Pre-Draft Needs: OLB, FS, WR, NT, DE
Players Added
Round 1-Jared Odrick/DE - 2008 second-round pick Phillip Merling really
hasn't been a factor yet, so Miami clearly wasn't going to wait any longer. With
veteran DL Randy Starks moving inside, selecting Odrick became more of a need
than first thought.
Round 2-Koa Misi/LB - Misi played with his hand down in college, but will
transition to OLB in the NFL. With veteran OLBs Joey Porter and Jason Taylor
moving on, Miami had to address this position early in the draft. Misi should
challenge for a starting job right away.
Round 3-John Jerry/G - He's capable of playing right tackle and guard, but is
expected to play inside. Jerry is a power blocker, which is the kind of
developmental lineman prospect Miami needs for their power rushing attack.
Round 4-A.J. Edds/LB - Edds is capable of playing inside or outside within
Miami's 3-4 scheme, but figures to play inside because of his physicality.
Round 5-Nolan Carroll/CB - Had he not suffered a broken leg last season, Carroll
would have been selected no later than the third round. He was actually one of
the most complete cornerbacks available for this year's draft.
Round 5-Reshad Jones/S - Because of his size, some personnel evaluators feel
he's better off as an in-the-box safety. His coverage skills remain an issue, so
he may not be a good fit at SS.
Round 7-Chris McCoy/LB - He played with his hand down in college, but will
transition to OLB at the next level. McCoy had a really strong senior season and
has a chance to win a backup job as a rookie. The small school player should
prove to be a good fit for Miami's 3-4 defensive scheme.
Round 7-Austin Spitler/LB - The rookie will compete for a backup ILB job.
Post-Draft Needs
Outside Linebacker - After losing Taylor and Porter, Miami will need to
find a new way to rush the passer. They really could use a veteran or two at
least for depth purposes.
Free Safety - Do they have a solid replacement for Gibril Wilson on
their 80-man roster? Jones certainly can hit, but whether he's ready to start as
a rookie remains to be seen. Some feel he's more of a box player.
Wide Receiver - While the team added Brandon Marshall before the draft, who
starts on the other side remains an issue. They badly need down field speed.
Nose Tackle - They didn't get the nose tackle that they targeted in this draft,
so they will move Starks inside.