The Miami Dolphins Drafts of the Last 10 Years: 2014

Leading up to the 2023 NFL draft, we're taking a look at each of the Miami Dolphins' past 10 drafts with an analysis of how each pick panned out, a grade for all those picks, players the team missed, and an overall grade for the draft class.

The grades will be determined on the basis of how the player's NFL career turned out, not how each did with the Dolphins. Picks also are curved on a grade, where more was expected of a first-round pick than, say, a fourth-round pick.

We continue with the 2014 draft.

THE 2014 DOLPHINS DRAFT PICKS

Round 1 — T Ja'Wuan James, Tennessee (19th overall)

Round 2 — WR Jarvis Landry, LSU (63rd)

Round 3 — T Billy Turner, North Dakota State (67th)

Round 4 — DB Walt Aikens, Liberty (125th)

Round 5 — TE Arthur Lynch, Georgia (155th)

Round 5 — LB Jordan Tripp, Montana (171st)

Round 6 — WR Matt Hazel, Coastal Carolina (190th)

Round 7 — DE Terrence Fede, Marist (234th)

BREAKING DOWN EACH PICK

-- Ja'Wuan James: Without question, James was a solid starting right tackle for the Dolphins and part of the 2016 offensive line that has been the best for the franchise since the start of the new millennium. James has had nothing but bad luck since leaving as a free agent for the Denver Broncos after playing out his fifth-year option in 2018. While he was a solid starter, James never did make the Pro Bowl and he probably was drafted earlier than he should have been. Who the Dolphins could have had: There were a lot of really good players selected between James and Miami's second-round pick at 63, and the list includes WR Brandin Cooks, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, QB Derek Carr and WR Davante Adams. Shoot, if the Dolphins really were stuck on the idea of taking an offensive lineman, they would have been better served with guard Joel Bitonio, who was taken early in the second round and has made five Pro Bowls. Grade: C+

-- Jarvis Landry: This was a big hit. Taken with the next-to-last pick of the second round, Landry was a premier possession receiver for six years in the NFL before injuries started catching up to him. His impact was immediate, as he set the Dolphins rookie record for catches in 2014 before setting the overall franchise record with 110 catches and then breaking his own record with an NFL-high 112 in 2017. Who the Dolphins could have had: Can't come up with anybody in the second or third round who would have been a better pick. Grade: A

-- Billy Turner: Turner was a bit raw when he arrived from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State and was up-and-down for the Dolphins until he was among what became known as "Black Monday" when Adam Gase cut three offensive linemen — Turner, Dallas Thomas and Jamil Douglas — after an ugly loss against Tennessee. But Turner obviously refined his game after he left because he's still in the NFL and has been a starter the past five years for the Broncos and Packers. Who the Dolphins could have had: Nobody stands out as a clear better choice than Turner, though an argument could be made for fellow third-round offensive linemen Gabe Jackson and Trai Turner. Grade: B-

-- Walt Aikens: Aikens spent six years in the NFL, all with Miami, but the bulk of his work came on special teams, where he became a core member as well as a captain. Aikens played 93 out of possible 96 games for the Dolphins, though a fourth-round pick for a special teams specialist is pretty steep without a Pro Bowl selection. Who the Dolphins could have had: The name that jumps out here is linebacker Telvin Smith, who became a five-year starter on defense and earned one Pro Bowl invitation after being selected early in the fifth round. Grade: C-

-- Arthur Lynch: Lynch never was able to get his NFL career going after sustained a back injury in offseason workouts shortly after the 2014 draft. After spending his rookie season on IR, Lynch had stints with the Jets, Broncos and Falcons, but never appeared in a regular season game before he retired. Who the Dolphins could have had: Six picks after the Dolphins took Lynch, the Packers selected center Corey Linsley, who's still going strong after nine seasons. Grade: D

-- Jordan Tripp: Coming out of Montana, Tripp never made an impact in the NFL, though he did play 37 games (with two starts) in four starts splitting time between the Dolphins, Jaguars, Packers, Seahawks and Falcons. Who the Dolphins could have had: Between the selection of Tripp and Matt Hazel in Round 6, the New York Giants took OLB Devon Kennard, who has started 74 games and still is active. Grade: D+

-- Matt Hazel: Hazel gave it a shot but never could gain solid footing in the NFL before giving up in 2018. He played five games with one start for the Dolphins in 2015 and four more games with the Colts in 2017 when he had his only NFL reception. Who the Dolphins could have had: Three offensive linemen taken after Hazel in Round 6 had or have had long NFL career — Zach Fulton, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Matt Paradis. Grade: D+

-- Terrence Fede: The first and still only player from Marist ever drafted, Fede beat the odds as a seventh-round pick to play four seasons in the NFL as a backup defensive lineman and special teams contributor. It was in that latter role that he enjoyed his career highlight, a punt block in the final minute that gave the Dolphins a 37-35 victory against the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 season finale. Who the Dolphins could have had: Impressively, two 2014 seventh-round picks still were in the NFL last season — DE Shelby Harris and T Charles Leno Jr. Grade: B+

2014 DOLPHINS DRAFT GRADE

This was known as the small-school draft, with five of the Dolphins' eight selections coming from outside of FBS programs. In retrospect, Turner turned out to be a good selection, but unfortunately he thrived after he left Miami. Landry clearly made this draft and Fede was a great pick in Round 7, but overreaching for James hurt.

Grade: C+

ADDITIONAL READING:

-- REVIEWING AND GRADING THE DOLPHINS' 2013 DRAFT