20 days to go until the 2025 NFL Draft, where basically our entire season is hinged upon. Normally that’s not the case, but this team still has so many holes, and some of those holes are bigger than others. We legitimately need a starting player at LG, LDE, CB, S, and then of course we need depth at a few positions as well. I know some feel CB is the most important spot to fill and I can’t say they’re wrong, it’s all a matter of opinion. Others feel DT/DE or S are the most important, I see mock drafts with safeties and cornerbacks as our pick at #13 quite often (I scream inside my head BTW). Then there are those who feel OL is the top priority, and you can count me at the top of that crew. Right now, considering it looks very much like LT Terron Armstead isn’t returning in ’25, we have LT Patrick Paul, no LG, C Aaron Brewer, RG James Daniels, and RT Austin Jackson. Consider this, despite the glaring hole at LG, we’re going to be starting Patrick Paul at LT who played 337 snaps there last season, including 3 game starts. C Aaron Brewer is an undersized move center at less than 300 lbs, maybe even less than 290 lbs, and then we have RG James Daniels returning from an achilles injury. At RT, Austin Jackson is also retuning from a knee injury which cost him 9 games last season. Think of how very tenuous all this looks. No matter how I think about it, we have to put a put a top prospect for the O-line on this team to play LG. Then we have to draft another one for depth, because how many times do we have to watch the attrition on our O-line? Will James Daniels be healthy enough to start right away and healthy enough to finish? Is Patrick Paul really ready now after redshirting due to Terron Armstead? Is Austin Jackson OK from his knee injury and can he return to 2023 form?
Armand Membou heads my list, he just feels right. If he’s there at #13, I’d be absolutely thrilled. There are 2 other OL that I’d have to stay put at #13 and grab them, OL Will Campbell and OL Kelvin Banks. If somehow all 3 were gone, that would likely push a really good player to us, and if it fell that way, and CB Will Johnson is there then so be it. If we trade back, instead, I think O-line first is off the table unless the player meets the need. There are a few lesser OT prospects like Josh Simmons and Grey Zabel that may fit that criteria, but we shouldn’t reach there. Maybe we go DT or S or CB first, and if that’s how it goes that’s fine, but I’m probably taking two OL and not too far apart. I think it’s safe to say that no one here wants to see Liam Eichenberg starting on opening day at LG.
The veteran route. There are a players at both CB and OL that I feel I’d be good with signing. The bigger issue is how much. There are a few CB’s who will likely be pricy, but there are some older FA CB’s that wouldn’t be. If we had a rotation at the CB spot opposite Ramsey with say Jalen Mills or Stephon Gilmore, along with our young guys Storm Duck, Cam Smith, Isaiah Johnson, Ethan Bonner and Jason Maitre, along with a draftee in the mid to later rounds, maybe that works. Call me crazy, but I feel like the O-line is a lynchpin to the entire season. If it’s good, we may also be good as a team, but if it’s bad, I can almost guarantee you things will be bad here for our 2025 Miami Dolphins. I truly don’t think that one CB spot holds as much importance to our season. I don’t think either Jalen Mills or Stephon Gilmore will be uber expensive but they’re available now, but it’s possible they come off the market quickly after the draft after teams reassess their needs. No matter how many times I try to switch it up and justify taking a CB or DT first and I always regret it. Let’s hope we don’t all have that same regret.
GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Thank you, Mike E.!
We need the best players we can get in the trenches, both sides of the ball. OL, as you stated, is very thin, tenuous at best. It won’t take much once one domino drops.
I still can’t get over what the Eagles did with a 4-man rush in the Super Bowl.
To me, the SB this year was won in the trenches.
It’s ridiculous that our #1 need is OL and that’s with really only 1 true starting DT on the roster in Seiler. It’s like Groundhog Day every offseason and every draft.
we can get a DT in rd 2
Thanks MikeE!
Draft Wire thinks Kelvin Banks will slide in the draft and be the last OL taken in the 1st round. They don’t feel he is elite enough to go top 15 and actually rank him as OT5 behind Campbell, Membou, Simmons and Ersery with Conerly close behind.
They believe at least 5-6 OL will be taken ahead of Banks.
No complaints of injury either, yikes.
—————
WR Xavier Restrepo tanked during Miami’s pro day on Monday and potentially bumped him out of the day two conversation. According to multiple reports, Restrepo ran his two 40s somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.8-5.1 seconds.
He didn’t run at the combine.
good, let’s pick him up on day 3
This one isn’t bad from Draftwire and, I think, from a Lions writer. Lite on the DL though. Fairchild has been the starting LG at Georgia for a couple years now. Don’t know much about Lundt. I don’t care for the RB pick. He doesn’t have good vision and is a between the tackles type RB. Hard to tackle though.
First round: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Second round: T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
Third round: Dylan Fairchild, IOL, Georgia
Fourth round (2 picks)
Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
Chase Lundt, OT, UConn
Fifth round (2 picks)
Ja’Corey Brooks, WR, Louisville
Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers
Seventh round (3 picks)
Luke Newman, IOL, Michigan State
Jalen McLeod, LB, Auburn
Jordan Oladokun, CB, Bowling Green
Lundt sounds like a Grier pick that makes us go “Who?”
lol
Maybe someone can educate me on him.
