Everything in the Miami Dolphins organization changed this offseason, or at least most of it. Pressure is building within the organization to turn the franchise into a winner. Patience is the key to finding sustainable success.
For the first time since Stephen Ross bought the team, there is scarce familiarity and trust surrounding him. Sure, Dan Marino is still walking the halls alongside CEO Tom Garfinkel, and Nat Moore is beside them, but everything else is new.
Brandon Shore has more say in policy, Troy Aikman came in from outside, and of course, there is Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan. Change isn't always good, but the Dolphins needed it.
With all this change comes added pressure, and not just for Sullivan and Hafley. Their first draft selection is going to bear a lot of responsibility, as well.
The first rookie draft pick under Jon-Eric Sullivan will set the tone for the Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins' new organizational direction has continued to state that they want to be more physical. They want leadership, self-motivation, and they want to build a winning culture. That starts when the NFL Draft begins.
No one knows who the Dolphins will draft, but they are not taking a player to fill a hole, and they are not drafting a player who will be the difference in making or missing the playoffs. They are drafting a guy who will be the epitome of everything Sullivan and Hafley have been preaching since they arrived.
It's not easy being an NFL rookie. The transition from the college level often comes with pressure they didn't expect, but for the Dolphins' top rookie, it comes with more. Fans will immediately put him under a microscope, looking for an immediate impact.
After nine years of Chris Grier, fans are used to disappointment when it comes to making the right decisions early. This year, those expectations are through the roof. Fans are excited for what Sullivan will bring to the team, but once that player is named, they need to deliver.
The locker room is going to look at the rookie in the same way they are already looking at Malik Willis. They want to see the leadership and that physical play on the field. They want to see whether or not that guy is showing up early and leaving the facility late. He will set a precedent, because he will be one of the first few players chosen fully by the new regime.
If the Dolphins are going to succeed, they need to hit on this draft class, or at least as much of it as they can. It's not a perfect science, but the first pick needs to be near perfect.
For Sullivan and Hafley, getting the first pick they make right is as important as anything else they do the entire draft. That player will carry the weight of the new regime's identity and the team's physicality and leadership. If that player succeeds, I have a feeling the Dolphins' new leadership will as well.
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