Miami finally got in the board last night, selecting Cam Smith and Devon Achane.
I’ll start with Smith. Most everyone was surprised Miami went CB, as it’s one of the deepest spots on the roster, but we also felt that way last season and we were left scraping the bottom of the barrel in the end. Players of higher need were on the board at that point, notably Darnell Washington or Tucker Kraft.
I think passing on TE was pretty instructive on how McDaniel values the position within the current roster construction. Miami had one of the best offenses in the league last year and Mike Gesicki was barely a factor. There’s only one ball to go around and when Hill and Waddle dominate the target share, the TE isn’t even really the tertiary option within the passing game.
Also makes sense to look at the roster and know that in two years, there’s a decent chance both Ramsey and Howard won’t be here, and someone is going to need to fill that void eventually. Behind them, Kohou was excellent last year and will probably be 3rd or 4th on the depth chart. Needham is coming off an Achilles, and everyone else behind them is filler. You’re a Xavien Howard groin pull away from being in an undesirable position again.
The pick we as Dolphins fans should really be excited about is Devon Achane. The guy is a legitimate track star, and that isn’t hyperbole. Obviously a bit undersized and isn’t a prototypical bell cow, but has speed for days and has really outstanding ability as a pass catcher. Some scouts think he can play WR full time. He’s the long term Raheem Mostert replacement, but will also be interesting to see Mike McDaniel scheme him up some different looks because he can run bubbles and jet sweeps and give defenses some headaches when you have all of that speed on the field at the same time to account for.
I think Miami circles back and address TE and OL today. Grier also said last night that the roster isn’t complete after the draft and they’re still going to pursue free agents.