The NFL draft’s first round came and went Thursday night, and the Miami Dolphins decided to stand pat.
They didn’t make a move back up into the first round and watched 31 selections go by without a first-round pick of their own.
Essentially, the Dolphins’ draft outlook entering Friday’s second and third rounds stands largely as it was ahead of Thursday. Miami has pick No. 51 in the second round and No. 84 in the third round before sixth- and seventh-round selections Saturday.
They still could lean toward any one of a number of talented tight ends or offensive linemen remaining if they emphasize positions of need the way the roster is currently constructed.
At tight end, only one was taken in the first round, Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. That means Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Georgia’s Darnell Washington, Iowa’s Sam LaPorta and Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave are among the top prospects available at the position.
The Dolphins have already deemed Austin Jackson the starter at right tackle opposite Pro Bowl veteran left tackle Terron Armstead, but both are injury-prone and Jackson could use some competition on his side, especially as he’s on the last year of his rookie deal.
After five offensive tackles went off the board Thursday, some of the top remaining options include Ohio State’s Dawand Jones, Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron, North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch, BYU’s Blake Freeland and Alabama’s Tyler Steen, a South Florida high school product out of St. Thomas Aquinas.
What if Miami wants a guard instead? Left guard is still a question mark with Liam Eichenberg yet to prove himself after two NFL seasons.
Florida’s O’Cyrus Torrence, largely expected to go in the first round, is still out there, as well as TCU’s Steve Avila. Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann’s another option. And Mauch presents positional versatility where he can also be an interior offensive lineman.
Running back is another possibility, but Alabama tailback Jahmyr Gibbs went well before his projected range, selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 12 pick Thursday. Miami can opt for a defensive lineman, too, with Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis all set to enter the final years of their contracts if extensions aren’t reached later this offseason.
The Dolphins didn’t have a first-round choice after previously possessing two. Their own selection, which would’ve been No. 21, was stripped from them due to tampering violations in pursuit of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton in years past.They also traded the 49ers’ first-rounder they picked up in a previous trade for edge defender Bradley Chubb last trade deadline
If Miami had that pick, it could’ve been the first team to take a tight end, possibly snagging Kincaid before the division-rival Buffalo Bills got him at No. 25. Any of the aforementioned offensive linemen would’ve also been available or Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison, who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 27th pick.
Defensive tackles in Michigan’s Mazi Smith (No. 26 to Dallas Cowboys) and Clemson’s Bryan Bresee (No. 29 to the New Orleans Saints), as well as edge defenders in Clemson’s Myles Murphy (28 to Bengals), Georgia’s Nolan Smith (30 to Eagles) and Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah (31 to Chiefs) were selected between the Dolphins’ would-be first-rounder and the end of the first round.
What else did the Dolphins miss out on in Thursday’s first round?
Gibbs is the main Dolphins draft target that was thought to be realistic in the second round but was selected far ahead of projections. It seemed difficult for the draft’s second-ranked running back to last after the Atlanta Falcons took Texas’ Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 pick, but the Lions pulled off the first round’s stunner by selecting Gibbs at 12. Many believed Miami would’ve been willing to trade up in the second round if it had to or even into the late first round if the explosive Gibbs remained.
If the Dolphins, which returned four running backs including Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. on short-term deals, still want to draft a tailback, Texas A&M’s Devon Achane could be another option. Or, with the team so heavily linked to trade talks for Minnesota Vikings star Dalvin Cook, maybe Miami just keeps that option open.
Incidentally, on a draft Thursday where the Dolphins didn’t have a first-round pick due to tampering, the Eagles and Cardinals settled a tampering investigation involving the hiring of former Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as Arizona coach. The Eagles traded up from No. 94 to 66 in Friday’s third round while sending the Cardinals a 2024 fifth-round selection.
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