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1-0. Dolphins 17, Patriots 16
1-1. Bills 35, Dolphins 0
1-2. Dolphins 28, Raiders 31
1-3. Colts 27, Dolphins 17
1-4. Dolphins 17, Bucs 45
1-5. Dolphins 20, Jaguars 23
1-6. Falcons 30, Dolphins 28
1-7. Dolphins 11, Bills 26
2-7. Texans 9, Dolphins 17
3-7. Ravens 10, Dolphins 22
4-7. Dolphins 24, Jets 17
5-7. Panthers 10, Dolphins 33
6-7. Giants 9, Dolphins 20
7-7. Jets 24, Dolphins 31
8-7. Dolphins 20, Saints 3
8-8. Dolphins 3, Titans 34
9-8. Patriots 24, Dolphins 33
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Published: Monday, 02 May 2022 08:44 | | 
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With only four picks in this draft, you can expect the grades to be up and down from the "experts". For those who wanted the Dolphins to draft a RB, GM Chris Grier said that they had one targeted but were foiled in their attempt as another team got him. I think the Dolphins got a steal by adding LT Kellen Diesch as an UDFA. Pro Football Focus graded him as a 3rd round talent, but his tall height at 6'7" and short arms made him too much of a risk for them. He's a freakish talent as he ran a 4.89 and will be excellent on swings in the running game. The important thing about this draft is that Chris Grier made up in his mind that the 2023 picks that he has accumulated were off-limits. Smart man.
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DRAFT GRADES
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Day 1 grade: B Analysis: Miami did not have early picks because of trades for receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who are obviously very good players. But only time will tell whether the lost draft capital was too high a price to pay. The Dolphins were also without their original third-round selection after trading that pick last April to move up for offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg. However, they used a third-round compensatory pick acquired in the Trey Lance deal with the Niners to land a nice chase linebacker in Tindall. With a fourth-round pick gained from a 2021 draft day trade with Pittsburgh, the Dolphins snagged Ezukanma, a reliable receiver without elite speed or quickness. Goode could play inside or outside for the Dolphins, as an instinctive player who fell under the radar at Cal. The Dolphins did not draft a center, potentially leaving Michael Deiter to handle those duties, but did find a potential backup signal-caller in the "toolsy" Thompson. |
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Grade: B- Top needs: OL, CB, LB Most of the Dolphins' early draft capital in this class went to Kansas City in the trade for Tyreek Hill; general manager Chris Grier said his staff will "just watch Tyreek highlights" on Day 1 of the draft. So what did Miami get with the four picks it did have? Linebacker Channing Tindall (102) could be a steal. I projected him to go early in Round 2, and the Dolphins landed him late in Round 3. He played in 50 games at Georgia but was behind Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker on the depth chart, which meant he never actually started a game. But when you put on the tape, he was flying around and making plays. He also tested off the charts at the combine for his size. Tindall found a great fit in Miami. Wideout Erik Ezukanma (125) is 6-foot-2, but when I watched his film, I saw he dropped way too many passes. Linebacker Cameron Goode (224) could make the team as a situational edge rusher. Skylar Thompson (247) is a fun, late-round quarterback to try out, but he probably is a long shot to make the roster. Dolphins fans are surely excited about adding Hill, but there's not a lot to rave about with this class, outside of Tindall. |
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Grade: C ANALYSIS: This is a small class thanks to the Tyreek Hill trade, but it still managed to surprise me. While the Dolphins gobbled up another YAC wide receiver, they didn’t select a true Mike McDaniel running back or help the offensive line. The Thompson pick was interesting if it has any meaning beyond just a backup. Thompson is really athletic and has a kind of faster Carson Wentz-ian vibe to him. Could the pick be inferring that the Dolphins are going to run a good deal of zone read and want a QB versed in the system? Could Thompson be a special package guy? Should we just go to bed? |
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Grade: A- They had a draft-low four choices, though did pick up LB Channing Tindall (Round 3) from that championship Georgia defense. But GM Chris Grier spent this year's assets to pry WR Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs after previously ensuring he'd have a pair of first-rounders for a QB-rich 2023 draft ... just in case. |
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Grade: B- Day 1: Miami had no first-round pick after trading with Kansas City for receiver Tyreek Hill. Day 2: Miami’s first pick in the draft came in the third round at No. 102 where they drafted linebacker Channing Tindall. He isn’t nearly as instinctual as his teammate Nakobe Dean, but man can the kid fly sideline to sideline. Blitz him consistently and never ask him to turn his back to the line of scrimmage, and Tindall is going to produce. This is a great fit in Miami. Day 3: Erik Ezukanma brings some size (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) to the outside, which Miami needed after dealing DeVante Parker. He put up over 600 receiving yards in each of the past three seasons at Texas A&M and averaged over 15.0 yards per reception over the course of his college career. Miami continues to add talent for Tua Tagovailoa to work with on offense. |
