Just think, by this time two Sunday’s from now, we will potentially have 9 new players added to the team, with two more to come. I say “potentially”, because that’s how many picks we have through rounds 5, with no 6th round picks and 2 7th RD picks. We may add, or subtract picks in either trade backs or trade ups, and we may trade players already on the roster for picks as well. I’d lean towards adding picks more than subtracting picks, and even potentially adding picks for next year’s draft. With the current state of our salary cap situation, I think both Sully and Haf realize we need to be successful adding players through the draft and have these players be successful as well to get this team back on its feet. We will be engaged in heavy duty discussions at this time next week, and I think a lot of us will be pleased with the results after perennially being disappointed with a typical GM Chris Grier Draft failure.

I look at Mock Drafts often and I tend to discount so many of them that have us taking a WR at #11. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but the foundation of any good team doesn’t begin with a WR. You need your QB, and it’s clear that for that time being, Sully and Haf think that Malik Willis is that guy. You need to protect the QB, and that’s where we have some work to do with 2 vacancies on the O-line, one with an OG who looked out of his element last season in LG Jonah Savaiinaea, and then the vacancy created by the cut of James “3 snaps” Daniels. We did pick up OG Jamaree Salyer but he hasn’t been a full time starter in 2 seasons with the LA Chargers, so it would be best not to rely on him being one here now. I’m not saying OL will be our first pick, but I would lean that way for sure.

As I was saying, the foundational tenets of the NFL are find your QB, protect your QB, and then find guys that defend against your opponent’s QB. That means D-line, EDGE rushers and CB’s. You have to find guys that can cover receivers and tackle. You must find guys that disrupt the QB either collapsing the pocket on the interior, or beating blockers around the edges. We have a huge shortage in that department at the moment. Zach Sieler is probably our best pass rusher currently on the roster, and a player with potential, and I use that term loosely, is EDGE rusher Chop Robinson. The other young defensive linemen we drafted last season are unknowns at the moment. It would be wonderful if either DT Kenny Grant could be a guy who pushes the pocket from the middle. Maybe DT Jordan Phillips or DT Zeek Biggers becomes one as well. Grant took 52% of snaps on defense, Phillips 43% and Biggers 37%, but that is subject to change. The guy who drafted them is gone and Jeff Hafley will play who he thinks most deserves to play, so there will be heavy competition for playing time there.

At OLB or EDGE, right now Chop Robinson is in the spotlight. I have no doubt he will be receiving help in this draft, but we need this kid to step up and become a player. The Dolphins picked up a guy who have had success rushing the passer, in Josh Uche (Oo-shay), he had 11.5 sacks back in 2022 for the New England Patriots. He’s listed as 6’3 223, but that’s pretty strange considering his draft profile from the NFL combine, where he was measured anywhere and everywhere, has him listed at 6’1 245, with some really long arms which is always helpful to get your hands on the QB. He was drafted in RD 2 by the Patriots and could be a situational pass rusher or more for us if Jeff Hafley can find a way to get something out of him.

AT CB, we have a whole lot of quantity, but a definite shortage of quality. Storm Duck, Darrell Baker, JuJu Brents, Jason Marshall, Ethan Bonner, Jason Maitre, Alex Austin, Marco Wilson, A.J. Green, and Miles Battle. I believe that’s 10, and I’d have to think that maybe half of them are gone before the season begins. We need to find a guy that can compete right now, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we go CB with one of our first 2 picks. It seems that either CB Mansoor Delane or Jermod McCoy should be in play for us at #11, but if both are gone, there should be a good OL available instead. Yes, a good Wr like Makai Lemon might be too, but again, I don’t see how we build a team by taking a WR with pick #11, not with the current state of the roster. You do that with your roster mostly set as a luxury pick, not now in the very first draft with a roster bereft of talent.

I can’t wait to talk about all of our picks, hopefully lots of hits and very few if maybe no misses. This used to be one of my favorite stretches of the 4 days of the year, but Chris Grier, or maybe i should just call him The Grinch, found a way to ruin it for us. The Jon-Eric Sullivan era has begun, and this draft will be his first big fingerprint on this team. As I mentioned early, I won’t be surprised if Sully tries to add picks for next season, there may be some opportunities. Many times at the end of the first RD, teams prefer to trade up and take a player that feel they won’t have a shot at on Day 2, and that player could be QB Ty Simpson from Alabama, or it could be anyone, but that’s a good spot for trade opportunities. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a verbal commitment from QB Aaron Rodgers, but if that’s not the case, the Steelers may snatch Simpson at #21. Maybe the Arizona Cardinals who have the 2nd pick in RD 2 move up and take him, and I always like the first few picks in RD 2 because teams reevaluate their boards on like to move up and take a player they feel will be off the board by their next pick. It probably wouldn’t cost the Cardinals much to swap picks from us, but I would bet a 2027 2nd RD pick could be involved in that move. Anyway, can’t wait, it’s gonna be fun, but we have 11 days to wait!

GO DOLPHINS!!!