Looking at some DT tape only really like Derrick Harmon and Joshua Farmer so far
Graham, Nolan and Grant meh
Darius Alexander from Toledo showed well, but playing that schedule i don’t think he’s ready yet to be a good pro, maybe in a couple of years
Graham will have a solid career, but he’s not a top 20 pick IMO
I’d rather go OL or CB with pick 13
if it’s OL it needs to be an OT, that can also be moved inside or play RT and move Jackson inside
This draft doesn’t have a clear elite DT but a bunch of good ones. Graham projects to be the most solid/consistent. It’s a real ? on who will be the best of this bunch.
Harmon is disruptive but also has a poor tackling grade. Though, as I think Randy said, you can’t really grade a DT’s value on that. It happens when you are in a phone booth getting knocked around and held on to.
I would go as far and say none would be top 15 in past drafts, top 10 for sure.
I think you are right about Alexander also. Given a couple years, he could be the next Seiler. He was considered a late 3rd to early 4th but after the Senior Bowl and Combine, he has climbed to a mid 2nd.
BBMike – That’s odd because every other sire I check Banks is in the top 3 of OT’s
I’d also add that it was mostly on his college game tape, which really should be the most important thing.
One more thing, is Banks at 6’4 is probably least likely to play OT, so maybe they’re ranking them as pure OT’s, and not OL
between OL, DT, S, CB we must go BPA at 13 or trade back
I agree with Mike the season only goes as far as the OL takes it, but we can’t reach for one at 13 we need a star there
and why I wanted Chop with our 2024 1st
Nice write, Mike. We definitely need to hit on few guys in the draft to make an impact.
they just won’t get off of the Tyreek trade rumors, his cap hit says no trade, unless they can figure out a way of lowering his dead money
would be nice to get some compensation for him and lower his dead money number
Pre 6/1 trade will cause an extra 600K cap hit, 28.2m dead cap hit total. Even if that takes him off the books forever, I still don’t see it happening unless the compensation is high.
I keep forgetting about Auburn LB Jalen McLeod, 6’2, 241, in my mocks for a 7th round pick. I like ILB Woodard more. Though, I do have him on my UDFA want list. He’s a chess piece and plays at both ILB and OLB every game. I really like his versatility to play any LB position.
CB and S we have good depth, but not very good at starters, except Ramsey, is it enough?
seems we finish every season with these depth guys starting
at LB we have very good depth and good enough starters, too many other needs to go after an early drafted LB
if we could only have 1 player in this draft, and that pick was guaranteed to be a 2025 all pro, at what position would you want that player to play?
DT, I think we could get a really good player to play LG and does not have to be an all pro to take our offense to another level.
If a rookie DT comes in and ends up being an all pro, our defense would most likely have been a top 5 defense. It would also have meant we had a fearsome front 7.
good insight
Dow Jones down another 2,000 points today after dropping 1850 yesterday.
I blame YOU
cool! Hope it drops another 6k and I’ll get back in
market is down mostly, because of all the rhetoric from the left
I remember Janet Yellen saying inflation is only temporary, when Biden sent it sky high
how’d that turn out
It’s my fault, I admit it.
It doesn’t affect my retirement, but I really feel for those who are impacted by it. I am clueless when it comes to the market.
it effects Wall Street, those with lots of money mostly
MikeE., that was OT ranking on Banks that’s why they had Simmons and Ersery ahead of him. They also still had Will Campbell being drafted to play LT. First time I saw anything like that on Banks. They also had LG Tyler Booker going before him though. I think coming off the board they had it as Campbell, Membou, Simmons, Ersery, Booker then Banks.
So just one site saying so. Doesn’t mean anything.
I think you definitely take a DL over OL if everything is equal. DT can be more impactful. The problem in this draft is there really isn’t a great DT. I have said I think Grant has the combination of size and athleticism to be really good. If he can drop about 10-15 pounds and work on a couple things, his upside is big.
A guy like, say, Nolen has the athleticism but he doesn’t have the size. He will never be able to engulf and dominate OL with pure size because he doesn’t have it. Grant does. There’s a difference between occupying or trying to draw a double team block and demanding a double. Grant is the type of guy who demands it…or could be.
Graham, I think, is your classic bulldog, effort player who doesn’t have great athleticism….its okay but nothing great…but he will work his ass off to make plays and might end up being a great type of player to have because other players feed off that shit. Plus, his feet aren’t great but they’re good enough where he would be a handful if he’s matched up against slow OL. I think I’d still take OL, but I don’t care if it’s a DL. Either is fine with me….just get a good one
25.
Walter NolenDT Ole Miss
48.
Jonah SavaiinaeaOG Arizona
82.
Darien PorterCB Iowa State
98.
Terrance FergusonTE Oregon
116.
Jamaree CaldwellDT Oregon
150.
Billy BowmanS Oklahoma
155.
Sebastian CastroS Iowa
166.
Luke KandraOG Cincinnati
187.
Ty RobinsonDT Nebraska
224.
Ty HamiltonDT Ohio State
231.
Trevor EtienneRB Georgia
253.