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Grade: C The Dolphins were handcuffed into a quiet draft for GM Chris Grier and new coach Mike McDaniel given they gave up a total of five significant picks this year and the next for Tyreek Hill. Tindall did fill a need well to try to upgrade linebacker but there isn't anything else to see here with a developmental pass rusher and passer late. |
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Best pick (A-): LB Cameron Goode, California (R7, P224) Worst pick (B-): LB Channing Tindall, Georgia (R3, P102) Most interesting pick (B): WR Erik Ezukanma, Texas Tech (R4, P125) |
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Grade: C Best Pick: They waited to take a player until the third round because of trades, but they nailed their first pick taking linebacker Channing Tindall. He is a playmaker who will be better in the NFL than he was at Georgia. Worst Pick: I didn't like the choice of receiver Erik Ezukanma from Texas Tech. Isn't this a team with a lot of receivers already? Why not another position? The Skinny: They didn't pick until the third round because of trades, including to get Tyreek Hill. He was worth getting, so that helps this grade. And I love Tindall. |
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Grade: B+ Favorite pick: Tindall Tindall emerged last season as a playmaker on a super talented defense after spending most of his career prior to that on special teams. He's not yet facile in coverage and will need help getting lined up at times, but the top-shelf athleticism will ease his development. Miami can use more athletes like this to groom, and this was a need position. Really good value where they got him. Least-favorite pick: Ezukanma He was relatively consistent and productive year to year, and even made more downfield catches than you might imagine. But with average length and athleticism, he appears to have little upside, and good teams appeared to have little trouble taking Ezukanma out of games if they wanted to. It'll be an uphill climb to dent the WR depth chart. Overall: Having used many of their picks as ammunition to acquire veteran talent, namely Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, this was never going to be a massive draft class for the Dolphins. So we’re factoring in the trade activity as a big piece of this puzzle. Adding value and athleticism with Tindall, that’s about where the actual draft excitement ended for Miami. Big picture, this was an important utilization of assets to make Miami better in head coach Mike McDaniel’s first season at the helm. |
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Grade: B Biggest Steal: LB Channing Tindall (3rd Round, No. 102 overall) Biggest Reach: None Analysis: It’s hard to do much with only four picks, but the Dolphins kicked off their skinny class with a huge bargain in Tindall, who could have put up huge numbers anywhere else if he wasn’t buried behind the likes of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker at Georgia. He’ll be a much more productive pro, and fills a big need in the Miami defense. |
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Grade: D+ Best Pick: Channing Tindall, LB (102) Wosrt Pick: Either 7th round pick Analysis: Miami didn’t select until the third round because of their trades, but they got a good player in Channing Tindall. I do think it’s a huge problem that they didn’t get a decent offensive lineman, even with their limited picks. It was the biggest area of need for Mike McDaniel’s new-look offense, and they might regret not addressing it. With such a lean class there wasn’t really a “worst” pick, but both their 7th rounders were going to be UDFAs. |
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Grade: D After trading multiple picks for Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins’ first pick didn’t come until late in the third round. The team grabbed a rotational Georgia linebacker in Channing Tindall, who’s raw but hyper athletic and explosive when flying downhill. Texas Tech receiver Erik Ezukanma is an intriguing mid-round pickup because of his run-after-the-catch talent, and Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson is a fine seventh round flier. Miami didn’t have much to work with and consequently didn’t come away with a whole lot in this draft. Dolphins fans can take solace in the idea that Tyreek Hill is a de facto member of this group (but I’m only including draft-day trades in this exercise). |
