One Key Comment from Each Draft Pick (And What To Take From It)

All 13 Miami Dolphins draft selections met with the media after joining the organization through Zoom, with first-round picks Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson also conducting a press conference at the Baptist Health Training Complex.

Each of them discussed their background, goals and being selected by the Dolphins, among other things, and we decided to highlight one comment from each with what it could mean moving forward.

THE KEY COMMENT FROM EACH DOLPHINS DRAFT PICK

Round 1 — T Kadyn Proctor

The quote: "I was 400 pounds when Coach (Nick) Saban was there in the offseason that summer of my freshman year, but I feel like I've got a couple years under my belt to where I've kept that in check. I've built and put a plan in place to go succeed and to be at the weight that I need to be to go out there and provide for the team.”

What to make of it: This is the key with Proctor, right, the ability to maintain his weight and be able to operate at peak efficiency? That seems to be the one key obstacle that could keep Proctor from greatness. The hope is that we're not talking about his weight ever again.

Round 1 — CB Chris Johnson

The quote (about being selected maybe higher than some rankings had him projected): "At the end of the day, I feel like obviously this organization views me how they viewed me and I feel like that's all that I really care about. I don't really care about any of the other media outlets, but like you said, it's definitely like something to prove. People that are out there are doubting, but there's always people that doubt you, so I’m always going to remain hungry regardless.”

What to make of it: The people who didn't doubt Johnson were the Dolphins, who felt strongly enough about him to trade up in the first round to make sure to secure his services. And, yes, this likely will put a bigger spotlight on him than he normally would have.

Round 2 — LB Jacob Rodriguez

The quote (about how long his conversion from quarterback as a freshman to linebacker took): “It took about a year. I think at first you're really just trying to understand how to play coverage and how to play defense in general, and a lot of it started with just middle close, play your gap and then run to the ball, play your gap and then run to the ball. There was never really any overlap or any playing within the scheme of the defense, and so it took me about a year to finally understand scheme, and with my back to coverage know how to play in and around with people, and how to communicate well, because as a quarterback, you're just kind of barking out everything that everybody has to do; well now you're barking it out, but then you also have to listen to other people and communicate that way. So that's what I would say, about a year, and then I think it took off from there.”

What to make of it: Coaches always talk about how former quarterbacks have a built-in advantage when playing on defense because they know how the other side thinks, and that could help explain just how instinctive Rodriguez was at Texas Tech.

Round 3 — WR Caleb Douglas

The quote about the best part of his game: “How I can stretch the field, how I can go out there and play in small spaces at my size.”

What to make of it: It's that ability to win in tight spaces that led the Dolphins to take Douglas with the 75th overall pick, earlier than most analysts had projected. It's also how Douglas could carve a significant role at the start of his NFL careeer.

Round 3 — TE Will Kacmarek

The quote: "I think I'm a dominant run blocker. I think I'm a dominant blocker at the point of attack, but I don't think people give me enough credit for my passing ability. I was used in an offense with tons of weapons so the opportunities were limited, but whenever I got the ball, like you said, I had sure hands, I caught it and I made the most of it.”

What to make of it: Yeah, make no mistake about it, the Dolphins drafted Kacmarek in the third round not to just be a good blocker, but a dominant one. Whatever he can provide as a receiver probably will be viewed as a bonus if he gets the job done as a blocker.

Round 3 — WR Chris Bell

The quote (about being coached at Louisville by former NFL wide receiver Deion Branch): “I would say what I learned is, first off, just how to be a pro and how to carry myself on and off the field. I feel like he played a big part of me growing into this mature person that I am now. He said I had the on-the-field things, it was just the things that I could be better at like building a routine, or my eating habits and things like that when I was at Louisville. Obviously, I learned so much. I put so much into my game just off having him for one season, it made my game elevate so much more. It was a blessing to have Deion Branch, and when I found out he was going to be my coach my senior year, that's all I needed to know to stay.”

What to make of it: There's a lot to like about Bell and having had that kind of instruction and mentoring from a very solid NFL alum like Branch is just part of it. What stands out most, of course, is his size and long speed.

Round 4 — EDGE Trey Moore

The quote (on his versatility and his potential role as a rookie): “Oh man, for me really, whatever role they need me to fill, that's the perfect role for me. That's how I see it. Obviously being outside and off the edge, that's what I love doing most and I think that's obviously how they're going to use me, just being able to move around and use my speed and come off the edge. But like I said, I can do a bunch of different things, so whatever role the team sees best for me, I think that's the perfect role for me.”