Xavier TrussOG Georgia
It’s funny how we need an OG and a DT/DE. We had Robert Hunt, a 2020 2nd RD pick that we did a terrible job of not keeping, and also our 1st RD pick in 2019 Christian Wilkins. Really just an awful job of keeping your own talent and managing the cap, spending too much money on players acquired. The best organizations just don’t do that. I know, ancient history and water under the bridge, but Grier put us in the position and I don’t really expect him to get us out of it.
the Cheats not only did it every year, they let the player go a year early
Steelers lived by next man up and GB
Steve – I don’t think the Patriots and the Steelers did that on players 2nd contracts, I think it was usually their 3rd. They knew when to cut bait. There’s no good reason not to keep the talent you draft and develop on a 2nd contract. We’re probably the worst franchise in the NFL at doing that. We have so little front line talent on this team that we drafted, it’s pathetic
Piggy,
You keep taking Castro from Iowa a lot in your drafts. Thanks! But, the kid I’ve been telling you guys is probably our best prospect is RB Kaleb Johnson. I think he’s gonna end up having a solid career. A nice choice of samurai. 🙂
I keep looking for him and they don’t even have him on most of he draft boards
5-0 Mets! LFGM💥⚾️
Man, my eye allergies really flared up as I watched this…
The unlikely lasting friendship Alabama captain Malachi Moore forged | College GameDay
Malachi has a huge heart, became team captain at Alabama, and he was recruited by Nick Saban.
I’m drafting Malachi. And not only can he play Safety at a high level, but he can also play CB. Versatility in the DB room.
^^
Malachi Moore | 2024 Highlights | HD | Alabama DB 🐘
Steve – perfect example is LB Joey Porter. Steelers signed him to his 2nd contract but let him go after that. We signed him to a big contract after that when he was on the downside
Steve – I’ll add that the Steelers do that with WR’s because they seem to draft that position so well they keep replenishing their WR corps without any real drop-off
2024 Coverage Grades for Notable Safeties in the 2025 NFL Draft
— Andrew Mukuba: 89.7
— Xavier Watts: 89.5
— Malachi Moore: 89.4
— Nick Emmanwori: 86.8
— Billy Bowman: 76.0
— Malaki Starks: 72.1
— Lathan Ransom: 66.5
— Sebastian Castro: 63.7
So why exactly is Malachi Moore projected to go much later than the rest? Sports hernia suffered in December, 2024.
Didn’t perform at the Combine, nor at Alabama’s Pro Day on 4/1/25.
Assuming he makes a 100% recovery (we’re not talking about an ACL), he’s going to be a day 3 steal for somebody… may it be US!
Where is he expected to go, what round?
It varies from site to site, but PFF has him going around #230, for example.
PFSN has him going at #144.
Looking around even further, it looks as though the consensus is somewhere on day 3.
M – If he’s a good player and we get him that late he would be a good pick for the future. I think both Meli and Davis can start for a while. Is it likely he’ll play at all this season?
I personally do not know… haven’t dug that far. But being he’s listed as a day 3 pick, my guess would be YES. I can’t imagine Malachi Moore not playing in the ’25 season.
Mike E,
Good write, but I need to caution you about Jalen Mills: he’s an injury just waiting to happen. In his 9 year career, he’s only ever played in all games TWICE. And Stephon Gilmore will be 35 years old when week 2 kicks off, and he’s fallen off a cliff in production.
Both Mills and Gilmore are projected to make less $$$ this year than Brandon Scherff… and they play a highly prized SKILL position, whereas Scherff does not.
We’d be better off just slotting Storm Duck as CB2 opposite Ramsey… and that’s risky as hell!
As for the rest of FA CBs that are actually viable for us… they are projected to cost at least $11M/year +.
If we DON’T want to kick the financial can further down the road (ie: restructuring the likes of Tua and more), ya want to draft a stud CB early and then sign Scherff.
That would NOT preclude us from drafting an O-Lineman early, just not on day 1.
I’m speaking strictly of the financial disaster that Chris Grief has put us in, while still trying to be very competitive. It can be done!
Allow me to put it another way to you… financially. I’d rather spend $6.7M/year on the very reliable Scherff than to spend $11M+ on a leftover FA CB… who may or may not be reliable for us.
Ya get the elite rookie CB on a rookie deal, and you’re saving MAJOR $$$ in the long run.
Great write air , and ya also I think ya nailed it with “ O-line is a lynchpin to the entire season. If it’s good, we may also be good as a team, but if it’s bad, I can almost guarantee you things will be bad”
Thanks for keeping on keeping on 😎
I agree with this statement from Mike E, 100%.
Doesn’t mean we HAVE to take an O-Lineman as our first pick, but it would be the safest strategy.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and I really like Brandon Scherff as a FA solution to our O-Line.
M – slightly worried that during Scherff’s entire career he’s played RG
Daniels said he can play either side.
^
Yes, he can play either side.
That, and Daniels said he does not yet know/has not been informed which side he is going to play.
I think teams like the Steelers and Pats try to keep certain players longer by resigning them, Steelers more so. Cameron Heyward was drafted by the Steelers and has only been a Steeler going on his 15th season. Also, I got really tired of Vince Wilfork clogging the middle for the Patriots for over a decade.
Both teams were also notorious for letting players walk but they had their replacements ready to go.
That’s exactly it Tim. They have let players walk, mostly ones that were on their next contract or wanted an extension. They have both drafted well, and typically don’t trade for or sign high priced FA’s. Not that they haven’t done it, but it’s been minimal.
piggy,
We don’t need to be drafting a RB, so I haven’t looked at how people view them other than the top couple. I thought he could be a 2-3 round pick. Maybe everybody else thinks he sucks. Lol
TC will figure out everyone’s roles. Just add more good players and it will figure itself out
Tim – Yes, both the Steelers and Patriots let vet players walk, but not their best players and definitely not their 2nd contracts. Do a little research and you’ll see what I’m saying is correct.
