Dolphins select Jason Allen with first pick

With the #16 pick in the first round, the Dolphins selected Tennessee safety Jason Allen. Allen will be tried at both safety and cornerback. In the third round, the Dolphins picked up WR Derek Hagan from Arizona State.

I was a bit surprised at the selection of Allen. Most draft reports I'd seen had him going in the late first round or even the second round. Also, the defensive backs and wide receivers targeted for the Dolphins' pick before the draft were all still available when the Dolphins chose. It does seem a bit of a reach for the Dolphins to take Allen. They could have traded down a little, gotten another draft pick (they don't have any in the 2nd, 5th, and 6th rounds this year), and still gotten Allen. The only comfort in this pick is that Nick Saban knows Allen well and tried to recruit him out of high school for LSU. We'll see how it pans out soon enough.