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Grade: C- The Miami Dolphins are seemingly trying to emulate the Los Angeles Rams' approach to the draft by trading many of their picks for established veterans. The Dolphins pulled off a blockbuster trade this offseason, sending the No. 29 pick along with 2022 second- and fourth-rounders and 2023 fourth- and sixth-rounders to the Kansas City Chiefs for star wideout Tyreek Hill. That left Miami with only four picks to use this year. Channing Tindall is the highlight of the class. His sideline-to-sideline speed should help him get on the field as a rookie. Part of that will be in sub-packages, but he should also be a factor on special teams. The Dolphins took wideout Erik Ezukanma in the fourth round, but he didn't even make the top 200 on B/R's final big board. Luckily, they won't need him to make an immediate impact with all of the changes they've made to their receiver room this offseason. |
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Grade: C+ With only four picks to work with, there’s not much work for me to do here. But I’ll admit that I was rather pleased to see Miami draft Channing Tindall, whom I had them drafting in my final three-round mock draft. Linebacker is where the Dolphins needed to improve the most, and the Georgia Bulldog fits the bill. The linebacker finished as PFF’s eighth-highest-graded linebacker in 2021 and tested off the charts at the Combine. Miami got a steal with Tindall’s sure tackling and imposing presence outside the top 100 picks. After that, there’s not much to go on. Erik Ezukanma is a protypical special teams wide receiver who will add value to his real-life NFL team but is someone to ignore in fantasy. |
Published: Sunday, 01 May 2022 14:40 | | | | Hits: 746
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CONTENT
Post Draft Analysis
Youtube Highlights
ESPN Insider Draft Analysis (paid subscription)
NFL.COM Draft Analysis
Pro Football Network (Tony Pauline) Analysis
CBS Sports
- Before you even think about it -- no this is not a quarterback competition in the making. As is usually the theme in the seventh round, Thompson was simply the best player available and both GM Chris Grier and McDaniel liked the traits Thompson brings to the field. Calling him a long shot to make the 53-man roster is an understatement with starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Teddy Bridgewater locked in, but Thompson could play his way onto the practice squad with a strong summer.
- Dolphins selected Kansas State QB Skylar Thompson with the No. 247 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Thompson (6’2/223) dealt with some injury setbacks throughout his college career, most notably when he injured his throwing shoulder during the 2020 season. He ended the 2021 season with a 69.5% completion percentage, 2,113 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. That’s not the most impressive stat line, but much of that has to do with the Kansas State offense and what is asked of the quarterback. Despite the talent Thompson brings to the table, he has fallen off the radar because of the time he has missed. That did not stop him from capping off his career with an outstanding 42-20 Texas Bowl victory over LSU in which he completed 75% of his passes for 259 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, though, or from being invited to both the Combine and Shrine Bowl.
- Run-pass weapon at QB in college but didn't test like a high-caliber athlete. Makes smart decisions and improved each year as a passer in his long career. Smaller. Reads coverages decently well and won't make many mistakes. (Chris Trapasso)
- The Dolphins may view Skylar Thompson as their Taysom Hill, but with so few picks, they couldn't really afford to take a gadget player like this. Besides, Hill hasn't been all that good for the Saints anyway. (Grade: C)
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Thompson posted a PFF grade of 80.0 or higher in each of his final three seasons at Kansas State, most notably showing a great ability to hit the deep ball (93.2). While Thompson never threw for more than 2,315 yards or 12 touchdowns in a season, he deserves credit for posting his top-three highest-graded games of 2021 against Stanford, Oklahoma and LSU.
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One of the bigger concerns for Thompson's transition to the next level is his average of 3.19 seconds from snap to throw, as 19.1% of his pressures were converted to sacks in 2021. It's tough to see him getting away with holding the ball so long at the NFL level with just a 4.91-second 40-yard dash to his name.
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Seventh-round draft capital is the death punch to any prospect’s potential fantasy value nine times out of 10, although Thompson does find himself in an awfully loaded offense should the opportunity ever come his way. He'll need to beat out Chris Streveler for the No. 3 job behind Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater in order to have any hope of future success.
- “He is a competitive kid, smart and tough. We’ve all seen him over the years. Every year, Kansas State pulls a big upset and he has a game that people talk about. He’s a guy that has potential to develop and has some upside.”
- “You can feel his command and his competitiveness. That is something the entire team benefits from. I really like the way he plays the game and how competitive he was. You are excited when you turn on the tape and see a guy with passion playing quarterback.”
