Miami Dolphins: 2018 NFL Draft grades for Day 2 picks
The Miami Dolphins were a team that was gifted a top-five talent on Day 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft, but what spoils did they get on Day 2?
Things couldn’t have played out more ideally for the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Minkah Fitzpatrick was a top-five player in this draft class, but dropped to them with the 11th overall pick. They looked to have similar fortunes on Day 2.
Obviously they weren’t going to land a player of Fitzpatrick’s caliber in Rounds 2-3. However, they could add players at positions of need.
That’s what they tried to do, but how did they fare?
No. 42: Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State
When the Miami Dolphins brought in Adam Gase as their head coach, his offensive system required him to have a pass catching tight end. In Denver, there was Julius Thomas, who had back-to-back seasons where he scored 12 touchdowns. In Chicago, he had the duo of Zach Miller and Martellus Bennett. The latter two combined for 878 yards and eight touchdowns.
Thomas was brought over to Miami from a failed stint in Jacksonville, but he and Gase never rekindled their magic. The Dolphins signed a slew of tight ends this offseason, but Mike Gesicki fell to them and the value was too hard to pass up.
Gesicki is a gifted athlete who tore the Combine apart. There’s some concerns about his playing strength in the running game because of his 6-6, 247-pound frame. However, he wasn’t drafted to run block, he was drafted because he still hasn’t dropped pass since 2015. He’s a little stiff, but an excellent route runner, maybe the best in the class, and has been compared to guys like Jimmy Graham and the aforementioned Thomas.
Grade: A
No. 73: Jerome Baker, LB Ohio State
One of the weakest positions on the Miami Dolphins was at linebacker. They were unable to cover tight ends and struggled to stop the run. Kiko Alonso is a chase down linebacker whose athleticism is best used in the same way he was last season.
Next: NFL Draft 2018: Grades for each first-round pick
Jerome Baker is an athletic who can man up in coverage or drop into the zone effectively. He’ll be reunited with his Ohio State teammate Raekwon Mcmillan, who plays the role as the downhill run defender as he returns from an ACL injury. The duo would give Miami the type of coverage backers they needed.
Grade: A