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The last team to gainfully employ Richie Incognito as a professional football player has made its pick. Here's bt20 to fill us in:
With the 19th pick in the 2014 Battle Red Blog Mock Draft, the Miami Dolphins select Zack Martin (OG/OT--Notre Dame).
2013 was supposed to be the year the Dolphins took the AFC East from a weakened Patriots team. While the record didn’t necessarily show it, the Dolphins were a train wreck of a team. The entire season was overshadowed by the team’s underperformance and the now infamous bullying scandal. The team’s woefully inadequate offensive line made the choice of Zack Martin in the first round easy.
I don’t know where Ryan Tannehill found the time to throw for nearly 4,000 yards in 2013 after being put on his back so much. The Dolphins' offensive line was absolutely putrid, allowing the QB to go down 58 times and get hit 100 times, making it the league’s worst offensive line. Miami’s 2013 O-line players specialized in man blocking and just couldn’t work together well enough to pull off a zone scheme even when they were all on the field together. The team took steps to address this by signing Branden Albert to play left tackle in free agency. The job isn’t done yet. Whatever else the Dolphins do to fix their offensive line, Zack Martin should be able to make an immediate impact.
If C.J. Mosely had been on the board, this pick would’ve been him, but there are several very good second day pics that can play sidekick to Dannell Ellerbe. I considered Taylor Lewan for this pick, but the Dolphin's front office would be absolutely insane to pick another character concern tackle after all that mess last season, even if the concerns are a bit overblown. Plus with Albert on the team, the LT spot is secured and I think Martin’s ability to play all four G and OT positions makes him more valuable.
Martin should have no problem in Miami’s zone scheme and is projected as a guard or tackle. He could easily fill whichever spot Miami is unable to fix in-house or in free agency. Some would say his non-ideal size and arm length make it a bit of a reach for him at 19, yet he won’t be there in round two; for a player that fits this well at a position of need, the Dolphins will live with it. Miami needs a guard and tackle who can work in zone and make the Knowshon Moreno pickup pay dividends.
Martin is a very popular pick for the Dolphins in mock drafts, so bt20 is hardly out on a limb here. What do you think about Martin as a fit for Miami at No. 19?
That brings us to the Cardinals and the Pride of Ireland, Lukayyy, at No. 20. That selection must be turned in to me by 12 p.m. CDT today.
Draft recap:
1. Houston Texans--Sammy Watkins (WR--Clemson)
2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington)--Jadeveon Clowney (DE--South Carolina)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars--Johnny Manziel (QB--Texas A&M)
4. Cleveland Browns--Teddy Bridgewater (QB--Louisville)
5. Oakland Raiders--Khalil Mack (LB--Buffalo)
6. Atlanta Falcons--Anthony Barr (LB--UCLA)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers--Eric Ebron (TE--UNC)
8. Minnesota Vikings--Greg Robinson (OT--Auburn)
9. Buffalo Bills--Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S--Alabama)
10. Detroit Lions--Mike Evans (WR--Texas A&M)
11. Tennessee Titans--Justin Gilbert (CB--Oklahoma State)
12. New York Giants--Aaron Donald (DT--Pittsburgh)
13. St. Louis Rams--Jake Matthews (OT--Texas A&M)
14. Chicago Bears--Timmy Jernigan (DT--Florida State)
15. Denver Broncos (TRADE WITH STEELERS) --C.J. Mosley (LB--Alabama)
16. Dallas Cowboys--Morgan Moses (OT--Virginia)
17. Baltimore Ravens--Marqise Lee (WR--USC)
18. New York Jets--Calvin Pryor (S--Louisville)
19. Miami Dolphins--Zack Martin (OG/OT--Notre Dame)
20. Arizona Cardinals--Lukayyy
21. Green Bay Packers--gyeager
22. Philadelphia Eagles--gm.in.waiting
23. Kansas City Chiefs--MrCatPants
24. Cincinnati Bengals--hlc1221
25. San Diego Chargers--f22a4bandit
26. Cleveland Browns--FreedomRide
27. New Orleans Saints--H&Hguy
28. Carolina Panthers--Nashmeister
29. New England Patriots--37bp
30. San Francisco 49ers--TexansDC
31. Pittsburgh Steelers (TRADE WITH BRONCOS) --Steel Blue Crew
32. Seattle Seahawks--UprootedTexan
33. Houston Texans--bhsman