Dolphins' top choice might not be so easy
By:Alex Marvez
Published April 28, 2007Choosing Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn would be a no-brainer.
Penn State left tackle Levi Brown is the next best option when it comes to addressing another problem area.
But what would happen if neither were available when the Dolphins select with the No. 9 pick in today's NFL Draft?
Barring a costly trade up to get either player, General Manager Randy Mueller would face a tough decision.
The selection of Quinn or Brown would provoke little, if any, outrage from Dolphins fans. Quinn would be considered the young quarterback prodigy the Dolphins have lacked since Dan Marino's arrival in 1983, while Brown would fill a big need.
Drafting someone else could create more second-guessing than any other move since Mueller and coach Cam Cameron began gutting the team's roster this offseason.
Unfortunately for the Dolphins, only two quarterbacks and two left tackles are considered worthy of being top-10 picks. And two of them -- Louisiana State quarterback JaMarcus Russell and Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas -- aren't going to last beyond the top five. Quinn and Brown could then be gone shortly after.
Quinn's stock may be rising in Cleveland, which could be reticent to choose Adrian Peterson at No. 3 because of concerns about the Oklahoma running back's shoulder. Brown is expected to draw a long look from two other tackle-deficient teams: Arizona (No. 5) and Atlanta (No. 8).
Without Quinn or Brown, the Dolphins would consider addressing quarterback and left tackle later in the draft, and tackling another need first.
On the surface, Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. seems the front-runner because:
Mueller said he wants to increase the team's speed, and there is no receiver prospect faster than Ginn, who runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.3-second range. While with Seattle and New Orleans, Mueller played a major role in bringing speedsters Joey Galloway (1995) and Donte' Stallworth (2002) to those clubs.
The Dolphins lost one wideout this offseason by trading Wes Welker to New England, and they now have three-year starter Marty Booker on the trading block.
With Welker gone, the team needs a returner, and Ginn excelled at OSU with eight touchdowns on punts and kickoffs. Even if Ginn needs time to develop as a receiver as some predict, he could contribute immediately on special teams as Chicago's Devin Hester did with his NFL-record seven scores in 2006.
St. Louis was considered a strong candidate to draft Ginn. But by trading with Kansas City for wide receiver/returner Dante Hall on Thursday, the Rams may believe Ginn won't be around when they select at No. 13.
Ginn has allies inside Dolphins headquarters, which he visited last week. Wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie, whose son Brian is a Buckeyes receiver, conducted Ginn's workout with Mueller and Cameron in attendance.
Receiver Chris Chambers is a childhood friend who has said he would love to tutor Ginn.
And Cameron first met Ginn as a teenager while still coach at Indiana.
"I've always been impressed with him," Cameron said. Still, the Dolphins may be wary of taking Ginn so early because he is considered raw as a receiver and there are concerns about a foot injury in January's national championship game. The Dolphins also might have Tennessee wide receiver Robert Meachem, Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis or defensive ends Adam Carriker of Nebraska and Jamaal Anderson of Arkansas ranked higher.
But passing on Ginn for Meachem will raise eyebrows, while choosing a defensive player won't be a popular move for a team with so many holes on offense.
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