Pats let Brady walk
After 40 years. lol
Still won a SB
don’t particularly like taking S first, but after a trade and getting Amos, Williams and Farmer I’m all in
13.
Tyler WarrenTE Penn State
48.
Benjamin MorrisonCB Notre Dame
98.
Cameron WilliamsOT Texas
116.
Billy BowmanS Oklahoma
135.
Howard Cross IIIDT Notre Dame
150.
Jamaree CaldwellDT Oregon
155.
Dillon GabrielQB Oregon
224.
Kaden PratherWR Maryland
231.
Dante Trader Jr.S Maryland
253.
Nazir Stackhouse
I’m seeing a lot mocks with the Jets taking Warren at #7.
https://dolphinstalk.com/2025/04/the-dolphins-are-in-a-soft-rebuild-and-not-in-panic-mode/
___________
The article makes sense…let’s hope it’s true…lol
Kind of like this writer is making his own spin on an article that came out the other day saying the Dolphins were in pre reset mode. This guy basically said the same thing but called it a “soft rebuild”. Then he went on to add what I said about clearing cap with Tyreek and Ramsey next year. Hmmm
It’s also what you have said would be the most likely path out from under the top heavy contracts…lol
29. Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
47. Wyatt Milum OG West Virginia
48. T.J. Sanders DT South Carolina
61. Andrew Mukuba S Texas
98. Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
128. Logan Brown OT Kansas
135. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
150. RJ Harvey RB UCF
155. J.J. Pegues DT Ole Miss
224. Jalin Conyers TE Texas Tech
231. Cody Simon LB Ohio State
2026 WAS 3rd
2026 WAS 5th
BBM Rebuild Defense And Upgrade OL Mock Draft
33. Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame
48. Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
58. Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
63. T.J. Sanders DT South Carolina
79. Alfred Collins DT Texas
94. Dylan Fairchild OG Georgia
98. Ajani Cornelius OT Oregon
116. Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
150. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
155. Malachi Moore S Alabama
224. Jalin Conyers TE Texas Tech
231. Cody Simon LB Ohio State
253. Isaiah Neyor WR Nebraska
This draft is not loaded with elite top prospects from the research I’ve done. Maybe 5. It really becomes pick and choose from there.
That’s why you’re all trading down.
100% can’t help not to. I see same value at bottom of 1st as I do at #13 in most cases.
Unless CB Johnson, OT Campbell or OT Membou falls to us. BPA for us at #13 is most likely going to be an edge which we don’t really need (this year).
Ken – My point was letting players that you drafted and developed, and became top players on your team that you failed to keep on their 2nd contracts. Good organizations don’t do that, especially if you don’t have someone in place to replace either of those players. I think it was GM malpractice to let both Wilkins and Hunt go, and we’re still in that freaking hole right now!
But my point is that is not really true anymore in today’s NFL. The Pats led Brady walk when he had gas left in the tank. In today’s game contract and cap issues dictate more player movement than any other time in league history. Teams let great players go because it doesn’t fit the economics of the game.
I disagree Ken The Brady example is poor, too, comparing apples to oranges..
It was at least poor team management building! The fucking trenches! Come on, Ken! Lol
Teams resign their top players coming off their rookie deals in most cases IF their team has the cap. If they don’t have the cap the player walks. I just think that is becoming more common these days. Teams strap themselves with expensive free agents on ridiculous contracts and have to let good players you drafted walk. Then teams have to play cap manipulation games ruining future cap to make some room.
More frequent coaching and GM turnover rates have pushed teams into a constant state of win now mode. They sacrifice cap for elite players and can’t build a solid team across the board.
For Tyreek, Waddle, Chubb and two 5th round picks the Dolphins used up:
FOUR 1st round picks
ONE 2nd round pick
FOUR 4th round picks
ONE 6th round pick
Wash out the two 5ths with a 4th and the 6th and they spent FOUR 1st round picks, ONE 2nd round pick and THREE 4th round picks on Hill, Waddle and Chubb.
THAT is what has set the Dolphins back in building a team and spiraling into cap hell.
Oh, forgot. Throw in RB Chase Edmonds the Dolphins got as a consolation prize.
^^^^ THIS ^^^^
I was crying about it real time and was told I wasn’t a fan because I didn’t want my team to have “good players”……
Would be cool if we draft Malaki Starks and Malachi Moore
I already have the nickname ready:
THE CHILDREN OF THE CORN!
(Piggy Squeals sinerstely)
“He wants you TOO… MALACHI…”
😀
Tim,
I will borderline lose my mind if the Jets take Warren
I think he’s going top 10 because of Brock Bowers.
Just block the play! Achane, Wright and Mattison should be really good. Tua and Co. will feast on that. Our play-action should be awesome!
Absolutely agreed. So once we get our Guard situation figured out, we should be able to run at will and pass at will again… like we had in ’22 and ’23. We should have a top-5 Offense again… or at least a top-10, on paper. No more 2 deep Safeties defending against us all day as we saw in ’24.
Get a solid DT, a starting CB, and a starting S (maybe two in the Draft)… and our Defense should be legit once again in ’25 under Anthony Weaver.
Not going to lie… Chris Grier needs to KILL this Draft. I believe it’s possible to do, but will he?
He can’t get cute again, as he seems to do every Draft.
I swear, if Chris Grier takes ANY position other than OT/OG, CB, DT, or S on day 1 and day 2 of the Draft, he should be fired immediately after the Draft ends.