What to make of it: Moore's versatility was something Dolphins officials mentioned more than once during draft weekend and a big reason he was selected in the fourth round. Being versatile is going to be a staple for defenders under new head coach Jeff Hafley.

Round 4 — LB Kyle Louis

The quote: “I take pride in coverage. I grew up always doing 1v1, so I always take pride in not losing, even though it's obviously an advantage for the offense. I take pride in just not losing 1v1s. That's doesn’t even go just for coverage – pass coverage one-on-ones, pass rush one-on-ones, I take pride in all that.”

What to make of it: Louis should take pride in his coverage ability because that's been his ticket to the NFL and it's why he could wind up with a good amount of snaps as a rookie.

Round 5 — S Michael Taaffe

The quote: "I'll always be an underdog in my opinion. I think rookie is essentially a walk-on all over again, because besides maybe the first round, no matter what pick you got picked, UDFA, second through seven, you’ve got to go earn your stripes, and they’re going to look at you just as the same as they look at somebody else. I'm going to use that as my advantage because there's no politics when it comes to production and it comes to the NFL like some other places. It's about who can produce, it's about who's the best fit and who can learn the system the quickest and stay there and stick. I'm definitely looked at as an underdog and I want to keep that underdog mentality, keep that chip on my shoulder. I'm really excited for it, but this is the first time somebody actually picked me. I didn't get recruited in high school, barely anything. In high school, I was JV B-team my sophomore year. So this is my first time somebody really picked up the phone and said, ‘Michael Taaffe, we want you,’ and so that means a lot. I owe a lot to these coaches that they believed in me, I’ve got to go make them right.”

What to make of it: Taaffe has gone from the ultimate long shot to now an NFL draft pick — and in the fifth round no less. Given the lack of proven players at safety, he might not be in such an underdog role at the start of his NFL career, though.

Round 5 — WR Kevin Coleman Jr.

The quote (about his ability to adapt after playing for four different scholls the past four years): “When you go to four different schools, you’ve got to earn guys’ trust, you’ve got to earn guys’ respect. Some guys, when you first come in, might not respect you. Like you said, they’ll look at the resume and they assume things. But when you come in here, less words and just all actions and just show guys what you're about, then they respect you. You earn guys’ trust; you earn your coaches’ trust. You’ve got to learn the playbook as well. I had to go in and learn four different playbooks. I went to all the different schools in the spring and started at all of them in the spring, so that shows you right away I come in right away knowing the playbook, knowing the coaches’ lingo, and earned the coaches’ trust.”

What to make of it: The constant moving around just might help Coleman as he makes the transition from college to NFL.

Round 5 — TE Seydou Traore

The quote: “To be honest with you, I feel like I can contribute as soon as I get into a building. What that role is, I'm not sure, we'll figure that out, whether that's me running down on teams, me making plays on offense; I'm not sure, but I feel like I can definitely come in and create value for the team immediately.”

What to make of it: Because he didn't move to the U.S. until his final year of high school, there's a school of thought that Traore might need some time before he can contribute in the NFL, but he clearly isn't buying that theory. And whether he can will determine whether he can make the 53-man roster.

Round 6 — G DJ Campbell

The quote: “My approach to run blocking is really just being physical and trying to move my man away from the play as much as possible, coming in now, learning different technique and how to attack a block, definitely just learning to apply that this upcoming season and then just really transition my game.”

What to make of it: Becoming more physical on offense has been an objective for new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, and rest assured that Campbell wouldn't have been drafted if he couldn't bring that physicality to the offensive line.

Round 7 — EDGE Max Llewellyn

The quote: “Back in high school, I wasn't the best pass rusher, but the one move that I did have was the spin move in high school. Throughout college I've added a couple other moves, but the spin move has been a constant for me. That's just kind of been my bread and butter. I feel like I pair it really well with my speed rushes and power rushes. When tackles are starting to kind of sit down on stuff, I'll throw the spin move in there. Yeah, it's been working out for me.”

What to make of it: Llewellyn's ticket to getting drafted in the NFL was his pass-rushing ability and that's also what's going to keep him in the NFL, though he'll have to improve his run stopping if he hopes to be able to contribute.

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