NFL Draft 2017: Miami Dolphins first-round grade
By John Buhler
The Miami Dolphins select Missouri Tigers defensive end Charles Harris at No. 22 in the 2017 NFL Draft. Here is the grade for the Dolphins’ first-round.
The Miami Dolphins are coming off a solid 2016 NFL campaign, one where Miami made its first AFC playoff appearance since the 2008 NFL season. This team is pretty well set on offense, so we should have expected the Dolphins to go with a defensive player at No. 22 in the 2017 NFL Draft. They did just that by selecting Missouri Tigers defensive end Charles Harris.
Harris was a productive player on a terrible SEC team. Missouri has cratered since winning back-to-back SEC East crowns in 2013 and 2014. That being said, there is always something about the defensive players that Gary Pinkel recruited to Columbia. They come in and make a difference from day one in the NFL.
Expect Harris to do the same, even in a situation that is less than ideal in Miami. The Dolphins have the issues defensively, but it’s not in the pass rush. Cameron Wake, Ndamukong Suh and Andre Branch have made the Dolphins’ front-four pretty menacing.
Miami needed big help in the secondary and a massive overhaul in the linebacking corps. Head coach Adam Gase must be banking on having the best pass rush in the AFC East this year. That is entirely possible, as Miami is ferocious off the edge. Harris will be a great rotational player for them, but Miami had bigger needs to address.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft: Instant grades
Perhaps the Dolphins didn’t find a player they could stick in the back-seven at No. 22 they liked? Harris was slightly overdrafted at No. 22. Miami could have still gotten him in the late 20s and gained another pick. He’ll be a good player for them, but Miami didn’t take full advantage of that No. 22 overall pick.