Exception being if he trades down from R1P13 and acquires an additional pick(s). JMO.
I DO believe Grier realizes he’s on the hot seat, so I don’t expect him to be foolish this Draft… but, ya never know.
If he can’t find immediate contributors (and that also means system fits), he won’t be here long enough to see them through to their second seasons.
And to be very transparent, I’m ROOTING for Chris Grier!!! I WANT him to KILL this Draft!!!
Happy retirement Armstead
^
@Marcel_LJ
After a decorated 12-year NFL career, 5-time Pro Bowler Terron Armstead has announced his retirement at a party attended by former teammates like Drew Brees, Calais Campbell, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and more
3-2 Mets! LFGM!!
^
Paul was drafted to be the future LT. 2024 2nd round pick. No different than all the OL you’re drafting this year with no experience. 😉
Exactly! It’s his time to shine! I’ve felt all along it was his job, even if Armstead came back
LT Paul
LG Daniel/?
C Brewer
RG Daniel/?
RT Jackson
This is not the same OL we’ve been rolling with. It’s totally being revamped within a a couple of years.
Paul needs to step up, and Jackson needs to show he can be a good RT without an elite RG next to him.
if we draft an OG, we still need to draft a little depth, but I think if we fill that one hole the starting core is better than it’s been in years
Agreed but Paul has to be good and the talent is there.
BBM,
throw in the first we lost in 2023 and the third we lost in 2024 for the tampering and that’s even worse.
Oh yeah, shit
Patrick Paul played well last year
we drafted him to replace Armstead
he played in over 300 snaps last year. He started 3 games and played in 100% of the snaps last year. For the lesson he played in just under 30% of those snaps
as good as Armstead was when he played – switching to Paul at LT isn’t a huge gamble, it’s kind of expected
without a trade down , it’s hard to find a CB
13.
Kelvin Banks Jr.OT Texas
67.
Tyleik WilliamsDT Ohio State
98.
Joshua FarmerDT Florida State
104.
Gunnar HelmTE Texas
116.
Jaylen ReedS Penn State
135.
Malachi MooreS Alabama
150.
Charles GrantOT William & Mary
155.
CJ WestDT Indiana
224.
Vernon BroughtonDT Texas
231.
Willie LampkinOG North Carolina
253.
Yahya BlackDT Iowa
26.
Walter NolenDT Ole Miss
48.
Trey AmosCB Ole Miss
90.
Cameron WilliamsOT Texas
98.
Terrance FergusonTE Oregon
101.
Billy BowmanS Oklahoma
116.
Joshua FarmerDT Florida State
127.
Jamaree CaldwellDT Oregon
135.
Trey WedigOT Indiana
150.
Jalen RiversOT Miami (FL)
155.
J.J. PeguesDT Ole Miss
167.
Sebastian CastroS Iowa
253.
Cody SimonLB Ohio State
I am a Hoosier homer, but I don’t care for Wedig. He is an Eichenberg clone with terrible balance. He ends up on the ground a lot. He does a lot of good stuff but still reminds me of Eich. He may be a project to take 5th round or later, IMO.
I prefer Rivers over Wedig. I also like Kandra over both those guys. I think Kandra could surprise and start at either OG position.
“The durable mauler logged 895 snaps that season—third-most among guards nationwide—while grading out as the team’s top lineman in 10 of 12 games. His coaches awarded him a 92% grade with 79 knockdowns, confirming what the film showed: a technician who dominated in the trenches.”
“His remarkable consistency—allowing just one sack across 24 starts at Cincinnati”
I think Kandra is a good fit for us
I usually try to see if I can draft him. Here he wa soff the board pretty early
I wonder what Armstead’s official retirement date is since he poses an 18.5m dead cap hit. If before 6/1, the Dolphins will incur an additional 9.4m cap hit this year. If official post 6/1, it will get split up and actually clear another 1.2m this year and clear 11.5m in 2026.
Most likely the latter or they would not have restructured him.
I agree with everything up to if official post 6/1
but what i see is the cap this year will stay the same except it’s dead money, then in 2026 we’ll have to pay the rest of the 18.5m as dead money
I could be wrong though, because I can’t figure out where the 10m fully guaranteed comes into play, unless we’ve already paid out more than 10m and that cash payout needs to be accounted for in 18.5m dead money (they don’t show previous years payouts)
the reason I think I’m right is, because once there’s a dead money figure listed for the current year it generally has to be accounted for
Yeah, I’m not sure either
every team has cap casualties, we tried to sign Wilkins and Hunt, but at some point you have to stick to your guns, those guys wanted to test the market and they won
what makes a great team great is sticking with a few core players. For KC it’s Mahomes, Jones and Kelce. For Buffalo it’s been pretty much just Allen
Bills talked about how soft we were and they knew at the end we’d wilt
What bills don’t talk about is how they will every year in the playoffs against KC
we may be their bitch, but they’re KC’s bitch
I think the argument is we should have extended them prior to playing their final season.
we tried
We know how it ended. They could have done more though before they became free agents. They could have approached Hunt in year 2 or 3 and tried to extend him. Same for Wilkins, I know they made him an offer the year previous to his final year, and maybe in retrospect, they should have gone up the couple of million per year he wanted. They gave Tua what he wanted and that was a terrible call. I’d take Wilkins over Tua any and every day of the week because he’s not the guy they paid for and he’s a huge injury risk
if we go OT with our 1st pick I think our OL may be shuffled a bit
whoever can play LG the best may be moved there
I usually try to see if I can draft him. Here he was off the board pretty early
——–
Yeah, lately I have been having to take him at 135
Latest PFN 7-Round Mock Draft has the Dolphins Selecting | Yardbarker
Not disappointed with it but don’t care for McCord at 135 or Restrepo at 150 especially after 2 very poor 40 times.
