Dolphins Rookie Class Should Be Productive
The Miami Dolphins, over the last few years, haven’t had a lot of draft picks, and the ones they have made, for the most part, haven’t produced or played enough meaningful snaps. The Dolphins had 8 total draft picks combined in 2022 and 2023. If you take away running back DeVon Achane, the Dolphins have nothing.
Last year, they had six picks, and while edge rusher Chop Robinson showed promise and some upside that gives you hope for the future, the rest of the class played sparingly.
Left tackle Patrick Paul did play, filling in for Terron Armstead, and he played well, but he needs to show this year that he is the left tackle of the future, with Armstead retiring. Paul has the physical tools to play, but he must show it week in and week out now. Running back Jaylen Wright showed flashes in a couple of early-season games, but his playing time diminished as the season went on.
This year off-season, the Dolphins had 10 picks going into the draft, and with the team being tight against the cap, they had to build through the draft. It was a move that had to be done because of the team trading of premium picks and giving big contracts to players outside the team, such as Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey, and Bradley Chubb, they didn’t have the money to pay their core players they drafted in previous years, such as Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, Brandon Jones, Andrew Van Ginkel, and others. The Dolphins lost depth and their young core of players, especially on defense.
The Dolphins entered the off-season, as general manager Chris Grier said, to invest in the trenches, and that is exactly what he did. The Dolphins drafted defensive tackle Kenneth Grant with the 13th pick, and he should be a young, build block for years to come and help complement veteran Zach Sieler.
It didn’t stop for Grier as he also drafted defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and Zeek Buggers. The Dolphins added more physical players on that side of the ball, which was needed because the Dolphins didn’t supplement their losses last year. Will these individuals be productive?
I believe they will, but patience will be required. Grant has a high ceiling as a player who can stuff the run and push the pocket on opposing offensive lines to make it tough for the quarterback. The other guys are going to push veterans like Benito Jones, who underwhelmed last year. I also think Grier drafted these guys as potential replacements for Seiler down the road.
I love Sieler, and he’s a player the Dolphins must keep. However, he’s turning 30 years old, and Grier doesn’t have a good track record of giving players second contracts as they age. It could become a check and balance, possibly, but that is a story for another day. If these players can’t get on the field right away, they can contribute on special teams, as Bigger blocked three kicks last year, and special teams are an important part of the game.
Grier addressed the interior of the offensive line, trading up to get Jonah Savaiinaea. He is a big physical guard who can move and is going to get every opportunity to win a starting guard spot.
The Dolphins let Hunt walk a year ago and didn’t draft anyone or attempt to replace him in free agency. Savaiinaea and Paul have a chance to be building blocks on the offensive line if they can stay healthy and develop. It will take time for them, but the hope is they will get better with each snap they get.
The Dolphins’ biggest weakness coming into training camp is their secondary. All four starters at safety and corner from a year ago are gone. That is unheard of to me. I don’t think I can remember the Dolphins stripping the position like this. The Dolphins have a lot of younger, inexperienced players and even guys with an injury history, such as Cam Smith, Ashtyn Davis, and Ifeatu Melifonwu. The Dolphins will have some competition, so it will be interesting.
The team’s reacquisition of Minkah Fitzpatrick will help at safety, but they need depth. The Dolphins drafted Jason Marshall in the 5th round, and he will have a chance to possibly start or, at the very least, get a lot of playing time in the nickel and dime packages.
The Dolphins also drafted safety Dante Trader, and he will get a chance. However, he is also a good special-teams player, and that could be where he excels, which is fine. The Dolphins could have a challenging year with their secondary. Still, you will have the opportunity to see some of the younger players and assess whether they are up to the task in training camp and the preseason, and hopefully won’t be buried on the depth chart.
The Dolphins also drafted running back Ollie Gordon, a big, physical back that the Dolphins needed. They have plenty of speed with Achane and Wright, but they have no power backs, and frankly, they haven’t had one in McDaniel’s tenure. I don’t know how McDaniel will utilize him, but I hope he uses him in short-yardage situations, as Achane isn’t built for that. I’m sure about Wright in that role. This will be one player I will be watching in the preseason.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers, whom the Dolphins took a flyer on as a developmental quarterback, may potentially be a backup down the road, but he’s currently the number 3 quarterback. If the 3rd quarterback plays in a season, you know your team has issues.
It’s not impossible to look at last year, but I have no expectations for Ewers other than him playing in the preseason and holding a clipboard when the season starts.
The Dolphins addressed some key areas in this roster reset, and I am optimistic about this group. The Dolphins got away from drafting and developing to go all in for a chance to win a title, which is fine if you win, but it will eventually come back to bite you in the ass, and it did. The Dolphins got younger, and hopefully, it means better for a prosperous future.
