The Miami Dolphins need to hit on multiple picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. They can't afford to select developmental players to sit for a year and hope for the best. Miami needs starters.
In Round 1, the Dolphins must find an impact player and can't pigeonhole themselves into drafting strictly for need. They can do that with the other nine draft picks they have. If that impact player is an offensive lineman, great; if the draft doesn't pan out that way on Day 1, shift the focus to a game-changer.
That isn't the case with Round 2. The Dolphins will still have positions of need, regardless of who they draft at No. 13 overall. Day 2, however, sets up nicely with these five players that could be available for Miami.
Five dream Day 2 targets for the Dolphins in 2025 NFL Draft
Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Before the 2025 Senior Bowl, most casual fans had not heard the name Grey Zabel. Many draftniks also had him pegged as a late-second-round or early-third-round selection, but Zabel stole the practice session spotlight, and now, everyone is talking about him.
Typically, by the time the draft rolls around, the hype dies off, and players tend to settle back into their original slotting, or a little higher or lower, depending on NFL Combine sessions and pro days.
Zabel is a powerful guard with a lot of upside, and he could come off the board late on Day 1. Most mock drafts have him going late in the first or early in the second. The hope is that his draft stock will settle backward, as we have seen with many offensive linemen over the last several years.
Even if the Dolphins have to trade up, Zabel would be a home-run addition.
Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
Donovan Jackson and the Buckeyes won the National Title to end the 2024 NCAA season, and many project the versatile lineman to be a solid mid-second-round pick.
Jackson has experience at tackle and guard but should begin his NFL career inside. Per Pro Football Focus, Jackson played 529 left-tackle snaps and 286 left-guard snaps last season, allowing only two sacks.
Jackson would be a good fit next to Patrick Paul, but the Dolphins can work him on the right side as a potential replacement for Austin Jackson in the future.
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Miami must add a safety after losing Jevon Holland in free agency. While they brought in Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu, the work is far from over.
If the Dolphins pass on Georgia's Malaki Starks in the first round, Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts is an exceptional option in the second. Watts is a game-changer, having made an unbelievable 13 interceptions (with one pick-six) and 14 pass defenses in his final two seasons for Notre Dame.
Some believe that Watts will eventually be a better safety than Starks. While Miami needs to address the offensive line, it can't afford to reach if the draft doesn't go its way.