i think it sucks, but I’d take Restrepo at 150
Speed may not matter with him, he’s quick and shifty
and very good hands
he gets what he can on every reception, a tough, Jarvis Landry type without the assholeness
just watched all of his 12 min highlight reel, couldn’t stop watching, usually 3 or 4 minutes is all I watch
he’s a football player, very aware of everything around him, including the situation
overachiever
Wonder who the leaders will be for the Dolphins this year with the departure of Campbell and Armstead.
Sieler, Ramsey, maybe Daniels
Yeah, you would have thought Ramsey would have already been that last year. His 1st year with us, he was a leader coming back from injury and all. Seemed he was just going through the motions last year and not vocal.
Dave Wannstedt f’ed our team for a decade. Read an article about how Wannstedt had final say during the draft. Tom Bratz, Dolphins director of scouting pounded the table for Wannstedt to draft QB Drew Bees.
Dolphins had Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison under long term contracts but, instead of taking Drew Brees, Wannstedt drafted CB Jamar Fletcher.
Wannstedt felt he could win with a game manager at QB.
Tom Bratz resigned the day after the draft was over.
lol, Dave in headlights at his
Jaxson Dart is soaring up draft boards. Seen him mocked to the Steelers a few times and once or twice to Colts but now seeing him mocked as high as #7 to the Jets.
that’s great! Would be nice to see him go top 12
he sucks, will never be a good starting QB
watching Balage play in UFL, first play he does a tough tackle breaking run, and they say hiw hard he is to bring down
the next play he catches a screen pass, then proceeds to run directly into the DLs arms on 3rd and about 5 from opponents 10
oh yeah, that’s why he’s not in the NFL, hus vision sucks
Ramsey has always been a selfish player. He’s not a leader. Funny nobody even mentions Tua as a possible leader.
it goes without saying, Tua is a leader
Tua certainly has his flaws, weenie arm, that i mentioned after we drafted him, and wasn’t mainstream, lack of toughness and ability to extend…
My gut is leaning towards DT at #13. There are some good prospects and it’s definitely a need.
we were aligned last year with Chop
i don’t see a #13 pick, that will be there at DT
watching tape on the ND and GA safeties I’d be OK with either in the 1st or our 1st pick (not sure where the ND S should go)
I’d love to see us double down with Farmer FSU
trade back, unless someone we like falls to 13
Maybe, we need a tough lunch pail type interior DL. There are no elites but I don’t think there are any elite prospects other than arguably a few. None of the QBs are elite but they’ll go earlier than they should.
When you say, “tough lunch pail type interior DL”, the first guy who comes to my mind is DT/NT Tyliek Williams from Ohio State.
Next would be Alfred Collins
Tyliek is my top choice for us, write about him yestrrday
He’s a beast
A potential 7th rounder or UDFA RB.
give me Skattebo
^
Steve, I don’t know what it is for me about Xavier Restrepo. I fear that he benefited from a QB who extends plays allowing Restrepo to get open when he wasn’t initially. The Dolphins don’t have that kind of QB.
That said, Restrepo did have similar #’s in 2023 prior to Cam Ward getting there. He does remind me a lot of Cracraft because he is also a solid blocking WR and is big bodied for a WR, 209 pounds at only 5’10. He is also good at reading defenses pre snap and a really good route runner like Cracraft. If you know how to manipulate the DB covering you, you don’t have to be fast.
I could be wrong on him and he ends up being a 4th/5th round draft steal.
i don’t see that at all, but he surely benefitted from weak college coverage
i think his game translates to NFL quite nicely, if he was 180 I’d say meh
he’d be the security blanket Tua desperately needs, thought Berrios was going to be that guy
Would give us lots of options on 3rd down, adding to Jonnu and Ikhine, not to mention Hill, Waddle and Achane
in our 1st preseason game last year Kion Smith started at LG, wishful thinking, but i think he’s going to start there week 1, even if we draft OL in 1st or 2nd and why I’d like to stay away from OL in 1st
my wildcard would be a trade back for Zabel, he’d be a day 1 starter
I’m thinking CB or S at #13
I think there are several who could start at LG but also think there are day 2 players who can start at LG. I think Dylan Fairchild probably available in the 3rd round could win the LG spot and do very well. He graded 93% in pass pro.
I have started trading to the bottom of the 1st for an extra 2nd and taking CB Morrison with the 1st pick them go DT and OL.
Actually, I like either OG from Georgia.
Steve – I think that’s crazy talk! If we draft an OL in RD 1, no fucking way is Kion Smith starting unless that player is injured. If Kion Smith starts at any spot game 1 fire Grier and McD immediately! WTF!!
Only way Smith starts there is if the Dolphins don’t address OG. Smith would beat out Eich and Borom there, IMO.
Here you go Steve:
I’d take Zabel and Slater in the draft. Slater would be a heck of a backup for either OG spot.
I have been trying to get RB Martinez in the 5th but keep missing on him. Also, if you had any questions about TE Arroyo’s blocking, just watch #8 instead of Martinez.
