Jared Odrick Is A Miami Dolphin

The Miami Dolphins have made their first pick in the 2010 NFL draft and the selection has many fans scratching their heads.  Penn State DT Jared Odrick is now a Miami Dolphin.

The Phins traded down from the number 12 spot where many felt that the team would target one of 3 holes.  NT, OLB, or Safety.  Instead, they opted for a DT that adds to an already stacked team.  The Phins currently have Kendall Langford and Randy Starks as their starters and Phillip Merling still struggling.  Now, they add a big body to the mix who will fight for a starting spot from day 1.

Odrick was chosen over OLB Sergio Kindle who appears to be heading to round 2 and DE/OLB hybrid Jerry Hughes from TCU.  Odrick is a big man with good upper body mechanics.  He attacks the run as well as the pas equally and has a non-stop motor.  In all, he is simply a football player.

At 6′ 5″ and 306 pounds, Odrick will give Miami a pass rushing end who is solid and sure in his tackles.  But the real question here is why?  Why now?

Odrick had been rumored to be a player on the rise and some projected that he could have gone in the top 15 of the draft.  He is a very athletic player for his size and will provide the Phins an upfield push.

While the Phins will now look to day 2 for answers at their holes, a luxury pick like Odrick has really stirred the fan base as they begin to question what the Dolphins saw over the names mentioned above or a NT like Terrence Cody.  From an outside standpoint I think it’s safe to assume that Bill Parcells didn’t think that the OLB’s would make the kind of impact he requires.  Given Parcells’ history with LB’s I would say he would be a good judge of that defensive area.

The Dolphins will select again at pick 40, the 8th pick in the 2nd round that commences on Friday evening.