#Final draft grades upgrade#

It’s hard to do much with only four picks, but the Dolphins kicked off their skinny class with a huge bargain in Tindall, who could have put up huge numbers anywhere else if he wasn’t buried behind the likes of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker at Georgia. Miami continues to add talent for Tua Tagovailoa to work with on offense. He put up over 600 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons at Texas A&M and averaged over 15.0 yards per reception over the course of his college career. This is a great fit in Miami.ĭay 3: Erik Ezukanma brings some size (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) to the outside, which Miami needed after dealing DeVante Parker. Blitz him consistently and never ask him to turn his back to the line of scrimmage, and Tindall is going to produce. He isn’t nearly as instinctual as his teammate Nakobe Dean, but, man, can the kid fly sideline to sideline. 102 where they drafted linebacker Channing Tindall.

#Final draft grades upgrade#

Tindall did fill a need well to try to upgrade linebacker but there isn't anything else to see here with a developmental pass rusher and passer late.ĭay 1: Miami had no first-round pick after trading with Kansas City for receiver Tyreek Hill.ĭay 2: Miami’s first pick in the draft came in the third round at No. The Dolphins were handcuffed into a quiet draft for GM Chris Grier and new coach Mike McDaniel given they gave up a total of five significant picks this year and the next for Tyreek Hill. The Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) - Grade: C But GM Chris Grier spent this year's assets to pry WR Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs after previously ensuring he'd have a pair of first-rounders for a QB-rich 2023 draft. They had a draft-low four choices, though did pick up LB Channing Tindall (Round 3) from that championship Georgia defense.

Skylar Thompson (247) is a fun, late-round quarterback to try out, but he probably is a long shot to make the roster.ĭolphins fans are surely excited about adding Hill, but there's not a lot to get rave about with this class, outside of Tindall. Linebacker Cameron Goode (224) could make the team as a situational edge rusher. Wideout Erik Ezukanma (125) is 6-foot-2, but he dropped way too many passes when I watched his film. He also tested off the charts at the combine for his size. But when you put on the tape, he was flying around and making plays. He played in 50 games at Georgia but was behind Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on the depth chart, which meant he never actually started a game.

I projected him to go early in Round 2, and the Dolphins landed him late in Round 3. Linebacker Channing Tindall (102) could be a steal. So what did Miami get with the four picks it did have? Most of the Dolphins' early draft capital in this class went to Kansas City in the trade for Tyreek Hill general manager Chris Grier said his staff will 'just watch Tyreek highlights' on Day 1 of the draft. Wide receiver is not a huge need for the Dolphins, given the presence of last year’s first-round pick Jaylen Waddle and the trade for Hill, but Erik Ezukanma gives them a big-framed receiver that was lost with the trade of DeVante Parker to the New England Patriots. Georgia let him fly around the field and rely on his athleticism, and in that kind of role he could thrive. They added Channing Tindall, an explosive athlete at linebacker who, if nothing else, gives defensive coordinator Josh Boyer the ideal spy on third-down situations to contain athletic quarterbacks. Thanks to the Tyreek Hill trade, the Miami Dolphins were not on the clock until the end of the third round. Touchdown Wire (Doug Farrar, Mark Schofield) - Grade: B. Could the pick be inferring that the Dolphins are going to run a good deal of zone read and want a QB versed in the system? Could Thompson be a special package guy? Should we just go to bed? Thompson is really athletic and has a kind of faster Carson Wentz-ian vibe to him. The Thompson pick was interesting if it has any meaning beyond just a backup. While the Dolphins gobbled up another YAC wide receiver, they didn’t select a true Mike McDaniel running back or help the offensive line. This is a small class thanks to the Tyreek Hill trade, but it still managed to surprise me. Sports Illustrated (Conor Orr) - Grade: C The Dolphins did not draft a center, potentially leaving Michael Deiter to handle those duties, but did find a potential backup signal-caller in the 'toolsy' Thompson. Goode could play inside or outside for the Dolphins, as an instinctive player who fell under the radar at Cal. With a fourth-round pick gained from a 2021 draft day trade with Pittsburgh, the Dolphins snagged Ezukanma, a reliable receiver without elite speed or quickness.