I’ll amend my comment to if we draft an OL, OT, or OG in rounds 1-3 that mofo better be starting over Kion Smith or Liam Eichenberg. Have some conviction and play the guys you draft!
Mike – how on earth could the Dolphins not address the O-line in this draft?
They won’t not address it. I was just saying Smith would be the best option over Borom and Eich but that is not saying much. I still have hopes on the other Daniels also.
MikeE,
I’m not convinced at all that they will address the OL early and or often in this draft. I hope they do, but I’m not believing it until I see it. I think they might very possibly believe they can win with what they have right now. They did last year. Lol
Well, the bright side is these clowns will basically be pressing the self destruct button on themselves because that will surely be the end for Grier and McDaniel
That is a fear. That, or they do address it but sit the person behind Eich or Borom.
Replying to Randy above
I haven’t done one of these in a while. 😉
25. Grey Zabel OG North Dakota State
48. Tyleik Williams DT Ohio State
54. Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
89. Dorian Strong CB Virginia Tech
98. Joshua Farmer DT Florida State
116. Anthony Belton OT NC State
124. Howard Cross III DT Notre Dame
135. Luke Kandra OG Cincinnati
150. RJ Harvey RB UCF
224. Vernon Broughton DT Texas
231. C.J. Dippre TE Alabama
253. Isaiah Neyor WR Nebraska
those first 5 picks are very good
I really think Tyliek Williams might be an ideal NT
I think Farmer, Cross and Broughton can all compete to play on the other side of Seiler
I hope we draft 4 DTs – we are going to have to fill out the roster
Mike, we have 10 picks, some of them will be OL. This draft isn’t teaming with awesome talent. But that’s where we are.
And, that’s the shame of it…almost desperate feeling…lol
i said Kion would start, because in general OL suck their rookie season
and 🧁 doesn’t exactly have a track record of starting rookies opening week
Mike, did you miss the words wishful thinking
we have too many holes to be drafting an OG in the first
I keep lowering my standards…lol.
We need.day 1 starters in this draft, multiple…I truly hate Grier’s draft focus on “value” picking and what he does for that value. It’s not the fucking stock market.
Have a competent scouting team!
I hate that we need/might have the opportunity to pick a top 3 OL in this year’s draft. If not now, when the fuck will we solve/begin to remedy this issue of fundamental football team building?
From this blog, there are NO top 13 draft DL candidates…
Steve – I see rookies starting all over the NFL on the O-line and doing well. Rookies don’t suck, we suck. Our drafting sucks, I guess Our coaching sucks too
you see 2 or 3 playing well at times, but overall the large majority for the season they’re below avg
Honestly, we need a prospect to play well on our O-line or I think we’re screwed
last year we had holes at both guard positions, and injuries, that killed us
we had Eichenberg starting at OG after Wynn went down 2 yrs ago, that OL wasn’t as good as the one, that started the season, but it was pretty good before everyone besides Jackson was hurt
i think this is a throwaway season, we can’t reach for someone to play OG at 13, we need to rebuild the secondary, which are more important positions
Off the top of my head Joe Alt, Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Zach Frazier, Dominick Puni and Mason McCormick all started as rookies the whole season last year and were stellar.
Krishna
says:
April 6, 2025 at 8:31 pm
From this blog, there are NO top 13 draft DL candidates…
————
OH… there is ONE… !!!
His floor is high, and his upside is even higher than all the others. And no, it’s not Mason Graham. If he adds 10 mere pounds of muscle (and he can do that EASILY with his frame), he’ll be the same playing size as Christian Wilkins.
Vet the so-called “character concerns” (what are they???) that an anonymous source came up with, and Walter Nolen is the guy.
And of all the top D-Line candidates, NOBODY has a motor like Walter Nolen. #2 run-stopping DT in all of college football last season, and he’s only going to get better at rushing the passer. He can also play all D-Line positions (minus 0-gap/ NT)… even played the ‘Wide-9’ last season several times last season for Ole Miss.
Nolen’s claim to fame: RUN-KILLER
Nolen’s next step: solid pass-rusher (he’s good already and only going to get better)
Nolen’s best attribute: NON-STOP MOTOR
4.92 40-time at 300 pounds.
M – If the 3 guys I want on the O-line are gone (Membou, Campbell or Banks), I wouldn’t have a problem with the Dolphins drafting Nolen. I saw Chad Reuters 5 RD mock, he traded back 3 spots and took CB Jahdae Barron, then in RD2 took S Xavier Watts, RD 3 OG Marcus Mbow. If we take a potential slot corner with our first pick I’m going to lose it! Taking a safety with our 2nd will surely send me into a tizzy. Mbow is an interesting pick. He’s the type of guy I would like as a luxury if we already had every spot filled with solid guys. He’s very athletic and moves well, but I worry about him getting manhandled because he’s not a power guy. I think that draft would be a huge fail in my opinion. He took QB Dillon Gabriel in the 4th (Another wasted pick). He took DT Shemar Turner in the 5th. I’d give that draft a solid D-
I hated it so I didn’t post it. lol
Buffalo isn’t KC’s bitch. They’ve been routinely screwed over by the refs year after year when it comes to playing against KC. Same with any team going against them in the Super Bowl, save for this past year when the refs were obviously told to stand down.
Good franchises know how to build good teams overall. That’s why those teams still consistently make the playoffs. They put money and effort into the important positions like OL/DL and don’t put bad money after QB’s that don’t deserve it.
