Miami Dolphins find gold with 5th round picks since 2000

The Miami Dolphins have had some really good mid-round draft picks and some really bad ones but Reshad Jones stands out as pure gold.

Continuing our look at each round of the NFL Draft since 2000, it is easy to see the draft busts and sometimes you find a few that surprise and succeed. Sometimes however you find gold and that is what the Dolphins found with Reshad Jones. Here is a look at the best picks in round five since 2000.

2003 – Donald Lee

This one I list as a “wish we could have that one back” type of pick. Lee did not do well in Miami and lasted only two seasons where he caught 20 passes for 220 yards and two TD’s but after he left the Dolphins he landed in Green Bay where he posted 1,655 yards and 17 touchdowns during his six years with the Packers. Simply goes to show what good coaching might have done.

2009 – Chris Clemons

Clemons didn’t have a great career in Miami but he had a contributing one. Clemons lasted five seasons with the Dolphins starting 48 games in his time. He spent one more year in the NFL in 2015 with the Cardinals.

2010 – Reshad Jones and Nolan Carroll

Nolan Carroll was taken before Jones in the 5th round and had a pretty decent career in Miami where he lasted four seasons before moving on to the Eagles, but there is no question that Reshad Jones was the better pick in that round.

Jones was made the highest paid safety in the league a few years ago and has been one of the Dolphins consistently best players since he arrived in 2010. Jones has been to the Pro Bowl as well and is a lynchpin to the Dolphins defense but that may be coming to an end as reports speculate that 2019 could be his last as a Miami Dolphins.

2015 – Bobby McCain and Jay Ajayi

For one year, Jay Ajayi was everyone’s favorite running back. Posting three 200 yard games in 2016 and making the Pro Bowl, Ajayi eventually wore out his welcome believing that he was better than the team concept that Adam Gase was trying to instill in his players. So in 2017 he was traded at the trade deadline for a 4th round pick. In Philadelphia he played in the Super Bowl but was not nor became the featured back he thought he was.

Bobby McCain signed a four year extension in 2018 worth up to $27 million. He has been an excellent player in the nickel and dime packages for the Dolphins and could get better under the Brian Flores system.

2017 – Davon Godchaux

While it is still a bit early to declare Godchaux a great pick, he has the right attitude and right physicality to get better each season. He could blossom under Patrick Graham and Brian Flores.

Worst picks in the 5th round since 2000? Well to be honest, the 5th round is more developmental at this point and expectations typically are not high so when a 5th round pick fails, it is typically not looked as a bad investment unless they simply do not make the roster. Since 2000, only two players did not make an NFL roster let alone the Dolphins. That player was offensive lineman Shawn Draper in 2001 and J.R. Tolver in 2003.