How National Analysts Graded the Dolphins Draft
Let's start by agreeing with what some national writers have said, that it's truly unfair to try to grade a draft before any of the picks have played a down in the NFL.
But everybody loves draft grades, and so most outlets end up doing them.
With that out of the way, we can tell you the Dolphins' 2020 draft generally earned a solid grade for most national analysts.
We surveyed 10 such outlets who handed out post-draft grades, and the Dolphins earned a 3.1 GPA based on converting letter grades. That would equal to slightly better than a B.
The grades ranged from an A-minus from both NFL.com and Pro Football Focus to a C by Nate Davis of USA Today.
Here's the rundown:
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: A-
Pro Football Focus: A-
Jake Rill, Bleacher Report: B+
Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post: B+
Walter Cherepinsky, walterfootball.com: B+
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: B
Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports: B
Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated: B-
Nate Davis, USA Today: C
The Dolphins draft class:
Round 1 — QB Tua Tagoivaoloa, Alabama (5th overall)
Round 1 — T Austin Jackson, USC (18th)
Round 1 — CB Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn (30th)
Round 2 — OL Robert Hunt, Louisiana (39th)
Round 2 — DT Raekwon Davis, Alabama (56th)
Round 3 — S Brandon Jones, Texas (70th)
Round 4 — G Solomon Kindley, Georgia (111th)
Round 5 — DE Jason Strowbridge, North Carolina (154th)
Round 5 — DE/OLB Curtis Weaver, Boise State (164th)
Round 6 — LS Blake Ferguson, LSU (185th)
Round 7 — QB/WR Malcolm Perry, Navy (246th)
"Miami needed a franchise quarterback and offensive line help coming into the draft — and they got both within the first 18 picks on Day 1, Reuter wrote. "Add in a starting safety and run-stopper, and the Dolphins acquitted themselves well over the first three rounds.
"Kindley is power incarnate but also has some mobility for his size (6-6, 337 pounds) — not unlike the guard they signed to a big free deal, Ereck Flowers. Strowbridge strengthens the outside of the defensive line. Trading a fifth-round pick for 49ers running back Matt Breida may turn out to be a really good move if the tough runner can stay healthy. Perry has the work ethic and athleticism to succeed in the backfield, as well. Weaver has always had the potential to be one of the best edge rushers in this draft class — if he takes care of business, watch him power past tackles to consistently get after quarterbacks.
On the flip side, Davis suggested the Dolphins took a lot of gambles in this draft.
"They had the stones to take Tagovailoa fifth overall, and this draft will largely be defined by the outcome of his career and its longevity given his medical concerns. Of course, the Fins' abundance of of picks enabled them to roll the dice on Tagovailoa and others who arrive with significant questions, including first-round CB Noah Igbinoghene and second-round DT Raekwon Davis. The rampant boom-or-bust variables suggest a swing for the fences for an organization desperate to return to relevance. (Admittedly, Navy's Malcolm Perry was a nice touch in Round 7.) But remains to be seen if they were better off retaining the services of (Minkah) Fitzpatrick and (Laremy) Tunsil, whose departures padded Miamis's arsenal of picks but stunted forward progress."
