The Miami Dolphins have been one of the most aggressive teams this offseason and that approach continued into the 2013 NFL Draft. General Manager Jeff Ireland and Head Coach Joe Philbin finished the process with nine total selections, many of which were accomplished via trade.

Top Prospect

The top prospect from the Dolphins’ draft class is Oregon pass rusher Dion Jordan. An outstanding physical specimen, there’s no question that Jordan has the ideal size, speed, and athleticism to be a terror coming off the end at the next level.

In addition to his physical gifts, Jordan has many of the intangibles coaches look for such as toughness, good practice habits and a high motor. He also rarely misses tackles and isn’t afraid to deliver explosive hits when he gets the chance.

Unfortunately, there is a downside and durability may be a cause for concern. As a senior, he missed two games after suffering a shoulder injury and was limited for the remainder of the season. He had surgery to repair the torn labrum in March following the NFL combine.

Jordan’s injury history isn’t the only red flag as his statistical profile simply is not outstanding. He compiled only five sacks his senior year and all of them came in the seven games before his injury. The nation’s highest-drafted pass rusher only recorded five sacks in his entire senior season, two of which came against extremely sub-par opponents. 

Jordan has the potential to become an outstanding defensive end/linebacker combo in the future. But as for now, he’s still a work in progress who needs to make sure he stays healthy early in his career. He was a prospect that many suspected he would slide into the middle of the first round, so it was shocking when the Dolphins moved up to select him at No. 3 overall.

Addressing Positions of Need

Going into the draft, the Dolphins needed to find help at cornerback, defensive end and along the offensive line. They jumped early at their pass rusher by selecting Jordan, and found a potential sleeper in Tennessee offensive lineman Dallas Thomas, but Ireland and Philbin did their best work addressing the cornerback position.

Jamar Taylor out of Boise State and Will Davis from Utah State are two highly aggressive cover corners that both have big play ability. Taylor is the better prospect who has top-end speed, tracks the ball well in the air and doesn’t shy away from making tackles in run support. Davis is more of a ballhawk and gambler, which has gotten him into trouble in the past. He has the potential to be a starting cornerback in the near future, but really needs to work on consistency. 

These two rookies, along with veterans Brent Grimes and Richard Marshall, give the Dolphins a group of cornerbacks that should easily outperform the group from a season ago.

Biggest Sleeper

Tight end Dion Sims from Michigan State and running back Mike Gillislee of Florida are the two biggest sleepers for the Dolphins. Sims has the size you want from a blocking tight end. He is also a threat in the passing game with decent speed and above-average hands. On film, he creates lanes for the running game extremely well when matched up against linebackers and defensive backs. There are times he struggles to hold his blocks long enough though, especially when facing defensive ends. As a pass catcher, Michigan State used him mostly in underneath routes or in the flat, but he has the ability to make plays down the field. If he excels in doing so, the Dolphins will have found themselves another dangerous weapon for Ryan Tannehill.

More quick than fast, Gillislee is a smart running back who is patient when behind his blockers and has a great ability to make defenders miss both near the line of scrimmage and in the open field. He is also a much stronger back than he looks, but could certainly add bulk to help him break through tackles. He reminds me of Jamaal Charles coming out of college, another back who was mostly overlooked during the draft, but turned into one of the league’s top rushers in just a few seasons.

Overall, the Dolphins had one of the ten best drafts this year. They followed their plan, moved up when there was a player they liked, and traded down when there was no one of value available. There are other players they drafted, such as Jelani Jenkins from Florida, that could turn into solid contributors as well.

Ireland has consistently made good personnel decisions this offseason, a pivot the Dolphins' desperately need.