2014 Mock Draft Retrospective

[masterfins]

I know most of you skip past the home page for this site, why wouldn't you it hasn't been updated in over three years.  However, before clicking past it today I read one of the articles on it, which was a mock draft by Bucky Brooks of the NFL site.  I don't think I have ever seen a mock draft that came close to what actually happened, but I thought I'd compare his mock picks for Miami with what really happened.  So...

1st round - Bucky had Miami taking Zach Martin @ #19.  Miami probably would have, but Dallas took him at #16, so Miami took JaWuan James.  Under the circumstances a good outcome for Miami.

2nd Round - Bucky had Miami taking Carl Bradford OLB at #50.  Miami did some pick swapping and ended up with Jarvis Landry with the 63rd pick instead.  Bradford ended up falling to the 4th round where he was picked by Green Bay with the 121st.  Bradford didn't fare well with GB, mostly inactive, then bounced around with four other teams; for 2019 he is signed to play with the Arizona Hotshots.

3rd Round - Bucky had Miami taking Brandon Thomas G from Clemson with the 81st pick.  Thomas ended up falling to #100 and was picked by SF. Thomas spent the next two years injured and/or inactive, then went to the Lions, and is now on the practice squad of the Jags.  Instead Miami took Billy Turner at #67.  We all know Turner failed miserably with Miami.  Last year Turner had some starts with Denver at both Tackle and Guard, and is said to have improved during the year.  Now that Denver has Pittsburgh's O-line coach Mike Munchak on staff we may just hear how Miami gave up on Turner too soon.

4th Round - Bucky had Miami taking Terrance Mitchell CB from Oregon with the 116th pick.  Mitchell ended up falling to the 7th round, and was drafted by Dallas with the 254th pick.  Mitchell was waived by Dallas during preseason, went to the Bears, back to Dallas, then on to three other teams, spending the majority of his time on practice squads.  He's now with Cleveland.  Miami instead went with Walt Aikens CB, with the 125th pick.

In conclusion things could have been much, much worse if the Dolphins 2014 Draft went the way Bucky Brooks predicted.

PS  Part of Mitchell's initial problem was that he also could not attend preseason workouts until Oregon's classes ended, just like Dion Jordan.  The lesson - don't draft players from Oregon!