I see it a little differently than Gatr22. I saw them take a third round CB in the second and a third round RB in the third. They could have had a second round RB in the second and a third round CB in the third.

Both were positions of need. And CB was probably moreso. But they overpaid on that pick and missed the chance of a very good RB.

They could have had a very good RB and a mediocre CB, but they picked and got both mediocre RB and CB drafting the way they did.

Dunno why I'm explaining this again? They went scheme fit, not best available.

projectrracing wrote: I see it a little differently than Gatr22. I saw them take a third round CB in the second and a third round RB in the third. They could have had a second round RB in the second and a third round CB in the third. Both were positions of need. And CB was probably moreso. But they overpaid on that pick and missed the chance of a very good RB. They could have had a very good RB and a mediocre CB, but they picked and got both mediocre RB and CB drafting the way they did. Dunno why I'm explaining this again? They went scheme fit, not best available.

All good points, probably where the draft is considered, your view is much more on point than mine. I'm simply astonished anyone can make the argument that Drake is basically a better fit, all other things equal, for any team with some sort of RB needs. If Henry was available in the 2nd round for virtually any team that had a need for a RB1 in the draft, short of the Cowboys pick, it was a mistake to pass him up........of course in my humble opinion

Howard was a prospect projected between late first and early third. Henry was projected between late first and early third, probably on average he was projected a little higher.

It's entirely possible that Howard was higher than Henry on the Dolphins big board.

Cornerback was (and still is) a bigger need for two reasons: 1. we lack 2 good starters (boundary and nickel) 2. it's proven that you can have efficient running game in the NFL without elite backs, while bad CB are always exposed because they play more in isolation.

It's not a dramatic situation like the Jets drafting Hackenberg when there were a lot of better graded prospects. Had they drafted Howard in the first round I would agree that they reached passing better players for a scheme fit.

On Henry: Cook and Fournette are better athletes. McCaffrey is a better athlete and overall back too, even though he might end up playing WR in the NFL. Especially Cook is head and shoulders above. In the LSU-Bama matchup Bama dominated the line of scrimmage, the Fournette stats line tells more about that than about his ability as a runner (but I'm not sold on Fournette as well).
Henry has some long speed but cant change direction, isn't a good receiver (will probably be able to run only a couple of routes) and will get stuck in the box. If he reaches the open field and builds speed he is very dangerous but he wont reach the open field often in the NFL.
Drake is a lesser player overall but he is better at doing some things, if they use his talents well he will be a good contributor. Think about Darren Sproles, he isnt an everydown back but has a place and a value in the NFL anyway.

Drake is not a Sproles and even if he is, that just means he will show up every now and then. Not every down, not every week, just sometimes he will look really really good. The comparisons are based on sheer hope at this point. Drake is often injured, used as a back up and untested in terms of ability to handle any substantial work load. My prediction is he will be used sparingly, much more likely on special teams and be injured by the mid-point of the season. Miami needs a big time running back

Whammy Business wrote: I don't think anybody needs a big-time running back. It's the most devalued position in the NFL. There's a reason there have only been a combined six running backs selected in the first round of the last five NFL drafts. The idea you need a bell cow at running back to be successful or even competitive in the NFL is archaic and not at all in line with what's actually going on in today's game. Below are the leading rushers for the last 10 Super Bowl winners and their rushing totals: Broncos - Hillman, 863 Patriots - Gray, 412 Seahawks - Lynch, 1,257 Ravens - Rice, 1,143 Giants - Bradshaw, 659 Packers - Jackson, 703 Saints - Thomas, 793 Steelers - Parker, 791 Giants - Jackson, 1,009 Colts - Addai, 1,081 That's a whole bunch of average.

I guess I'm archaic then, but I'd take a big back like Henry still..........so good point. I don't feel like doing the research, but some of those teams from memory shared back duties, which is more and more popular. How many yards did CJ get with Denver last year? I know he was big in the Super Bowl