They don’t make desperate swing for the fence moves and mortgage the team’s future like we keep doing every coaching cycle.
^
I just saw another mock draft of the 1st 4 rounds for the Dolphins. They went CB, S, QB, CB, and DT Peebles. I’m like WTF!
That was from A to Z Sports. Shortly after they posted that 4 round mock, another one of their own writers posted his own article slamming the mock. LOL
Titled: Latest mock draft has Miami Dolphins making a crucial mistake they can’t afford in the 2025 NFL Draft
Obviously for not addressing the trenches early.
These articles are short so not posting just forwarding what’s said. One guy said Dolphins should draft best OL available at #13 and #48. Then DT, CB, DT to round out the top 4 rounds. With no trade downs, I am on board with that.
T. Stead
To the Miami Dolphins organization, all my teammates, and all the fans, THANK YOU, and I love you!!! Fins Up!! It has been amazing being apart of such a historic franchise! Forever in my heart, forever grateful! Thank God!
T. Stead –
Another article said the Dolphins should trade down but not to accumulate more picks. Said Dolphins should be packaging their 1st, 4th, 5th and 7th round picks to insure Dolphins get more 2nd and 3rd round picks. Best case scenario would be for Dolphins to make trades to get 5-6 picks by the time day 2 is over.
We have discussed that and I agree with it.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/putting_patrick_paul_under_the_microscope/s1_16637_42015546
Raiders released CB Jack Jones yesterday, not sure why. I think the Dolphins should go get him.
They released him after not finding a trade partner. Not sure why, he would have only cost 3.4m.
He had 69 tackles, 3 INT’s and 16 PD’s last season. That’s a lot of pass breakups.
Then again, he ranked 165 out of 222 CB’s per PFF. Sounds no better than what Cam Smith could give us.
Probably 3 INT’s, 16 PD’s and 69 tackles more. lol
Trading out of the first
———————————
36.Grey Zabel OG North Dakota State
48.Jonah Savaiinaea OG Arizona
53.Azareye’h Thomas CB Florida State
70.Alfred Collins DT Texas
88.Joshua Farmer DT Florida State
98.Billy Bowman S Oklahoma
116.Savion Williams WR TCU
135.Demetrius Knight Jr. LB South Carolina
150.J.J. Pegues DT Ole Miss
155.Tommi Hill CB Nebraska
224.Kurtis Rourke QB Indiana
231.Patrick Jenkins DT Tulane
253.Jackson Woodard LB UNLV
You addressed our needs. Well done!
Love it!!!
After thinking it over, I really have no idea who or what position we go at #13. 😂
Right there with ya. lol
Me three!
Mike E.
says:
April 7, 2025 at 7:15 am
M – If the 3 guys I want on the O-line are gone (Membou, Campbell or Banks), I wouldn’t have a problem with the Dolphins drafting Nolen. I saw Chad Reuters 5 RD mock, he traded back 3 spots and took CB Jahdae Barron, then in RD2 took S Xavier Watts, RD 3 OG Marcus Mbow. If we take a potential slot corner with our first pick I’m going to lose it! Taking a safety with our 2nd will surely send me into a tizzy….
————-
Yes… if we take Jahdae Barron in the 1st, I’m going to lose it, too! I just don’t see him having the size to become a solid, regular boundary CB, which would make him a nickel/slot CB. He’s not to be confused for Brent Grimes, IMO.
I’m good with taking a Safety in the 2nd (especially if it’s Xavier Watts), but then we had BETTER address both DT and OG by the end of day 2 of the Draft.
Somehow, someway, we really could use an additional day 2 selection. Trading down from R1P13 or even R2P48 would be the best method, if possible.
And when I say trading down, I’m not talking about a MASSIVE trade down like we did in 2010 when we went from R1P12 down to R1P28. I’m talking a slight trade down… no more than a handful of picks.
Same thing should we trade down from R2P48. Nothing too major, just a handful of picks.
Maybe we can stay at R1P13 and just trade down from R2P48 and get an additional 3rd rounder.
I think Jonah Savaiinaea may be just a RG. I may be wrong. But, if that’s really his only position, I’d take a few other guys over him. Big dude but fairly limited and not a great fit for an OZ running team. He might just be the best OG prospect available into the mid to late 2nd though. I think a lot of OGs….or OTs who will be guards….are gonna go in that area.
I love taking at the LOS though!
I agree with ya on Jonah Savaiinaea.
Wound up trading right out of the first round. Was not as happy with this one as others I have done
32. Kenneth Grant DT Michigan
48. Xavier Watts S Notre Dame
55. Jonah Savaiinaea OG Arizona
64. Josh Conerly Jr. OT Oregon
98. Gunnar Helm TE Texas
116. Joshua Farmer DT Florida State
135. Ollie Gordon II RB Oklahoma State
150. Garrett Dellinger OG LSU
155. Miles Frazier OG LSU
224. Cody Simon LB Ohio State
231. Antwane Wells Jr. WR Ole Miss
253. Ben Sauls K Pittsburgh
2026 LAC 3rd
I tried countering with my later round pics to try and use them up but nobody wanted them. LOL
Blog killer?
LOL, no! I was just doing more research on players before I came back. Often times I feel like I’m a “blog killer” as well! 😉
I dig your draft, but I’ve got questions about Jonah Savaiinaea… not sure he’s a good fit.
i get that. I’m not an evaluator so I went with their “big board” which had him listed as #56 prospect, who I took at 55. (not a reach according to them.) LOL