Miami Dolphins draft needs are more than their draft picks
By Brian Miller
![A Jaguars fan in the crowd holds a DUUUVAL Draft sign during the team's NFL Draft party Thursday evening. Jacksonville Jaguar fans showed up at Daily's Place for the 2022 NFL Draft party which saw the Jaguars pick University of Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker as their first pick of the draft where the team had the first overall draft pick Thursday evening, April 28, 2022. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 042822 Jags2022draftpa 11](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fphinphanatic-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F18170977-850x560-19ead4e2794ec7dd61ab5a0355eca7ff2c8235bc61382aa500bd63cdb1924839.jpg "A Jaguars fan in the crowd holds a DUUUVAL Draft sign during the team's NFL Draft party Thursday evening. Jacksonville Jaguar fans showed up at Daily's Place for the 2022 NFL Draft party which saw the Jaguars pick University of Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker as their first pick of the draft where the team had the first overall draft pick Thursday evening, April 28, 2022. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 042822 Jags2022draftpa 11")
The NFL Draft is still a couple of months away and there will be plenty of coverage between now and then but the Dolphins could use more picks than they have.
The Dolphins will have one 2nd round pick, two 3rd round picks, one 6th and one 7th. Hardly a big haul. There is plenty of speculation that Miami could get some compensation should Mike Gesicki leave in free agency which is likely but overall, they don’t have enough draft capital to fill their needs with top prospects.
This year’s NFL draft, according to draft experts, believes this year’s class to be strong at cornerback, running back, and edge rusher. ESPN draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes this year’s tight end class could be the best in at least a decade.
Miami will enter this draft season with needs at running back, no RBs currently under contract, they have a big need at tight end, especially when Gesicki leaves, they need cornerback help depending on what is going on with Byron Jones. About the only position they don’t need on this list is, edge-rusher.
Miami also needs to get better players for the offensive line as well.
The Dolphins blew draft picks with selections of Noah Igbinoghene who has not panned out and the trade-up to draft Hunter Long was a big mistake that hangs over Chris Grier’s head. Those selections easily could have been better.
This year can the Dolphins afford to spend their only 2nd-round draft pick on a TE that is going to take at least a full season to acclimate to the NFL? Can they risk taking another CB that will need time to develop as well in round two or do they wait until round three?
By the time the mid-rounds begin, the Dolphins will be waiting for round 6 to begin.
For the Dolphins, there is no mega-trade on the roster waiting to be moved. No one would have thought that Laremy Tunsil would have been traded when he was but this year, there isn’t anyone that is going to bring in first or multiple mid-round picks.
The trade for Bradley Chubb didn’t work out well in 2022 but this isn’t a one-year evaluation. Perhaps a bigger question will be whether or not the Dolphins move what draft capital they have now both in 2023 or 2024 to add players to the roster prior to the start or after the start of free agency. Is another Tyreek Hill-type blockbuster possible? Probably not.
Grier can’t be thrilled with what he has to work with ahead of this year’s draft but he has time to figure out how to increase it. The questions are will he and can he?