2012 NFL Draft Second Round Analysis

With most positions being as deep as they are, there looks to be many high value picks available in the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Any team with 2 or more picks in the second round have a chance to immediately upgrade their roster and add a potiential starter for the next year. The Miami Dolphins only have one pick in the 2nd, but have the resources and player depth to obtain maybe another late 2nd round pick. With QB likely to be addressed in the first round, there are many different paths you can go down in this round. Right Tackle, Free Safety, Right Guard and,Tight End are a few that come to mind. Here is a look at a few prospects projected to go in the 2nd round that might fill some of the Dolphins needs.


Dwayne Allen - TE - Clemson

6-4 255 lbs.

As the college football season comes to a close, Allen is moving further and further up alot of people's draft boards. He is an excelent athlete at 6'4" 255 lbs. and runs the field very well. He is a seam monster and can create some mismatches at the next level against linebackers with his quickness and great hands. He run blocks very well and has very good feet. If he can put up some good numbers at the combine, I expect Allen to move up into the back end of the first round by time the draft rolls around.

2011 - Stats

46 Rec. 545 Yards 6 TDs

Andrew Datko - OT - Florida State
6-6 321 lbs.

Datko is a little bit of an odd looking athlete in my opinion. He is 321 lbs., but certainly doesn't look like it (not sure if that is good or bad). He can definently make an impact right away as a rookie in the NFL. He has very good feet and a very good base while run blocking. He is also a very good pass blocker and has done a very good job handling good pass rush in the ACC. He is a very diciplined player and is rarely penalized. Overall, a solid prospect. Won't be an anchor for an NFL offensive line, but definently will be a soild starter well throughout his career.


Mike Adams - OT - Ohio State

6-8 320 lbs.

Once regarded as a first round pick, Mike has fallen off of many people's radar because of the sanctions that took place at Ohio State causing him to miss the first five games of his senior year. As a player, Mike is a very talented blocker. Has good feet for his size. Very good lead blocker in the open field and on toss/sweep plays. Very strong and stays low during contact making him very hard to overpower. Mike struggled with injuries in the beginning of his college career (shoulder injury freshman year, knee injury sophmore year) but as a junior received All Big Ten honors in his first complete season.


Nick Foles - QB - Arizona

6-5 240 lbs.

I already know what you're thinking. "NO QB'S IN THE SECOND ROUND!!!!!!!" Well, we can't just throw the possibilty of taking a QB in the second round out because Ireland has done it before. That said, another prospect that is projected to go in the second round is Arizona's Nick Foles. Foles fits the mold of a prototypical NFL QB. 6'4 or 6'5, 225+, Strong arm. He is pretty consistent with accuracy on short an intermediate routes. I haven't really seen him throw the ball downfield much in Arizona's offense which is kind of weird since they run the spread. One thing that stands out about Foles is that for his size, he actually has pretty good footwork. He rarely throws the ball off of his back foot and shows excellent balance and awareness in the pocket. Of course at 240 lbs. Foles isn't the quickest of QB's but knows how to step up in the pocket to avoid that extra rusher. Foles does struggle with accuracy on screen plays as he tends to overthrow RB's in the flats. Needs to improve overall touch on some throws, but can zip it when you need him to.

Stats - 2011

387-560 69% Comp. Rate 4,334 Yards 28 TDs 14 INTs

Quarterbacks Shine as Bowl Season Approaches

If you ask 10 Miami Dolphin fans, what do they feel is the first position that needs to be addressed in the draft, 9 of those fans are going to say Quarterback. Even though Matt Moore has excelled at the QB position for the past 3 games (70% Comp. Rate 613 Yards 6 TDs 1 Int), I think its pretty clear that he is much more valuable to this team as a backup QB than an everyday starter even though he has the skills to be one. So lets take a look at a few QBs I think the Dolphins will be targeting in the draft.

Andrew Luck - Stanford (11-1)
6-4 235 lbs.

Will Luck be the new face off the
Indianapolis Colts?