Pre-Draft Analysis
Status Report
Thompson is a well-built right-handed quarterback with good mobility and arm strength. He has the foot speed and strength to extend plays. His ball placement is inconsistent, but he can pick defenses apart when in a rhythm. Thompson holds on to the ball too long. There are durability concerns as an older prospect, but he has the skill set to develop into an effective backup and spot starter. -- Final evaluation
Player Bio
Thompson signed with the Wildcats as the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and Simone Award winner as the top player in the Kansas City metro area in 2015, helping his team win a state title that season. He redshirted his first season in Manhattan, being named the co-winner of the team's top scout team player. Thompson began the 2017 season as a backup but came on to start the final four contests (51-of-83, 61.4%, 689 yards, five TDs, three INTs; 69-267-3.9, three TDs rushing). He started 10 of 11 games played in 2018 (122-of-208, 58.7%, 1,391 yards, nine TDs, four INTs; 105-373-3.6, five TDs rushing). Thompson stepped up his play in 13 starts as a junior, garnering honorable mention All-Big 12 honors (177-of-297, 59.6%, 2,315 yards, 12 TDs, five INTs; 114-405-3.6, 11 TDs rushing). He was also named the team's Offensive MVP in the Liberty Bowl against Navy (10-of-14, 124 yards passing; rush TD). Thompson's senior season was derailed by an upper-body injury in 2020, limiting him to just three starts (40-of-64, 62.5%, 626 yards, four TDs; 19-38-2.0, three TDs rushing). He also missed time with a knee injury in 2021 but managed to start 10 games (162-of-233, 69.5%, 2,113 yards, 12 TDs, four INTs) and finished his career by winning Texas Bowl MVP honors in the team's win over a depleted LSU squad (21-of-28, 259 yards, 3 TDs). Thompson lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 6 years old -- just seven months after his grandfather passed from pancreatic cancer. -- by Chad Reuter
Analysis
- Draft Projection - UFA
Overview
Thompson's passing production hasn't been overly impressive and his health has been an issue over the last two seasons. He has a decent arm and can make plays on the move. He's a decent field-reader who doesn't take too many unnecessary chances but he's also not going to make enough plays. The age and lack of consistent production as a passer hurt his chances.
Strengths
- Shows ability to work through progressions.
- Reads coverage on combo routes with timing.
- Resets feet on the move to deliver from his platform.
- Arm talent to make rollout and scramble throws with success.
- Delivers deep ball with adequate touch.
- Maneuvers around the pocket and locates his target.
- Won't take many unnecessary chances with the football.
Weaknesses
- Will be a 25-year-old rookie.
- Very average passing production over his 40 starts.
- Below-average accuracy on drive throws.
- Over-strides and sails the throw.
- Forces receivers to break stride and work for it.
- Throws need to come out with better anticipation.
- Fails to fully explore passing options when he hits the red zone.
- Missed chunks of time due to upper body, knee and ankle injuries since 2020.
Positives: Athletic defensive line prospect who flashes ability. Plays with proper pad level, fires off the snap with an explosive first step, and shows the ability to bend the edge. Easily changes direction and displays terrific movement skills. Resilient, gives effort, and plays through the whistle. Shows ability as a pass rusher standing over tackle and uses his hands well.
Negatives: Easily blocked from the action or taken from his angle of attack by a single opponent. Marginally productive throughout his college career. May not have a true position at the next level.
Analysis: Massie comes with adequate size, speed, and movement skills. He offers possibilities as a situational pass rusher. Nonetheless, he must produce immediately this summer.
CBS Sports
Rating: 72 (Chance to start)
Pro Comparison: JT O'Sullivan
Strengths:
Athletic build. Can really drive the ball with good arm strength. Shows good mechanics on a follow through to prevent ball from floating. Willing to stand in and deliver the ball in the face of pressure.
Weaknesses:
Processing needs to quicken. Makes a lot of poor decisions. Gets happy feet when pressured. Footwork needs cleaned up. Needs more nuance throwing with touch to all three levels of the field. Combine testing did not match the athleticism seen on film.
Accolades:
- 2021: TaxAct Texas Bowl MVP
- 2021: 40 starts and 24 career wins as starting QB are most in program history since at least 1990
- 2021: TaxAct Texas Bowl MVP
- 2021: 40 starts and 24 career wins as starting QB are most in program history since at least 1990
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