*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 18, 1998: -- Brad Jackson and Larry Shannon Picked --
With their two picks in the third round, the Dolphins have
selected linebacker Brad Jackson and wide receiver Larry Shannon.
Jackson is another one of JJ's small, active, very productive
linebackers. With 168 tackles in 1997 (of which 95 were solo), Jackson
is very athletic, very good at coverage, highly motivated and can play
sideline to sideline. He is also a good special teams player.
However, like Zach Thomas, Jackson has trouble taking on large
blockers because of his small size.
Shannon is a big, strong receiver who can muscle smaller
defensive backs or leap over them with his 40" vertical jump. He is
not afraid to go over the middle and plays faster than he times in the
40.
However, he does not have great hands and has not been
terribly productive in college. This guy is another project who has
the raw materials to be a great player, but has never developed.
And after JJ selected these two players, the Denver Broncos
selected Quarterback Brian Griese with the last pick in the third
round.
My Comments:
Jackson is the player that we see every year in the middle
rounds for the Dolphins. He's a prototypical JJ linebacker - small,
but very productive. I supposed he could challenged Anthony Harris
for a starting position, but he's more suited to the weakside
linebacker spot. He'll probably play backup and special teams
initially.
Larry Shannon is a guy who's main talent seems to be going
deep. He's a long strider and a guy who can jump, but he isn't going
to cut up inside. You have to wonder where he would fit in.
Not taking Brian Griese is a disappointment. Perhaps JJ
intended to take him tomorrow or perhaps he didn't intend to take him
at all. It remains to be seen if the Dolphins will take a quarterback
or if they'll pass.
Also notable at the end of the first day is the fact that the
Dolphins have not yet taken an offensive lineman, although there are
still some decent guards on the board.
Tomorrow the coverage starts at 11:00 AM and I'll be here.
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New Rochelle (almost)
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