DAVIE, Fla., — Miami owner Steve Ross said he wasn’t discouraged from drafting offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in the first round just because of the Twitter video that showed him smoking from a bong.
“I think a lot of work was done for months and months,” Ross said. “Two hours before the draft (the video is released), it’s totally someone out to get the guy. It’s not a question of this guy changed overnight.
“And the work we’ve done on him, the people we talked to, and even subsequently we continued that, and meeting the kid you know this a good kid. It’s going to be a great choice.”
Ross, speaking before Saturday’s fourth through seventh rounds began, said he was pleased with the way things had gone.
“I’m thrilled with this weekend,” Ross said. “We got the players we wanted, and if they weren’t there when we thought they would be, we went up and got him.
“I think there’s total unanimity. The whole front office, scouts, position coaches, and personnel department were all on the same page. I’ve never seen anything like it. And the players they’ve been talking about wanting to have, we got every single one of them. It’s pretty thrilling.”
–Miami traded up to acquire Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard in the second round and Alabama running back Kenyan Drake in the third round. The Dolphins, apparently not shy about making trades, made a total of five trades during the draft.
They also made a major trade with Philadelphia before the draft that brought cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso to the team. On the third day of the draft, the Dolphins sent cornerback Jamar Taylor, a second-round pick in 2013, to Cleveland.
The Dolphins tried to trade up to acquire LB Myles Jack, according to a source, but were obviously unsuccessful. The Dolphins weren’t scared away by the idea Jack might eventually need microfracture surgery on his knee in a year or two.
The Dolphins pretty much drafted based on Best Player Available (BPA) and they think they did fairly well. Overall, the Dolphins drafted eight players, six on offense.
A closer look at the Dolphins picks:
–Round 1/13 — Laremy Tunsil, OT, 6-5, 310, Mississippi
Tunsil was rated by some as the best player in the draft and others as the best OT. Miami wasn’t scared away by the video showing Tunsil smoking from a bong, his Instagram messages asking an Ole Miss football official for money to pay his mother’s bills, or his seven-game suspension last season. He’ll likely start but it’s unclear right now whether he starts at guard or tackle.
–Round 2/38 — Xavien Howard, CB, 6-0, 201, Baylor
The Dolphins traded to up get Howard, who figures to battle for a starting job opposite Byron Maxwell. Howard started 24 games over the last two years and totaled nine INTs. He also had 23 PBUs (passes broken up) over the last two seasons.
–Round 3/73 — Kenyan Drake, RB, 6-1, 210, Alabama
Drake stayed mostly in the shadows behind Heisman winner Derrick Henry, but he’s a talented player who is an elusive runner (rushed for 408 yards, averaged 5.3 yards per carry last year) as well as an outstanding special teams player. He’ll have a chance to compete with Jay Ajayi, among others, for the starting job. The Dolphins traded up to acquire Drake.
–Round 3/86 — Leonte Carroo, WR, 6-0, 211, Rutgers
The Dolphins had a second-round grade on Carroo (39 receptions, 809 yards, 10 TDs), which is why they decided to trade up to grab him in the third round. They like his toughness and hands. As a junior, he had 55 receptions for 1,086 yards and 10 TDs. For his career, he totaled 122 receptions for 2,373 yards and 29 TDs.
–Round 6/186 — Jakeem Grant, WR, 5-6, 170, Texas Tech
The diminutive Grant joked he got the height in the family considering everyone else tops out at 5 feet. Grant is Texas Tech’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,164), surpassing Oakland’s Michael Crabtree. Grant’s best chance of making the team is as a kickoff/punt returner because it appears he’s a longshot to contribute from scrimmage.
–Round 6/204 — Jordan Lucas, DB, 6-0, 199, Penn State
Lucas has played both slot CB and boundary CB, so that should help. He played SS as a senior. He’s not much of a ball hawk (3 career INTs) but he plays special teams and that could help. The lineup might not be too tough to crack among CBs Byron Maxwell, Xavien Howard, Bobby McCain, Tony Lippett and others, but it’s still a longshot for a sixth-round pick.
–Round 7/223 — Brandon Doughty, QB, 6-3, 210, Western Kentucky
Doughty is a local kid (played at North Broward Prep) who led the nation in TDs (48), completion percentage (71.9) and passing yards (5,055), joining Hawaii’s Colt Brennan (2006) and BYU’s Steve Young (1983) as the only others to reach that plateau. Doughty spent six years in college due to a redshirt and a medical redshirt. Doughty will compete with Matt Moore, Logan Thomas and Zac Dysert for reserve QB duties.
–Round 7/231 — Thomas Duarte, 6-2, 225, UCLA
Duarte might be more of an H-back than a hand-in-the-ground tight end. But he’s effective. Last year, he totaled 53 receptions for 872 yards and 10 TDs. Miami’s Jordan Cameron is the starter and Dion Sims is the top reserve. Duarte will compete with Jake Stoneburner for a roster spot.