History of 5th overall NFL Draft picks is good for Miami Dolphins
As the Dolphins begin their draft prep for the 5th overall selection in the NFL draft what kind of value will they find and will they get a solid return?
The Miami Dolphins are officially picking number 5 with their first of three selections in the first round. Will they find value and building blocks for the future? Let’s take a look at the past decade of 5th overall selections in the NFL draft.
While this is not high enough for some tastes there are still very talented players and stars that have been chosen at the 5th overall pick through the years. As this decade closes out, let’s take a look at the picks made at the same location the Dolphins pick in the 2020 draft.
As with all drafts, the results at the fifth selection have been ranged from solid perennial pro bowlers to misses that have not returned the value the pick represented. There have also been selections at the fifth pick that although they have returned value they have been overshadowed by players selected in picks after. Although the more recent picks the past two seasons are more incomplete grades as the sample playing size is small still.
In 2010, the Kansas City Chiefs chose 5th overall. With the pick, they chose a defensive back out of the University of Tennessee named Eric Berry. In his tenure with the Chiefs (2010-2018), he was selected to 5 pro bowls, a first-team all-pro selection three times. Also, he recorded 14 interceptions returning 5 for touchdowns, also recording 5.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries along with 448 total tackles and 29 tackles for loss. In full disclosure, pick number six this year was made by the Seahawks as they selected offensive tackle Russell Okung who turned out to be a great offensive tackle.
In 2011, the Arizona Cardinals selected fifth. With their selection, they chose Patrick Peterson who has established himself as a dominant defender in the secondary of the Cardinals. In his tenure with the Cardinals (2011-2019), Peterson has been a pro bowl selection 8 times as well as a 3 time all-pro selection. He has also recorded 25 interceptions, 440 total tackles, as well as 12 fumble recoveries. Although pick number 6 this draft has shown to be a pick that has had a better value to some the selection by the Falcons this year was Julio Jones.
Next up is 2012, the fifth overall selection was made by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Justin Blackmon, a wide receiver from Oklahoma State was selected. Although he did have some bright spots during his brief time in the league, he is considered a miss by the Jaguars. Selected 8th this year was Ryan Tannehill and selected 9th overall was Luke Kuechly. It is pretty apparent that if the draft was re-done, the better choice would have been Kuechly. Kuechly has established himself as a dominant linebacker for the Carolina Panthers as he has 7 pro bowl selections in 8 seasons.
There are several Dolphin fans that would want to forget the 2013 draft. This draft the Dolphins took a big swing trading up to number three overall and choosing Dion Jordan. Selected fifth this draft was Ezekial Ansah who had 48 sacks during his tenure with the Lions (2013-2018). Ansah was definitely a hard defender to block. Although Ansah was a solid pick this draft was a bit weaker than drafts in the past.
In 2014, the fifth overall selection was made by the Oakland Raiders. With the pick, they chose a linebacker from Buffalo named Kahlil Mack. That pick was pretty darn good. In addition to being named defensive player of the year in 2016, he has also accounted for 61.5 sacks in his career as well as 397 total tackles (86 for loss). He has also been named to the all-pro team at multiple positions in the same season, a first in the league. Mack has shown himself to be an all-world player and a home run pick for his tenure in Oakland as well as his stint to this point with the Bears.
In 2015, the fifth pick overall was made by the Washington Redskins. Brandon Scherff, the tackle from Iowa has certainly been one of the few bright spots for protection on the line for the Redskins. Todd Gurley was chosen 10th overall in this draft and some might suggest that Gurley turned out to be a better selection.
The very next year in 2016, the Jaguars selection at number 5 was Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey is certainly shown himself to be a dominant corner in the league. In his four seasons in the league, Ramsey has three pro bowl selections and been named to one all-pro team. He has amassed 243 total tackles with 10 interceptions. He has also broken up 49 passes in four seasons.
For the 2017 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans selected fifth overall. With that selection, they chose a wide receiver out of Western Michigan named Corey Davis, who has accounted for 1867 yards and six touchdowns in his three seasons with the Titans. He has been a solid contributor so far for the Titans offense. In hindsight, pick number 6 was Jamal Adams to the Jets, pick number eight was Christian McCaffrey to the Panthers, and pick number 10 was some guy named Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs. The picks of those individuals seem to have provided more value to their respective teams.
In 2018, the fifth overall pick went to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos selected Bradley Chubb, a defensive end out of N.C. State. In his two seasons, he has tallied 81 total tackles and 13 sacks to go along with three forced fumbles. Although his second season was ended prematurely, he should bounce back well after recovering from the injury that landed him on IR in October of 2019. This draft was pretty well loaded as well with several players taken in the top 10 who have been standouts with their respective teams.
Lastly, in our review of the 5th overall pick in the past decade, we come to last season. That pick belonged to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the selection, they chose Devin White, a linebacker from LSU. In his rookie campaign, White had 91 total tackles to go along with 2.5 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. He has proved to be a great building block for the Buccaneers to reshape their defense. Although two selections later, Josh Allen was selected by the Jaguars and he tallied 10.5 sacks in his rookie campaign.