At this point, you should know how I feel about the Dion Jordan pick last night by the Miami Dolphins. If not, go read the column I posted last night.
I loved it. It was an AGGRESSIVE move by Jeff Ireland. The days of boring, safe, vanilla draft picks are no more. Ireland went all in last night. Joe Philbin loved the pick, "I was all for it." Stephen Ross said it was "a great day" for the organization.
Why do I love this move? Well, NFL Network's crew summed it up best: "This move is all about getting to Tom Brady."
EXACTLY. Last night, the Miami Dolphins' defensive front four became one of the most feared groups in the National Football League.
Cameron Wake.
Paul Soliai.
Randy Starks.
And now, Dion Jordan.
This defense just got really, really good. Offenses have had to gameplan for ONE player in the past when playing the Miami Dolphins, that being Cameron Wake.
Now, you've got a 6'7 athletically gifted talent opposite Wake on the right side of the line. You've got somebody who's freakishly quick for his size, who can cover tight ends, who can cause fumbles, who can get to the QB in the blink of an eye.
Is he raw? Sure. Does he need to put on 20 pounds? Probably. Was he a bit of a reach? Maybe. But is he worth it?
Absolutely.
ESPN's Jon Gruden said he was "shocked" by the pick.
Skip Bayless didn't like it at all (he also didn't like the Ryan Tannehill pick last year).
ESPN’s Mel Kiper said he’s best suited to be a 3-4 outside linebacker instead of a defensive end in a 4-3.
However, the overwhelming reaction has been positive.
NFL Network’s Mike Mayock: “He’s breathtaking off the edge. He’s got the potential to be Jason Taylor. He looks a little bit like an Aldon Smith. If he puts 20 pounds on that 6-7 frame, someday he might even be a DeMarcus Ware. He’s got that edge speed."
NFL Network’s Steve Mariucci: “When he puts on a little muscle, he’s going to be dynamite. They’re going to find a way to have this guy on the field most downs.”
NFL Network’s Marshall Faulk: “If you’re going to compete against the Patriots two times a year, you have to be able to beat a guy one-on-one and not blitz Tom Brady. You need this guy.”
ESPN's Chris Morteson was even impressed with the trade itself, saying the Fins gave up very little to move all the way up to the third pick (only ONE second round pick).
Some question Jordan's college stats, as he only posted 5.5 sacks in his final season at Oregon. Please, don't look into that too much like some people will. Jordan played most of his snaps at the OLB position. He played in a very different system at Oregon than he will be playing this season in Miami.
Can he make the transition?
“Not a problem for me,” Jordan said. “I feel like I’ll do well.”
Can you be a strip-sack-fumble-and-touchdown type of defensive end? Jordan’s answer:
“Of course.”
Listen, this wasn't the safe pick for the Miami Dolphins. That would have been LT Lane Johnson. But, as I said, those days are over. Years ago, the Fins passed up players such as Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan, who had the chance to be great but needed time to get there, for safe pick Jake Long.
I've got one question for you..
How did that work out?
On a night that started with the uniform evolution show down in Miami ended with something much more significant in New York:
A new era.
And an exciting one too.
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