THIRD DAY OF DRAFT BOLSTERS DEFENSE

The 2010 NFL draft is now over and the Dolphins welcomed eight rookies over the past three days. After selecting Jared Odrick in the first round on Thursday, and Koa Misi(second round) and John Jerry(third round) on Friday, the Dolphins added five more faces on Saturday. Those faces will all line up on the defensive side of the ball.

The Dolphins kicked Saturday off by making a trade with the Dallas Cowboys to move up in the fourth round to select Iowa linebacker A.J. Edds. At 6-3, 245 pounds, Edds will likely play at the inside position backing up starters Dansby and Crowder.

The Dolphins then took what may be considered a risky pick, as they chose Maryland cornerback Nolan Carroll early in the fifth round. The Dolphins lost cornerback Nathan Jones in free agency, so adding another corner was a smart move. However, Carroll comes to the Dolphins with a history of some serious injuries. The 6-1, 202 pound Carroll broke his right leg in the second game of the 2009 season and missed the rest of the year. He did rebound nicely though at his pro day where he ran a 4.4 40 yard dash. If healthy, Carroll could via for kick and punt return duties.

Next up was a flashy move that got Dolphin fans really excited. The Dolphins traded back into the fifth round to select Georgia safety Reshad Jones. Projected by some analysts as a third round pick, many think the 6-1, 214 pound Jones could be a steal. It is expected that Jones will compete with holdovers Tyrone Culver and Chris Clemons for the starting free safety position.

After the Jones pick up, the Dolphins did not pick again until the seventh round where they had two selections. They went defense again as they picked up Middle Tennessee linebacker Chris McCoy and Ohio State linebacker Austin Spitler. The 6-3, 261 pound McCoy will compete for time at the weak outside linebacker position, where Cameron Wake is currently slated as the starter. Spitler will via for a backup inside linebacker spot with the likes of newly acquired Tim Dobbins, Reggie Torbor, J.D. Folsom and Edds.

The Dolphins had eight picks and seven went towards improving the defense, which was not a surprise. Despite a 7-9 record the offense was not the main problem last year, it was the defense. The only real problem with the offense was the lack of a true number one reciever. The Dolphins solved that problem when they got Brandon Marshall via trade from the Broncos. Overall, while the names may not be "sexy" this was a very producive draft for the Dolphins. New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has to be thrilled with the additions he got over the past three days to work with.

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