Finsmob Unleashed

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!!!