Dolphins History Lesson: Rookie Pass Rushers and What It Means for Curtis Weaver
When the Miami Dolphins selected Boise State's Curtis Weaver with their second pick in the fifth round, they not only landed the most productive pass rusher in the 2020 NFL draft but also perhaps the most productive they've ever drafted.
Before we look at the ramifications in terms of realistic expectations for Weaver, let's look back at the history.
First off, let's being by pointing out that Weaver is the first player Division I-A (or FBS, if you prefer) drafted by the Dolphins who had at least one college season of 10 or more sacks since 2007 when they took Abraham Wright out of Colorado in Round 7.
If the name sounds familiar, it's not because of anything he did for the Dolphins because he never played a regular season game for Miami after failing to make the 53-man roster as a rookie. Rather, it's because he was selected with one of the two picks the Dolphins got from New England when they traded Wes Welker to the Patriots (the other was a second-round choice used on center Samson Satele).
Truth is, the Dolphins haven't drafted pass rushers with big college numbers through the years.
They tried in 2017 when they used their first-round pick on Charles Harris, who had nine sacks in his final year at Missouri, but we all know how that turned out. Harris never panned out for the Dolphins and now he's with the Atlanta Falcons as the result of a recent trade for a seventh-round draft pick.
The Dolphins selected defensive end Terrence Fede in the seventh round of the 2013 draft after he had 13 sacks in his final year at FCS school Marist, but he had only one sack in four seasons in Miami.
Weaver joined the Dolphins after accumulating 34 sacks in only three seasons at Boise State, putting him fifth among all FBS players since 2005.
What happened with the four players at the top of the list after their college careers isn't necessarily encouraging when it comes to predicting the kind of success Weaver might have in the NFL.
First on the list is Jaylon Ferguson, who had 45 sacks for Louisiana Tech and was a third-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. He had 2.5 sacks in 14 games in his rookie season.
Next up is Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, who had 42 sacks for Arkansas State from 2014-17 but never played in the NFL. He's followed by Hau'oli Kikaha of Washington and Bruce Miller of UCF, who each had 35.5 sacks.
Kikaha had eight sacks in two NFL seasons but battled injuries and retired this spring after a stint in the XFL. Miller played five seasons in the NFL with the 49ers, but he played those as a fullback.
When it comes to the Dolphins, the holders of the rookie sack record are Bill Stanfill and Lorenzo Bromell, who each had eight. Stanfill did it after being the 11th overall pick in 1969 (yes, we know, sacks weren't an official stat until 1982) and Bromell was a fourth-round pick in 1998.
A.J. Duhe is next on the list with seven sacks as a rookie, which he did after being a first-round pick in 1977.
Then it's Marco Coleman, who had six sacks after being the 12th overall pick in 1992 (the Dolphins had two first-round picks that year and took cornerback Troy Vincent seventh overall).
For those wondering about Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, he had five sacks as a rookie third-round pick out of Akron in 1997.
We also should mention the last great pass rusher the Dolphins had, that being Cam Wake.
He was used as a linebacker at Penn State when he was known as Derek Wake and had 8.5 sacks in his four years there. He, of course, became a pass-rushing phenom in the Canadian Football League in 2007 and 2008 when he had 38 sacks in that two-year span before joining the Dolphins.
For Weaver, as with every other college pass-rushing phenom, the challenge will be proving he can do it in the NFL.
Most scouting reports knocked Weaver for what was described as a lack of athleticism and average strength, which is why he lasted until the fifth round.
This is what he said was the key to his pass-rushing success at Boise State: “Working hard, effort," he said. "The second you’re on the field (you have to give) everything you’ve got. (It’s) God’s gift.”
