I've covered Jeff Ireland since 2008. I study people for a living, so I know his personality quirks, and the Miami Dolphins General Manager is usually calm, collected and reserved.

He naturally guards his words, and is very conservative when it comes to praising people, and players. But there was something different about Ireland during the 2012 NFL draft. There was an air of confidence.

That confidence stems from what the Dolphins were able to collect in the first four-rounds of the 2012 NFL draft, where the Dolphins managed to land three of the draft's top 50 players in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, offensive tackle Jonathan Martin and tailback Lamar Miller.

And the other two players selected in the first two days – pass rusher Olivier Vernon and tight end Michael Egnew – weren't just players rated very high on Miami's draft board. They also fit perfectly into what the Dolphins needed.

"I've never been in a draft where we got so much value," Ireland said in an interview with The Finsider you can listen to here. "If our board was right, then we killed it."

I've spent the past SIX DAYS breaking down, assessing, analyzing, scrutinizing, dissecting the 2012 draft, and based on everything I know, and everything I'm told, Ireland's right.

If Miami's evaluations are accurate – if Tannehill can develop into a top 10 NFL quarterback in two years (I believe he can), if Vernon can be an immediate pressure player (I know he will), if Egnew can threaten a seam (we'll see), if Miller can serve as a home run threat on designed plays and kickoffs – the Dolphins did indeed kill the 2012 draft.

However, like every draft, we must wait three years to properly evaluate. But I love the talent added.

Tannehill was the smart pick at No. 8. It was either select Tannehill or end up with Brock Osweiler or Kirk Cousins, two quarterbacks with a larger margin of error. My vote goes to Tannehill, which I accurately predicted would be the pick for weeks.

Selecting Tannehill put the Dolphins at risk of losing out on the pass rushers. You folks caught me at a weak moment on Friday regarding this issue. Ireland stayed composed (something I failed to do) and got his guy (and my guy) in Vernon, who was on my Man Crush list.

Never in a million years did I expect Martin, who was consistently viewed as a first-round talent, to be there in the second round, exposed to the Dolphins at pick No. 42. Even though guard was more of a need because of Lydon Murtha's presence, the Dolphins made a wise decision selecting the Stanford product. You never go wrong taking BPA, especially when you have a need at the position.

The selection of Egnew came out of left field, but coach Joe Philbin clearly felt he needed a tight end with more giddy up than Anthony Fasano, who becomes a free agent in 2013. Drafting Egnew allows Clay to remain a H-back, which is more fullback than tight end. With Egnew and Clay in the fold the Dolphins should be set at the position for years.

The Dolphins saw a top 50 talent sitting there in the fourth-round, had more information than most NFL teams on Miller because of their relationship with UM, and traded two sixth-round picks to move up for him. Considering Miller was one of the fastest players in the draft, and instantly challenges Clyde Gates (who runs a 4.31 in the 40) for the distinction as the fastest player on the team, it is safe to say Ireland continues to infuse speed onto the roster.

The only areas of concern I have about the 2012 Dolphins draft is the fact Miami didn't address its receiver need until late in the third day, drafting B.J. Cunningham in the sixth round, Rishard Matthews in the seventh, and signing Texas A&M's Jeff Fuller and Penn State's Derek Moye as undrafted rookie free agents.

I've studied the film of Cunningham and Matthews, and I think both have some upside because of their production level in college, and ability to catch the ball cleanly, then fluidly transition into run-after-catch. Ireland has also hinted TWICE that the Dolphins aren't done adding receivers. What this means I haven't figured out yet.

The Dolphins also didn't find a pulling guard, which is very concerning to me considering Mike Pouncey is the only offensive lineman presently on the roster who can effectively pull. Everyone else will need to lose at least 20 pounds to fit the type of athletic offensive lineman Philbin seeks. I sensed the concern in Philbin's voice when I asked him about that issue on Saturday.

It is possible the loser of the Murtha vs. Martin battle might be moved inside to right guard if the Dolphins take the approach of starting the best five. Or maybe Artis Hicks, John Jerry or Nate Garner surprise us?

However, you simply can't address everything in the draft. It is impossible! If you disagree, try to find a team that did.

Miami sacrificed those two positions to pick up a elite tailback in Miller, and the seam threat tight end they really liked, sticking to the draft board, and Ireland's best player available approach.

"I wasn't specifically too worried about the receiver position," Ireland told Finsiders. "I wanted to collect good football players."

Based on my experiences with the draft, when a team does that they will rarely make a mistake.

That's why I'm pretty certain this could/should be Ireland's best draft haul.

I'm going to give it a B- grade, with points deducted for not selecting a receiver higher, and for not finding a pulling guard.

It better be Ireland's best draft class because his reputation, and job security is on the line.

G.G.G.