Turns out the sky is not falling, Dolphins fans. After losing some key contributors, Robert Hunt, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Christian Wilkins, in free agency, many media members, local and national, began remarking on how crucial these losses were and that the Dolphins were setting up for a soft rebuild.

Fast-forward to today and the Dolphins have made a series of moves that put them in a good position for the upcoming season. To account for their losses on defense, the team has brought in linebackers Anthony Walker and Jordyn Brooks, edge rusher Shaq Barrett, and some much-needed help in the secondary in Jordan Poyer and Kendall Fuller. The team also signed a series of interior defensive linemen and center Aaron Brewer. 

It is abundantly clear that Grier came into the offseason with a plan, and so far, it appears to be going tremendously. While the losses of Hunt and Wilkins are especially tough, the Dolphins have done a good job of allocating their limited cap space and manipulating the compensatory draft formula. Heading into this draft, the team is arguably more talented in the secondary and linebacker than they were last season, which means that the team has positioned itself to focus on replacing Wilkins and Hunt through the draft. The extra picks they will receive for Hunt, Van Ginkel, and Wilkins in 2025 could affect how they attack this draft, potentially making them more willing to move up in this year’s draft. 

Though I wouldn’t rule out an edge rusher or wide receiver, I expect the team to draft interior offensive linemen on both sides with their first two picks in the upcoming draft. The offensive line is where many Dolphins fans have wanted to go with Pick 21 for months. While the team may not be drafting center Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon, Troy Fautanu would be a tremendous addition to the offensive line. Fautanu wowed with his athleticism and speed at the combine, so plugging him in at guard for the Dolphins would be intriguing. Robert Hunt had a knack for establishing his presence in the run game, so I’d imagine the Dolphins will try to find someone with a similar frame of mind as a replacement. 

As for interior defensive linemen, I like Michigan’s Kris Jenkins. Miami will likely miss out on the top interior defenders in this class, but by no means would Kris Jenkins be a consolation prize in round 2. The son of an All-Pro at the same position and coming from a Michigan program that is touted for its ability to prepare players for the league, Jenkins would be a candidate to start next to Sieler immediately. Jenkins performed tremendously for Michigan down the stretch of its National Championship season and tested incredibly well at the combine, so for a Dolphins team that will focus on stopping the run with new Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, Jenkins or another interior lineman would make a lot of sense for the Dolphins in round 2. 

Dolphins fans were certainly dealt some tough blows in the first few hours of free agency, but after sitting back and assessing the team’s moves in response, there is no reason to doubt the team’s ability to compete next season.