Some thought the Miami Dolphins could draft Todd Gurley in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, but, as expected, the best running back in the class and a top-five prospect overall was gone several picks before the Dolphins had a chance to take him. Instead, the ‘Fins added offensive talent elsewhere, drafting another one of their top targets in wide receiver DeVante Parker. They did take a talented running back in this draft, however, nabbing Boise State product Jay Ajayi in the fifth round.
Teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots must have hoped that Ajayi would continue to fall in the fifth round, but he was not going to fall further than the 150th overall pick. Although he could have went earlier, credit to the Dolphins for not allowing major knee injury concerns to cause him to slide further, because Ajayi was just too good to pass up on.
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The Dolphins should also get credit for not over-prioritizing the position by drafting a running back too early, since they already have one of the league’s most talented and efficient backs in Lamar Miller, who has managed to average five yards per carry on a consistent basis despite playing behind a poor offensive line.
Miami is worried that Miller isn’t big enough to hold up if given 20 carries on a consistent basis, so, naturally, they didn’t allow him to notch 20 carries in any single game last season despite his high-quality performances week-in and week-out.
Since the Dolphins aren’t convinced that Miller can be a bell-cow back and don’t seem interested in giving him a chance to prove them wrong, it made plenty of sense for them to draft a talented back. They were able to get one of the top five RBs in this class at a discount due to his own injury concerns.
It’s those injury concerns that make Jay Ajayi a better fit in Miami than somewhere else, because the Dolphins have the ability to manage his touches by spelling him with Miller. This is a running back tandem if I ever saw one, as the Dolphins didn’t invest in either one of them to simply have them being underused; I expect both to be used evenly.
An added bonus of drafting the excellent Ajayi is the fact that he can make a considerable impact as a pass-catcher on third downs, which is another way the Miami Dolphins can help out Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins have already surrounded him with Kenny Stills, Jordan Cameron, Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings, and Parker, so Ajayi achieves that main goal even further.
Ajayi’s knee concerns are definitely huge, which is why he had to fall this far; I thought he would have been selected at least one round earlier. In any case, it’s a great value for the Dolphins, because he would have been an unquestionable and well-rounded workhorse back without these concerns. He’s fast, possesses good vision, and is a hard-nosed rusher with plenty of talent.
That said, there’s massive risk in drafting Ajayi, because he might not be able to contribute at all if his knee situation is as dire as some think. I think Miller will be the lead back due to Ajayi’s concerns, but this was still worth the pick due to the talent and upside. But remember, he might only be an impact player for a couple of seasons.
Next: Parker is a No. 1-type receiver
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