It's only been two nights, but it's safe to say that Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is a tough one to figure out when it comes to the NFL Draft. To his credit, he's hit most of the positional needs Miami is desperate for, but the selections have been highly questionable.
On Night 1 of the draft, Sullivan had Caleb Downs and Rueben Bain Jr. staring him in the face. Yet, he ended up taking Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor instead, vastly underwhelming the fan base. While Proctor fills a need, the pick doesn't bring the spark that Downs or Bain would have.
On Night 2, we saw much of the same from Sullivan. Fans got behind the selection of Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez at pick 43, but the picks of Caleb Douglas and Will Kacmarek that soon followed in Round 3 brought the energy back down to a level similar to the night before.
Selections of Caleb Douglas and Will Kacmarek continue to underwhelm the Miami Dolphins' fanbase
There is a possibility that Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields was going to be the pick for the Dolphins at No. 75 overall. However, the Giants sent the Browns a considerable haul to move directly in front of Miami and took Fields instead. Had that move not been made, and Fields had been headed to South Florida, the pick would have been highly praised. Unfortunately, with Douglas as the actual pick, fans are starting to question whether Sullivan is making the right moves to improve this franchise.
Teams jump in front of others and steal prospects all the time. It's nothing new. The Giants jumping in front of the Dolphins to take Fields in Round 3 isn't going to make or break Miami's draft class. But it feels like the Dolphins could have just pivoted in another direction after New York took Fields.
That even if they liked Douglas enough, he likely could have been had at least a round later. The Texas Tech WR was widely considered a fifth- or sixth-round prospect, and Miami could've safely had him using one of their two fourth-round picks. In the end, it felt like settling. Nevertheless, Sullivan stuck to his guns and took Douglas, who may have been his guy all along.
Personally, there were several other WRs I liked better than Douglas at that spot who went off the board shortly after (and some still available). Other players at other positions, like A.J. Haulcy or Emmanuel Pregnon, could have been options as well.
Four picks later, things got even more puzzling for the Dolphins' fan base. Some fans are defending the pick of Kacmarek, pointing to his strength as a blocker that will have De'Von Achane thrilled. But again, in that case, it's a pick that could've been made tomorrow.
Like Douglas, Kacmarek was widely viewed as a late Day 3 pick and would've been available later on for Sullivan. To make matters worse, Pregnon finally went off the board with the next pick, with Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham taken a few picks later.
Speaking of edge rushers, the Dolphins would have been wise to come out of this draft with at least two. Yet, after two nights of the draft, Sullivan still hasn't added any. Guys like Dani Dennis-Sutton and LT Overton remain available heading into Day 3, but the well is drying up, and the Dolphins will need to do something. So far, they've passed on great value on at least two occasions.
On some level, I do like the Chris Bell pick. In fact, I like him even better than Douglas, given his upside. But coming off an ACL injury, one can't help but compare this to being a Chris Grier-type pick.
The upside with Bell is there, though. More importantly, the Dolphins do not (and should not) rush him back in his recovery process. He was, at one time, considered a first-round talent, so taking a swing on him in Round 3 is a sound strategy.
The only issue with taking Bell is that he's a risky pick who directly followed two riskier picks. But Dolphins fans are getting a lesson on how their new GM operates. He believes in his method, and unlike previous regimes, Sullivan is taking on full accountability in the process. Admittedly, I haven't loved Miami's draft process thus far, but I respect that much at least.
I'm also reminded that the Green Bay Packers have had some questionable draft selections in the past while Sullivan was in the room. And although they weren't winning draft-grade contests from various outlets, the Packers have consistently been challenging for the playoffs year over year. Thus, something must be working.
It's an underwhelming process in April, but if it leads to Dolphins wins in the postseason down the road, no one will remember or care. If Sullivan's picks don't pan out, though, it's all anyone will talk about.
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