No doubt, the undisputed #1 overall prospect in this draft. He has all of the tools plus the accolades and intangibles you would want to see from a player of his caliber. The only things missing from his already impressing resume are a Heisman Trophy and a national championship. The latter seems less likely now after losing to Oregon, but his case for the Heisman is a strong one. The likely destination for Luck as of now looks to be to the Indianapolis Colts (0-10). But with a player like Peyton Manning on the roster, the move doesn't seem like a no-brainer like it would for other teams. The possibility for the Colts to pass on Luck is definently there. But with a prospect like Luck on the board, I don't see how any team can pass on him besides Green Bay. I look for him to be the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

2011 Stats

261-373 70% Comp. Rate 3,170Yards 35 TDs 9 Ints



Matt Barkley - USC (10-2)
6-3 220 lbs.

Can Matt make a late push for the
Heisman Trophy?

In my opinion, Matt has been one of the most improved players in college football. His ability to read defenses and make accurate short and intermediate throws are going to attract alot of NFL scouts. Though he doesn't have a cannon for an arm, he has enough to make throws needed to succeed in the NFL. His impressive play as of late has elevated his name into Heisman talks along with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Trent Richardson. Because of NCAA sanctions, USC is not eligible for any bowl games or allowed to be ranked in the BCS standings which could hurt his draft stock at the end of the season. If other QBs perform well in their bowl games, then it could potentially push him down as he has no other way to improve his stock than pro days and combine workouts. I look for Barkley to go anywhere between picks 2-10 in the 1st Round.

(Update - Barkley has decided to forgo the 2012 NFL Draft and return to USC for his senior season.)

2011 Stats

308-446 69% Comp. Rate 3,528 Yards 39 TDs 7 Ints


Robert Griffin III - Baylor (8-3)
6-2 220 lbs.

Will RG3 be the next Michael Vick?

Probably the most intriguing prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft, Griffin is a dynamic playmaker who has massive potential to be a special player in the NFL. One characteristic that will make NFL scouts drool over him is his deep ball accuracy. He has an incredible arm an can place the ball right where the receiver needs it to be. He also has excellent touch on screen plays to RBs. When given time in the pocket, he has showed that he can be a very effective passer and can pick a team apart. He feels pressure very well and knows when to use his legs to extend plays. One test that he will have to pass at the NFL level is learning how to decipher complex NFL coverages and adjust to running a full time pro style offense. I feel that he won't have a problem with either and will be a real sleeper in this upcoming draft. Look for him to within the top ten picks in the first round.

2011 Stats

252-347 73% Comp. Rate 3,678 Yards 34 TDs 5 Ints


Landry Jones - Oklahoma (9-2)
6-4 230 lbs.

Can Jones regain his draft stock?

Coming into the 2011 campaign, experts had Landry Jones as the #2 Quarterback prospect behind Andrew Luck. Now after losing to Baylor last weekend, many have dropped Jones lower on their draft boards due to lack luster play. Jones didn't look good and on top of that, was pulled in goal line situations for Blake Bell who was used as a short yardage back and scored 4 rushing TDs. Jones has potential to become a solid NFL QB. He has the prototypical NFL frame and strong arm. One thing that hurts his draft stock alot is the offensive system that he runs in Oklahoma. He runs a stand up spread system that counts on strong pass blocking to succeed. He rarely takes dropbacks longer than 5 steps and is shown by his below average footwork. Jones is a smart QB, but takes alot of risks and stuggles with inconsistency sometimes. One game he can look like an average QB, but the next game, he can come out and look like a #1 overall pick. Very hard prospect to project at the next level, but I look for Landry to land on a team that already has a solid QB so he can sit for a few years an polish his skills. Late 1st round pick.

2011 Stats

312-487 64% Comp. Rate 4,052 28 TDs 12 Ints

Welcome to Miami Dolphins Football Talk

This is a blog that I will officially start as soon as this 2011-12 NFL season is over. For now, I will just keep fans in the know of prospects that I feel the Dolphins have targeted for the 2012 NFL Draft. I will also be bringing you all of up to date news on the Dolphins offseason including Free Agent, Trade, and Personnel news leading up through Mini Camps and OTAs to the opening week of the 2012-13 season. Being a College Football fan, I will do my best to introduce draft pospects to NFL fans who do not really follow College Football and are not familiar with them. Look forward to starting a fun and successful blog and as always, GO DOLPHINS!!!