The Super Bowl runner-up Miami Dolphins didn’t have a whole lot of draft capitol coming into the 1994 see draft but through four (1 during early free agency) nifty trades, Miami was able to acquire more draft picks. How did those picks turn and were they worth trading away those veterans? Let’s find out…
2-27: Kevin Winter (WR) Notre Dame: +12/+10
After trading out of the first round with the Redskins, trading away some draft picks for a young safety (more on that later), then trading back into the 2nd round by sending away a very solid guard in Mitchell Chambers (again, more on that later)… Miami finally was on the clock and they took a chance on boom or bust Kevin Winter. Miami’s draft patience paid off as they may have found a gem in Kevin Winter. So much so he could be an instant starter at receiver and give Jeremy Hochstetler yet ANOTHER elite weapon to work with. Miami has a total of 4 1st/2nd round receivers in that roster and they could all contribute towards upgrading an offense that was dependent on its defense to make the big plays.
3-27: Tim Ortega (RG) Florida A&M: +0/+1
Yeah… Ortega is going to be very raw. This pick was a need due to the Mitchell Chambers trade. Ortega has potential, but he’ll be developing slow. He most likely will not be a week 1 starter so hopefully Miami has a solid backup plan while waiting for Ortega to develop.
4-18: Gaston Hackman (DT) San Jose State: +1/+0
Miami drafted him because of the elite strength and pass rushing ability. This might not end up going well due to the lack growth as anticipated from the Dolphins front office. He’ll still make the roster as a DT but the growth is certainly lacking.
6-28: Peter Gamboa (FS) New Hampshire: +4/-3
Miami needed a young FS but it looks like the 3 safeties they drafted will not make the 53 man roster. The first of those is Peter Gamboa.
6-31: Alvin Chesnut (TE) Wyoming: +4/+3
Originally drafted as a right guard, Miami is attempting to convert him to TE to add depth to the tight end position. Let’s see if he has more potential in that position than what the ratings show.
7-16: Lawrence Perez (FS) Howard: +6/-1
Another failure to address the safety position, most likely will not survive the 53 man roster.
7-24: Clarence Jordan (FS) Rice: +1/-2
The third failure at the safety position.
7-31: Lawrence Hansen (P) Michigan State +4/-11
Needed to draft somebody but will definitely not make the 53 man roster.
Miami also made some draft day trades which contributed towards the picks they were able to gain. Here is the list of trades:
Miami Dolphins sent:
27th pick of the 1994 draft
Washington Redskins sent:
2nd round 26 pick
1995 2nd round
1995 3rd round
Summary:
Miami was able to gain more draft capitol for the temporary moment. Good move, there was nobody in Miami’s draft board that the move made sense to gain more draft picks.
Miami Dolphins sent:
2nd round 26th pick
1995 2nd round pick (Washington)
1996 4th round pick
Cleveland Browns sent:
James Hudson (SS)
1994 6th round pick
1994 7th round pick (San Diego)
1995 7th round pick
Summary:
Miami’s safeties needed to be addressed after failing to acquire young talent in free agency and the draft. Miami made a good move in trading for young safety James Hudson, who has plenty of potential to be a star safety in the Dolphins elite defense.
Miami Dolphins sent:
Mitchell Chambers (RG)
1995 4th round
1996 3rd round
Oakland Raiders sent:
2nd round 27th pick
3rd round 27th pick
1995 2nd round
1995 3rd round
Summary:
This move was hard to make because I was hoping to acquire better value. Oh well, this pick still worked out as I was able to get 1 superstar receiver and possibly a future starting caliber guard to replace Mitchell Chambers.
Overall summary:
This draft was filled with risk vs reward. I’d say Miami got their reward with landing Kevin Winter. The main question will be, can the Dolphins make it back to the Super Bowl. The talent is there and the defense seems to be in its prime, but so was the Sacksonville defense of 2017 and it fell faster than the Walls of Jericho. We’ll see. Overall, I’m going to give my draft a B+ for good trade negotiating and selecting Kevin Winter.
Last edited at 5/20/2022 2:22 pm
