linebacker. One last thing I would like to add is don’t be surprised to see Edds line up at tight end in goal line packages similar to how Vrabel was used in New England, kid has real soft hands.
Nolan Carroll 5’11 204 Maryland: Nolan Carroll is some what of the enigma of the Fins 2010 draft Class. He started only two game his senior year due to a broken leg in the second game of the season. What I do know about him is that he is an incredible athlete and is said to be a good player when healthy. One thing that stands out about his stats is his ability to make tackles. His junior year he finished with 37 and in the senior year where he broke his leg he had 10. Nolan also has real nice speed and saw some time at KR while at Maryland, a position the Fins need help in. From what I have read on Carroll, he could be a real good player, but the key to it all would be his ability to stay healthy. Here is another interesting thing on Carroll: a lot of scouts say he can play both cornerback and safety. I am sure Carroll will compete immediately at the dime corner back position and should give Jason Allen some competition. Miami needed to draft a corner back since Nathan Jones was not resigned, and Carroll adds depth to the position.
Reshad Jones 6-1 214 Georgia: Reshad Jones has the ability and skills to be the steal of this draft class. Jones was a player I thought would be gone in the 2nd or 3rd round of this draft. Reshad’s athleticism, speed and closing burst allow him to make plays in both the run and pass. He can play both strong and free safety. He is a big time hitter and has the quickness to get up field and help in run support. Jones also shows the ability to be able to get in front of receivers and intercept or block passes. Jones should not have dropped to the fifth round, perhaps it was his decision to come out his junior year. Some feel that if he would have stayed for his senior year he would have helped his stock, but besides that I see no reason why he fell. One thing I know is Reshad Jones could give Clemons and Culver a run for their money. I am really hoping Miami has found the starting free safety they so desperately need.
Chris McCoy 6’2 245 Middle Tennessee State: Chris McCoy was a beast his senior year dominating his conference. He finished with 7 sacks and 59 tackles, 20 of which were for loses. The footage I have seen on McCoy shows he is quick and very aggressive. If McCoy can make the switch to outside linebacker, the Dolphins have found themselves a gem of a player.
Austin Spitler 6’3 234 Ohio State: Spitler’s success in college was not much. His plays usually came when he was left unblocked, but he has the size, versatility and strength that Parcells loves in his linebackers. Austin can play both outside and middle line backer. He reminds me of what the Cowboys have in Bobby Carpenter. He also has good instincts against the run and is a core special teamer. I believe he will be a project for the Fins and will make his money on special teams.
There you go Dolfans, this is my personal take on all of Miami’s picks. Like many of you, I want nothing more than to see all of these young prospects succeed and bring the much needed help this team needs. Miami had a defensive heavy draft and made some real nice picks. I hope that as you are reading about the rookies, this information helps you learn more about the new players of our Miami Dolphins. Welcome the Miami Dolphins 2010 draft class, Go Dolphins!
