If you were to look over the roster needs of the Miami Dolphins as things currently stand, you’d need a whole lot of projection to get a feel for where the Dolphins definitively need to get better. There are plenty of questions across the Dolphins’ roster — but the majority of spots also have young talents that are going to be given the opportunity to wrangle a full-time role on the team and take command of a starting gig.
Running back? Myles Gaskin is looking to run it back. Offensive tackle? Miami has drafted three of them in the past two NFL drafts. Center? Third-year player Michael Deiter is going to be given a chance to win the job. Quarterback? Tua Tagovailoa didn’t break records as a rookie but he’s the former No. 5 overall pick and showed fair promise throughout his half of the season starting.
And so if you’re going to forecast needs for Miami based on what we know now, you’re likely better off doing so by either anticipating an offseason departure via free agency or drafting positional value.
The latest 2022 NFL mock draft, courtesy of Sports Illustrated, does both of those in one shot. They have the Dolphins, courtesy of San Francisco, drafting a pass rusher in the 1st-round.
“No. 28 – Miami Dolphins (via SF): Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
With his length and power, Walker would be a perfect fit in the Dolphin’s defense. He is just sniffing his potential and has inside-out flexibility.” — Lorenz Leinweber, Sports Illustrated
Knowing what we know about Miami’s drafting tendencies early on, projecting a defensive lineman feels like a safe route. The Dolphins, under Brian Flores and Chris Grier, have drafted premium positions early on. Since 2019, Miami has landed the following in the first:
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A quarterback
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An offensive tackle
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A wide receiver
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A defensive tackle
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An EDGE defender
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A cornerback
No linebackers or running backs for this team. And three of the six have played on the trenches. So while it is certainly far too early to be nailing down 2022 draft prospects with confidence, this selection feels like the right idea; just way too far ahead of schedule.