DAVIE, Fla. -- The pick: The Miami Dolphins selected former University of Tennessee right tackle Ja'Wuan James at No. 19.
My take: I thought Miami reached with this pick to fill a major need at right tackle. The Dolphins were put at a disadvantage when some of their top targets were taken off the board. The Dolphins lost two of their top reported prospects -- offensive lineman Zack Martin and linebacker C.J. Mosley -- to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 16 and Baltimore Ravens at No. 17, respectively. Miami took a second-tier offensive tackle in the first round when trading back for more picks could have been a better option.
No big trade this year: The Dolphins made a bold move one year ago to trade up nine spots to select defensive end Dion Jordan at No. 3 overall. There was speculation that Miami could be on the move again with the No. 19 overall pick, perhaps to move down this year to acquire more selections. But that wasn’t the case this year with new Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey. Miami stayed put and used the No. 19 pick on James, which the team believes was the best available player.
What’s next: The Dolphins hold the No. 50 and No. 81 overall picks in the second and third rounds, respectively. This is one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, and the Dolphins are expected to land a pair of quality contributors with those picks on Friday. Miami addressed its need at right tackle Thursday. Look for the Dolphins to explore options to fill holes or add depth at positions such as guard, linebacker, safety and wide receiver.
