Miami Dolphins draft pick Dion Jordan arrived in Miami for his first news conference since being selected with the third pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night by the Dolphins.
The Dolphins moved up nine spots in the first round to take Jordan, sending their first round pick (12th overall) and a second round pick (42nd overall) to the Oakland Raiders for the third pick. "I was shocked. I was happy. I was overwhelmed," Jordan said Saturday.
When asked about the attention he was getting in Miami, Jordan smiled. "It's different, man, honestly," he said. "At the University of Oregon the defensive players don't get much love."
Oregon, known primarily for its fast-paced offense, had Jordan play at a very light 230 pounds during college, but he has already bulked up to 250, and could get even bigger before training camp. Having played outside linebacker in college, Jordan will likely be used as a defensive end in Miami, where he will match up against much larger offensive lineman than he is used to.
"I feel like I can play with the same speed and the same motor right around 260," Jordan said. "I know it's something that I have to do."
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Jordan's speed around the edge is the one trait that had Dolphins brass salivating at the chance to draft him. He amassed 14.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in his career at Oregon, and NFL Network draft pundit has compared Jordan to former Dolphins great Jason Taylor and San Francisco Pro Bowler Aldon Smith.
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"We took a player we coveted quite a bit," Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said Thursday. "You've got to knock the quarterback down, you've got to take the ball away. This guy can do one of those two things."
But the 6'7" Jordan does not come without questions. He was not on the field for every play at Oregon, which rotated defensive lineman heavily. The next game when he plays most of the snaps on defense will likely be his first.
Additionally, some draft pundits have cautioned that Jordan's game is too one-dimensional at this point. While he excels at the outside rush, his inside game leaves much to be desired.
Still, the Dolphins think they got Jordan for a steal, costing only an extra second-round pick in addition to Miami's twelfth pick.
"I thought it was great value to get up there, based on the player we think he could be," Ireland said. "We thought it was a big win for us."
