honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 11:36 p.m., Sunday, April 26, 2009

NFL draft: Dolphins add receivers Turner, Hartline

By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

DAVIE, Fla. — Brian Hartline couldn't catch Ted Ginn Jr. when they competed for the high school state hurdling title in Ohio. And Hartline's unlikely to overtake Ginn on the Miami Dolphins' depth chart.

But the Dolphins believe they bolstered the weakest part of the roster Sunday by selecting receivers Hartline and Patrick Turner with their first two second-day picks in the NFL draft.

Last year Hartline averaged 22.8 yards per catch at Ohio State, while Turner scored 10 touchdowns for Southern Cal. They'll join a receiving corps that lacks a true No. 1 wideout — starters Ginn and Greg Camarillo combined for only four scores in 2008.

Hartline and Ginn were teammates at Ohio State and prep rivals before that.

"We ran track together all through high school," Hartline said. "We were always battling for the state hurdling title. It was a lot of fun."

Ginn won. Now they'll compete for playing time.

"I'm definitely going to push him and make him better," Hartline said. "I can't wait. I'm ecstatic right now."

After reinforcing to the receiving corps, Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said a No. 1 pass-catcher may emerge from the group. Turner and Hartline were appealing in part because they can play outside or in the slot, Ireland said.

"It's going to be a competitive position," he said. "We've helped ourselves there. We got some size, some physicality and some flexibility there with these two guys."

Miami also drafted Monmouth tight end John Nalbone and Clemson safety Chris Clemons in the fifth round, added Georgia Tech tackle Andrew Gardner in the sixth round, and took inside linebacker J.D. Folsom of Weber State in the seventh round.

The list of picks was a surprise in that the regime led by Bill Parcells puts a premium on size but selected only one lineman — the 6-foot-7, 304-pound Gardner. First-day selections were Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis, West Virginia quarterback Pat White and Utah cornerback Sean Smith.

"Sometimes things don't fall the way you want them to," Ireland said. "We weren't going to reach for guys. I wouldn't say we're disappointed with how the draft went. We hit some needs."

The Dolphins shored up a shaky secondary but failed to address some thin areas. Nose tackle remains a concern because incumbent Jason Ferguson is 34, and Miami is still in the market for a pass rusher to complement Joey Porter, which means a possible reunion with free agent Jason Taylor.

Taylor made the Pro Bowl six times in 11 seasons with the Dolphins before they traded him to the Washington Redskins a year ago for two draft choices. Taylor has said he's interested in rejoining Miami, but it's unclear whether the Parcells regime wants the 34-year-old pass rusher back.

"We really haven't talked about it too much," Ireland said. "We've just got to make a decision pretty quickly whether we're going to do that or not. We haven't made the decision."

The biggest upgrades Sunday came on offense, with the first three picks devoted to potential targets for Chad Pennington.

Third-round choice Turner had a breakout season as a senior working with quarterback Mark Sanchez, taken in the first round of the draft by the New York Jets. The 6-foot-5, 223-pound Turner overcame an earlier problem with dropped passes and made 49 catches last year for 741 yards and 10 scores.

"I'm similar to a Keyshawn Johnson-type of player, fending off defenders with my body, extending for the ball, making plays in the red zone when the ball is in the air," Turner said. "I feel I bring a lot of mismatches."

The 6-2, 195-pound Hartline made only 21 catches last year, when Ohio State had run-oriented freshman Terrelle Pryor at quarterback. Hartline totaled 90 career catches with 12 touchdowns and decided to turn pro after his junior season.

His versatility helps his chances of making the roster, and he embraces roles on special teams.

"That's probably my favorite," Hartline said. "I do returns. I think I'm great in kickoff coverage. I like cracking heads. It's a lot of fun, and hopefully I can do that for Miami."