Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 NFL Draft, it's safe to say that Miami Dolphins fans' reactions have been mixed. There are some who only want to be homers and praise every decision the team makes, while there are curmudgeons that only want to be angry with the team no matter what they do.
While general manager Chris Grier made some impressive decisions, there were also some questionable calls. In this piece, we're doing a re-draft with our picks if we were in Grier's chair to make the big calls:
Dolphins first-round pick: Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
A brutal run on prospects Miami was sure to be interested in ran from picks No. 15-20. All of those players would have made Miami much better in 2024, so seeing them all systematically off the board was painful. However, there was one player who made it to No. 21 that I was so excited about. Graham Barton fell to Miami, but the Dolphins went with EDGE Chop Robinson instead.
Barton was an elite prospect for the center or guard position and, despite short arms, could play tackle in a pinch. It was a perfect fit. His athleticism would have thrived in this offense. Robinson has a ton of potential, but Barton was the home run at No. 21. This could be a pick that Grier ends up regretting, especially if Barton turns out to be a stud.
My pick: Duke OL Graham Barton
Dolphins second-round pick: Houston OT Patrick Paul
Grier couldn't have known who would fall in the draft, but to draft an edge-rusher early and still have guys like Marshawn Kneeland and Chris Braswell on the board hurt even more. I see those guys on a similar level to Robinson, but both of those guys are better against the run. In the second round, Miami went with a lineman. So, they took Kingsley Suamataia or Christian Haynes, right?
Wrong. Miami took Patrick Paul. Paul was expected to go in this range, but when the first thing Grier has to say is that when he gets beat, he can make up for it, that's not a great sign. To put it lightly, Paul's tape is sloppy and raw. He really does not run-block well, especially in space, and he gives too much ground to bull rushers at his size.
He's also not particularly quick. Additionally, he has no versatility. He will be a backup tackle and not slide over to play guard. Kingsley or Haynes would have made way more sense. However, with us taking Graham Barton in the first round, we would have used the No. 55 overall pick for some EDGE help.
My pick: Western Michigan EDGE Marshawn Kneeland
Dolphins fourth-round pick: Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright
Finally, a pick to agree with, for the most part. A problem fans had was that Grier traded a future third-round pick for a fourth-rounder. Regardless of how many third-round comp picks may be coming, this felt rough. Had lineman Mason McCormick been available, he would have been a great get, but he ended up with the Steelers.
Wright will compete with De'Von Achane for RB1 snaps when Raheem Mostert begins to decline either this year or next. Wright has the tools to be a stud for the Miami offense and he'll be able to turn some heads in '24 too. This was a great pick.
My pick: Jaylen Wright
Dolphins fifth-round pick: Colorado State EDGE Mohamed Kamara
Another great pick. Again, Grier couldn't have known Mohamed Kamara would be here, but if he had, I wonder if he would have gone a different direction in the first two rounds. Kamara's burst and aggressiveness are impressive - he plays similarly to Robinson, which again has us wondering why the Dolphins took him in the first round.
Kamara is a bit short with shorter arms, but he's explosive, fast, and will make for a good rotational guy when Miami is at full strength. This was a solid addition for the Dolphins pass-rush, especially with Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb coming off their season-ending injuries in 2023.
My pick: Mo Kamara
Dolphins sixth-round pick: Virginia WR Malik Washington
Another really solid pick by Miami. Malik Washington is impressive on tape. He is a terrific receiver with unreal production in college. He is another smaller, slot-type receiver. He's got impressive wheels and he should be able to help out both Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. The addition of Odell Beckham Jr. still has a lot of people talking too. We'll see what Washington can do this season.
My pick: Malik Washington
Dolphins sixth-round pick: Cal S Patrick McMorris
And we're back to head-scratchers. Patrick McMorris was not on many consensus boards as even a Top 300 player. It's hard to argue that Miami needed safety depth, but this is a special teams only-type of player which just is not ideal with who was still on the board. Khristian Boyd was seen as a strong sleeper prospect at defensive tackle due to his production at a smaller school. He has good power and weight to beef up the interior DL.
Then Christian Mahogany, a player who many projected to go in Round 3, fell all the way to No. 210. Taking a flier on a talented guard prospect at No. 198 would have been ideal since the Dolphins have 2-3 guards on the roster, and only one good enough to start.
My pick: Boston College OG Christian Mahogany
Dolphins seventh-round pick: USC WR Tahj Washington
This also feels like a wasted pick since Malik Washington was taken the round before. The Dolphins have former mid-rounder Erik Ezukanma on the roster. Maybe they view Tahj Washington as a KR/PR, but even still, there were good players left on the board in needed positions. Let's start at WR, if Miami wanted one, why not Cornelius Johnson, a 6-3 wideout from Michigan? He is a good run-blocker with solid contested-catch ability.
Additionally, KT Leveston as a backup guard to develop could have been wise. He played tackle at Kansas State, but his athletic profile would see him more likely as a guard. My pick would have been Marcus Harris from Auburn. He is a great run-stopping DT, one of the better ones in the class. He doesn't offer much in the pass game, but he has a high motor and would have easily made Miami's DT rotation.
My pick: Auburn DT Marcus Harris