Ragland’s pros and cons: the receiver will make the catch, but get punished for it.
The Pros & Cons Of Drafting Ragland: does his run stopping equal his coverage?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, the picture above demonstrates the apparent pros and cons of the Miami Dolphins drafting Middle Linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Ragland is not a flashy player, but there is no doubt that he is an NFL ready middle linebacker that can be a day 1 starter. Many football gambling fans feel that Ragland is the best run stopping linebacker in the entire draft. And for a team like Miami that has struggled desperately against the run, he could be the perfect answer.
Last season, Ragland was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, with 102 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 7 passes defended. He is a middle linebacker that is not only very good at the run, but he has ability to rush the QB, and to a lesser extent defend in pass coverage. The knock on Ragland is that he has less than elite athleticism and playing weight.
I know that we just signed Kiko Alonso to be our middle linebacker, but he has failed to successfully complete an NFL season since 2013, and there is no guarantee that he can recover his Rookie year form. In addition, our other starting linebacker, Koa Misi, is even more injury prone, having only successfully completed one NFL season and that was in his Rookie year of 2010.
Miami needs a MLB that doesn’t come off the field. Is Ragland that kind of player?
Miami must be keeping a close eye on this position because the future has Jelani Jenkins becoming a unrestricted free agents next year and Kiko Alonzo the year after that. Koa Misi will be have a $6.5 million dollar cap hit next season, which may be more than the Dolphins are willing to pay for an aging often injured Linebacker. Since each of these players have failed to be consistent throughout their careers, Miami needs to be prepared to move along without them, and Ragland might be one way they are eyeing for that direction.
The key is, can he be a three down back? His run stopping will pay certain dividends against the Jets and Bills. But, the Patriots and other top teams can force him off the field or trap him there in the Hurry Up or No Huddle and victimize him if he is a coverage liability. I say no way should he be the pick at #13, unless he can play the nickel. And I am even skeptical of drafting a part time player if Miami trades back. What are the rest of the Miami Dolphins News fans thoughts about the Dolphins possibly selecting Ragland in the first round?