Yesterday I put myself into former Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor’s shoes and analyzed his fit with the first of his potential destinations, the Buffalo Bills.
Today we go to volume two of the Taylor edition of NFL Draft Tinder: the Miami Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins (No. 26 overall)
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This one is a tough one. The Dolphins have not had a winning culture in years and, although Head Coach Brian Flores has the organization moving in the right direction after last season, it’s hard to see how a team with the worst-rated offensive line in football according to ProFootballFocus can serve as a good place for Taylor to begin his NFL career.
Again, I like Flores and the front office’s overall plan of positioning themselves to get a stud quarterback this year, improving their secondary through free agency and amassing loads of draft picks in the coming years (similar to the Bill Belichick method of team building). But the addition of Ereck Flowers does not fix their problem on the offensive line, a unit crucial to the success of any running back, rookie or veteran.
Furthermore, the Dolphins do not have a good track record in the last 10 years of developing a young running back and retaining him, as it has been a revolving door at the position ever since Ronnie Brown’s last snap with the team in 2010.
Can I see a situation where Taylor goes there and finds success? Yes, absolutely. But, as quarterback Josh Rosen learned a few years ago when he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, landing on a team with a terrible offensive line and without a winning culture can prove costly for a player’s early career success, arguably even more so for a running back like Taylor who already showed at Wisconsin what he can do with capable bodies up front.
Stay tuned tomorrow for a look at the running back’s fit with the New Orleans Saints and more on the topic as we approach the draft.