Dion Jordan
Dion Jordan has been recovering from February shoulder surgery. Our top outside linebacker is projected to be Miami’s next Jason Taylor at right defensive end in a four man scheme. Jordan’s injury rehab has set him back this spring which keeps him from developing his pass rush skills. In college he used his long arms to ward off blockers in the run game and when rushing the passer. Very athletic with good foot and hand quickness, he is aggressive on plays away. Corner Jamar Taylor has missed mini camps and OTAs recovering from sports hernia surgery. A good technique player, he gets position on the receiver and keeps it. He is experienced in both zone and off man coverage. He has good short area ball reactions. A reliable and smart player, he has good instincts and mental toughness. Taylor has good speed and quick feet. Loose hipped for smooth turns with a burst and catch up speed, he competes for the ball. In the open field he is dependable. Dallas Thomas has been out with a shoulder injury and just got on the practice field in the first week of June. He will start out backing up Richie Incognito at left guard. Versatile as a blocker, he has experience at both guard and tackle. A natural knee bender, he has a thick lower body. With developmental time he has a chance to start. Will Davis will need repetitions in a new and complex defensive scheme. He does, however, have decent quickness, agility, and balance in coverage. He is loose hipped in transition and smooth and fluid in his backpedal. A backup type corner with ascending skills, he is quick footed and produces with limitations. Jelani Jenkins plays square with good lateral quickness. Instinctive with a nose for the ball, he has all the tools to succeed as a coverage linebacker. He has good turning ability, agility, speed, and quick feet. Starting out he will be on the inside, but he may be best on the weakside covered up. Dion Sims may be the sleeper of the Dolphins’ draft. He replaces stellar inline blocker Anthony Fasano who signed with Kansas City. There are no other blockers on the Miami tight end depth chart who can seal the edge of the defense. The massive tight end trimmed down to a more mobile 265 pounds this spring and it shows in his pass routes and quickness to the second level. Along with his blocking, he will be counted on to be a clutch receiver. Mike Gillislee has been impressive in the early going, demonstrating good vision and acceleration during OTAs. The former Gator will be battling Daniel Thomas for carries behind Lamar Miller. A zone type running back, he catches the ball well out of the backfield and has good contact balance. Caleb Sturgis was drafted to send Dan Carpenter a message that his inconsistencies will no longer be acceptable. Sturgis connected on 8 of 9 field goal attempts of 40 yards or better in 2012. He also kicked 8 field goals over 50 yards in his career. He averaged 64.4 yards on kickoffs, including 31 touchbacks. Don Jones (5111, 191) was the third defensive back selected by the Dolphins. He played strong safety and was a big hitter, but inconsistent wrapping up. He played only two years as a defensive back as he came to Arkansas State as a running back. A good athlete, he is a developmental project. His pro day results were 4.42/40, 17/BP, 42/VJ, 10-7/BJ, and 4.48/SS. GRADE: ABOVE AVERAGE.
Box 235 Hiawatha, IA 52233