DOLPHINS DRAFT CENTRAL: Preview

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Dolphins will hold their initial draft under the Jeff Ireland/Tony Sparano regime as the NFL holds its 73rd Annual Selection Meeting on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27. For the third straight year, the draft will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The 2008 Draft will feature a new format from previous years. The first two rounds only will take place on the first day with the final five being held on Sunday. There will be only 10 minutes between picks in the first round, seven minutes between selections in the second round and five minutes in each round afterwards. In addition, starting times have changed from years past, with the draft commencing at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. (ET) on Sunday.

Live coverage of the entire draft will be provided by both the NFL Network and ESPN.

The first two rounds are expected to conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m. (ET). In 2007, the second and third rounds of the draft - in which there were 10 minutes and five minutes between picks, respectively - lasted a total of just less than five hours. In 2007, the rounds in which there were five minutes between selections (3-7), lasted an average of one hour and 45 minutes per round.

Trading is allowed during the course of the draft. The Commissioner reserves the right to proceed with the selection process, however, if a club fails to complete a trade within their allotted time period in that round.

There will be a total of seven rounds and 252 selections (220 regular picks and 32 compensatory choices). The NFL awarded 32 draft picks to 15 teams that sustained a net loss of unrestricted free agents in 2007. Broken down by rounds, those 32 picks consist of four in the third round, five in the fourth round, one in the fifth round, nine in the sixth round and 13 in the seventh round. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team that loses more compensatory free agents than it acquires in a year is eligible to receive compensatory draft choices with a maximum of four. The Dolphins were awarded two compensatory picks - one each in rounds six and seven.

In all, the Dolphins currently hold nine picks in this year's draft. They hold their own selection in rounds one (1st overall), two (32nd overall), three (64th overall), four (100th overall), and seven (208th overall). They also own a second-round pick from San Diego as part of the Chris Chambers trade (57th overall). They swapped sixth-round picks with Dallas as part of the Jason Ferguson trade (2/29/08), and now hold the 29th pick in the sixth round (195th overall). They own compensatory selections in round 6 (204th overall) and round 7 (245th overall). Their fifth-round pick (136th overall) went to Kansas City in exchange for QB Trent Green.

DOLPHINS IN THE TOP TEN

If the Dolphins select in their slotted first spot of the draft it will mark the third time in the last four years that they have had a pick in the top ten of the draft. In 2005, they tabbed Auburn running back Ronnie Brown (pictured, right) in the second slot and last year they took Ohio State wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. with the ninth pick. Since the merger of 1970, however, the Dolphins have had a selection in the top ten of the draft just five times. They had the ninth pick in both 1989 and 1990 (Sammie Smith and Richmond Webb, respectively), and the seventh pick in 1992 (Troy Vincent). These five selections are the second-fewest top ten draft picks since the merger.

DOLPHINS' DRAFT SUCCESS

The Dolphins have experienced a great deal of success with their draft picks. Since 1983, nine different Dolphins have earned NFL Rookie of the Year accolades - the most of any NFL team over this 25-year stretch. The most recent Dolphin honoree was wide receiver Chris Chambers, who was an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year pick by both Football News and Football Digest, and was a consensus all-rookie selection in 2001. Chambers, a second-round pick out of Wisconsin (52nd overall), set club single-season rookie records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

In 2007, wide receiver/returner Ted Ginn, Jr. set a club single-season rookie record for combined yardage with 2,086 and was the punt return specialist on the Pro Football Weekly/PFWA all-rookie team. Center Samson Satele, a second-round pick, became the first rookie in team history to start every game at center and like Ginn was a member of the PFW/PFWA all-rookie squad.

In 2005, running back Ronnie Brown, the team's first-round draft choice was a consensus all-rookie selection.

Linebacker A.J. Duhe started this tradition in 1977, when he was cited as Rookie of the Year by numerous media outlets. In 1983, quarterback Dan Marino earned the distinction, followed by linebacker John Offerdahl (1986), running back Troy Stradford (1987), offensive tackle Richmond Webb (1990), defensive end Marco Coleman (1992) and defensive tackle Tim Bowens (1994). Linebacker Zach Thomas, the third of three fifth-round choices by Miami (154th overall), was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by Football Digest in 1996. In 1997, linebacker Derrick Rodgers was Sports Illustrated's Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2000, tackle Todd Wade, a second-round choice that year, was a consensus all-rookie selection.

Over the last 12 years (1996-07), 69 of the Dolphins' 102 draft choices have played in at least one regular season game with the club, equating to percentage of 67.6.

MIAMI DOLPHINS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS
1977 -- LB A.J. Duhe - AP, Pro Football Weekly (NFL Defensive), UPI, Sporting News (AFC)
1983 -- QB Dan Marino - Sporting News
1986 -- LB John Offerdahl - Old Spice NFL, Pro Football Weekly (pictured, right)
1987 -- RB Troy Stradford - AP, NFL Films, Pro Football Weekly
1990 -- T Richmond Webb - Sporting News, UPI, Pro Football Weekly
1992 -- DE Marco Coleman - Sports Illustrated, Football News
1994 -- DT Tim Bowens - AP, Pro Football Weekly
1996 -- LB Zach Thomas - Football Digest (NFL Defensive)
1997 -- LB Derrick Rodgers - Sports Illustrated (NFL Defensive)
2001 -- WR Chris Chambers - Football News (NFL Offensive), Football Digest (NFL Offensive)

