The more pennies you fish out of the fountain, the better the odds that one of them's lucky.

"I like young players,'' Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson said after his 14-player draft. "They stay healthy, and they only get better.''

Johnson's first Super Bowl in Dallas was won by a team that was the youngest in the league. It was a team built through the draft, from its first round to its last.

Miami's 1997 draft class represents a bit of everything. There's Papa Bear, Beep and Shabba. There's a former Air Force medical lab technician, an actor friend of Brian Bosworth's, and a two-time drug offender. There's a guy who was so sure he wouldn't be drafted that he spent this weekend playing chess with a friend.

Now they're all pawns in Johnson's game to get to the Super Bowl by the end of the 1998 season. After making no trades on Saturday, and putting aside plans to draft QB Jim Druckenmiller when WR Yatil Green was still available, Johnson traded down twice on Sunday, parlaying four second-day picks into eight.

When he was done, he had five offensive players and nine defensive. He had stocked the roster with linebackers who can run, and play special teams. He had his tall, fast receiver in Green, and yet another wideout to increase competition in training camp. He had a cornerback who can talk a little smack, and another who could be a steal if he stays away from drugs. And he had size and quickness for the offensive line that needs both.

He had everything but a reserve fullback and a quarterback of the future. The former will probably arrive as one of the 12 to 15 rookie free agents he signs.

A few more pennies can't hurt, but chances are that Johnson has already made the Dolphins richer.

ROUND-BY-ROUND ANALYSIS

Round 1/15 -- Yatil Green, WR, Miami

The outside deep threat the Dolphins lacked, and one they didn't think they could get with the 15th pick. Is strong, swift and a great leaper, and should allow O.J. McDuffie to work inside. When asked to compare Green with Michael Irvin, Johnson said, "Yatil is faster.'' His pings are the knocks -- he asked out of a game against Temple, though he says that was to give others a chance to play; after a great first half, he left the Florida State game with dehydration; his hamstring bothered him all through college. Johnson and receivers coach Larry Seiple promise he'll play four quarters. If he does, this is a terrific choice.

Round 2/44 -- Sam Madison, CB, Louisville

"He has the kind of attitude I like in a defensive player,'' Johnson said. In other words, he's cocky. And he's a playmaker. He broke Ray Buchanan's career interception record at Louisville. He has adequate size (5-11), and should get a chance to start immediately, alongside Terrell Buckley. Johnson and secondary coach Mel Phillips are not happy with incumbent RCB Calvin Jackson's conditioning.

Round 3/73 -- Jason Taylor, DE/LB, Akron

A Charles Haley-type player, with great speed off the corner. Miami needed to get to the quarterback more, and was surprised when he was still available, since Johnson had him pegged as an early second-round pick. Has good size, at 6-6. May be a situational player at first, then take away some time from Dwight Hollier, Anthony Harris and Trace Armstrong. Dolphins hope he's better than Brian Bosworth: Taylor had a part in Bosworth's failed pilot, Lawless. Johnson expects Taylor to be reckless.

Round 4/92 -- Derrick Rodgers, OLB, Arizona State

He'll be 26 by the start of the season, and he's already had his share of interesting experiences. Rodgers was a medical lab technician in the Air Force, and worked his way through Riverside CC before playing one year in the Pac-10. More impressively, he had 12 sacks as a 225-defensive end during his senior season. Johnson would like him to be an every-down linebacker, which means he'll have to learn to play in coverage. He has 4.54 speed, so it's a conceivable transition.

Round 4/93 -- Ronnie Ward, LB, Kansas

Short, at 6-0, but so was Zach Thomas. Isn't particularly fast, but makes a lot of tackles. Can play inside or outside, but is probably better suited for the former in the NFL. The Dolphins re-signed Dwight Hollier and return Thomas and Anthony Harris, but needed depth, so Ward gets thrown in the mix. He also plays special teams, which should help.

Round 3/96 -- Brent Smith, OT, Mississippi State

A 300-pounder who can run, Smith may play guard with the Dolphins, who are short on capable bodies at that spot. Johnson indicated that Smith might even be moved to center. He was not as high on most draft boards as some other lineman taken later (Jamie Nails, for instance), but Johnson says this is the first lineman he targeted for the third round.

Round 4/121 -- Jerome Daniels, OT, Northeastern

Papa Bear has been eating lots of porridge. At 358 pounds, Daniels is reminiscent of a big man who played so well for Johnson in Dallas, Nate Newton. He's an excellent athlete, who can dunk a basketball, and who admits he is still developing. He didn't play football until his senior year in high school, because he was concentrating on track.

Round 5/149 -- Barron Tanner, DT, Oklahoma

A run-stuffer at 310 pounds, Beep will have a chance to play behind Tim Bowens and Daryl Gardener with Steve Emtman gone. Fast, and has a "motor'' Johnson likes.

Round 5/157 -- Nicholas Lopez, DE, Texas Southern

Born in a backwards part of Jamaica, Lopez walked on at Texas Southern and became a terrific pass rusher. He's been clocked as fast as 4.65 on turf. Raw, but he could see time in blitz packages.

Round 6/166 -- John Fiala, ILB, Washington

Turned down a scholarship at USC to play close to his home. Walked on, and was a key player on a team that ended the Miami Hurricanes' home winning streak. Has adequate size (6-2) and speed, and is adept in coverage. Smart, also, which Johnson likes -- Fiala will graduate with a double major. Sure to get a chance on special teams.

Round 6/170 -- Brian Manning, WR, Stanford

His production slipped when Bill Walsh left and took his West Coast offense with him. Has some speed, but dropped a lot of passes his senior year. Miami has a glut of receivers behind Green, Fred Barnett and McDuffie (Lamar Thomas, Charles Jordan, Kirby Dar Dar, Lawrence Dawsey, etc.), and Manning will be tossed in that group.

Round 6/173 -- Mike Crawford, ILB, Nevada

Johnson annually selects a player who is in nobody's draft guide. Crawford, despite a great Las Vegas Bowl, received no invitations to post-season All-Star games. He was so convinced he wouldn't be drafted that he spent the day playing chess. Yet another Johnson draftee who walked on in college; "desire'' guys make for good special teamers.

Round 6/177 -- Ed Perry, TE, James Madison

Seems to have the speed and size to be a good receiver. Also likely to get a chance as the long-snapper, a position currently held by Frank Wainright.

Round 7/203 -- Hudhaifa Ismaeli, CB, Northwestern

An intriguing prospect. Was suspended twice in college for marijuana use, and has admitted he made some mistakes. On talent alone, most considered him to be a third- or fourth-round selection. Seems to have the physical tools, and Johnson says he's confident he's clean.