Going into the draft, it was tough to tell where Joe Toledo would be drafted. There was some speculation that he could be a third-round pick, others that felt he would slide as far as the sixth round.
In the end, Toledo fell somewhere in the middle.
The former University of Washington player was selected in the fourth round Sunday morning by the Miami Dolphins. Toledo was the 114th overall pick.
Toledo, a 6-foot-5, 337-pound offensive tackle, watched the first day of the draft go by without seeing his named called. It marked the first time since 2000 when a Husky was not selected on the first day of the draft. Last year, offensive tackle Khalif Barnes was taken in the second round by Jacksonville.
But it didn’t take long Sunday for his wait to end, with Miami using the 17th pick of the fourth round to take Toledo.
Toledo, an Encinitas, Calif. native, is valued for his athleticism and versatility. He spent his first four years at Washington as a tight end, played both tackle spots last season, and he could be tried at guard by the Dolphins. But there were also questions about his durability and experience. He’s only played six games at tackle, and spent much of his UW career battling injuries. Last season, he missed five games with a high ankle sprain.
Toledo said he knows that his injuries likely affected his draft status.
“It limited my mobility, but I did play through it,” Toledo said. “But I think it did limit my potential.”
Toledo was Miami’s third pick in the draft. On Saturday the Dolphins, who finished 9-7 but missed the playoffs in 2005, took Tennessee safety Jason Allen in the first round and Arizona State wide receiver Derek Hagan in the second round.
Miami returns starting tackles Damion McIntosh and Vernon Carey, so it’s unlikely that Toledo would compete for a starting job. Miami’s offensive line coach is Hudson Houck, who served in the same capacity with the Seahawks in 1992.
Toledo said he just wants to find a place to fit in.
“I’m open to anything,” he said. “I can learn offensive tackle, I can play guard. I’m excited about getting down there and getting to work.”
Washington State running back Jerome Harrison, who was also considered to be a possible first-day pick, fell to the fifth round, where he was taken by the Cleveland Browns with the 145th selection. Though Harrison led the Pacific-10 Conference and finished second in the nation with 1,900 yards rushing, there were questions about Harrison’s size (5-foot-9, 210 pounds). Harrison is expected to back up starter Reuben Droughns. William Green, Lee Suggs and Jason Wright are the other running backs on the Browns’ roster. Harrison was Cleveland’s fifth pick in the draft.
There were no other state players drafted. Washington offensive lineman Robin Meadow was considered a possible late-round pick but was bypassed, as was defensive lineman Manase Hopoi. It marked the first time since 1994 that only one Husky was taken. Washington State linebacker Will Derting and Eastern Washington quarterback Erik Meyer also went undrafted. All are expected to receive free agent contract offers in the next few days.
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