DOLPHINS 2008 DRAFT ROUND-BY-ROUND

ROUND	PICK IN ROUND	OVERALL PICK	PICKS AT END OF ROUND
1 DOLPHINS	1	1	31
2a DOLPHINS	1	32	--
2b DOLPHINS (from S.D. in Chris Chambers trade)	26	57	63
3 DOLPHINS	1	64	99
4 DOLPHINS	1	100	135
5 To Kansas City for Trent Green	1	136	166
6a To Dallas in Jason Ferguson trade	1	167	---
6b DOLPHINS (from Dallas in Jason Ferguson trade)	29	195	---
6c DOLPHINS (Compensatory pick)	38	204	207
7a DOLPHINS	1	208	---
7b DOLPHINS (Compensatory pick)	38	245	252

CURRENT DOLPHINS WHO WERE DRAFTED

Of the 70 players currently on the Dolphins' roster, 20 are former draft choices of the team. By round, that breaks down to four in the first round, three in the second round, four in the third round, two in the fourth round, three in the sixth round and four in the seventh round. By draft year it consists of one from 1997, one from 2003, one from 2004, four from 2005, three from 2006 and 10 from 2007.

A total of 49 of the 70 players on the Dolphins' roster were selected in the NFL Draft, either by Miami or another NFL team. By round, that breaks down to seven in the first round, four in the second round, 11 in the third round, six in the fourth round, four in the fifth round, eight in the sixth round and nine in the seventh round. By draft year it consists of two from 1997, one from 1998, two from 1999, three from 2001, three from 2002, four from 2003, 11 from 2004, seven from 2005, four from 2006 and 12 from 2007.

The Dolphins' roster consists of seven former NFL first-round draft choices - DT Vonnie Holliday (Green Bay, 1998), RB Ricky Williams (New Orleans, 1999), CB Will Allen (Giants, 2001), T Vernon Carey (Miami, 2004), RB Ronnie Brown (Miami, 2005), CB Jason Allen (Miami, 2006 - pictured, right) and WR Ted Ginn, Jr. (Miami, 2007).

DOLPHINS ALL-TIME DRAFT BY POSITION

In 42 college drafts (1966-07), the Dolphins have selected a total of 530 players. Of this total, 93 have been offensive linemen, the most of any position. The rest of the Dolphins' all-time draft by position includes defensive line (89 players selected), linebacker (78), defensive back (77), running back (71), wide receiver (52), tight end (34), quarterback (25), kicker (6) and punter (4).

Of the Dolphins' 38 first-round choices in team history, eight have come from the defensive line, the most of any position. The rest of the Dolphins' all-time first-round draft choices by position include offensive line (7 players selected), running back (7), defensive back (5), linebacker (4), wide receiver (4) and quarterback (3).

A LOOK AT THE FIRST OVERALL PICK

The Dolphins own the top pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. If they keep the pick, it would mark the first time that they have selected in the No. 1 position in the NFL Draft. In their inaugural season of 1966, they selected in the top spot of the AFL Draft and tabbed Illinois running back Jim Grabowski. The highest spot that they have owned in the NFL Draft was in 2005 when they took Auburn running back Ronnie Brown second overall.

Since 1970, the position for which teams have used the top pick in the NFL Draft most often is quarterback, of which there have been 16 taken over this 38-year span. That is followed by defensive lineman (11), running back (6), linebacker (2), wide receiver (2) and offensive lineman (1).

The clubs that have had the draft's top pick most frequently since the merger of 1970 are Indianapolis, New England and Tampa Bay with four apiece (The Colts owned it once while the franchise was located in Baltimore).

The following is a look at how the top spot of the draft has been used since the 1970 merger.

2007 -- QB JaMarcus Russell (Oakland)
2006 -- DE Mario Williams (Houston)
2005 -- QB Alex Smith (San Francisco)
2004 -- QB Eli Manning (San Diego)
2003 -- QB Carson Palmer (Cincinnati)
2002 -- QB David Carr (Houston)
2001 -- QB Michael Vick (Atlanta)
2000 -- DE Courtney Brown (Cleveland)
1999 -- QB Tim Couch (Cleveland)
1998 -- QB Peyton Manning (Indianapolis)
1997 -- T Orlando Pace (St. Louis)
1996 -- WR Keyshawn Johnson (N.Y. Jets )
1995 -- RB Ki-Jana Carter (Cincinnati)
1994 -- DT Dan Wilkinson (Cincinnati)
1993 -- QB Drew Bledsoe (New England)
1992 -- DT Steve Emtman (Indianapolis)
1991 -- DT Russell Maryland (Dallas)
1990 -- QB Jeff George (Indianapolis)
1989 -- QB Troy Aikman (Dallas)
1988 -- LB Aundray Bruce (Atlanta)
1987 -- QB Vinny Testaverde (Tampa Bay)
1986 -- RB Bo Jackson (Tampa Bay)
1985 -- DE Bruce Smith (Buffalo)
1984 -- WR Irving Fryar (New England)
1983 -- QB John Elway (Baltimore)
1982 -- DT Kenneth Sims (New England)
1981 -- RB George Rogers (New Orleans)
1980 -- RB Billy Sims (Detroit)
1979 -- LB Tom Cousineau (Buffalo)
1978 -- RB Earl Campbell (Houston)
1977 -- RB Ricky Bell (Tampa Bay)
1976 -- DE Lee Roy Selmon (Tampa Bay)
1975 -- QB Steve Bartkowski (Atlanta)
1974 -- DE Ed Jones (Dallas)
1973 -- DE John Matuszak (Houston)
1972 -- DE Walt Patulski (Buffalo)
1971 -- QB Jim Plunkett (New England)
1970 -- QB Terry Bradshaw (Pittsburgh)