Way-too-early Miami Dolphins NFL Draft preview

The 2023 NFL Draft is April 27-29 in Kansas City. Here is the projected first-round order, per Tankathon.

2022 record: 9-8 | First-round pick: None | Team needs: CB, TE, Offensive line, RB

Snapshot: The Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering violations. They previously held San Francisco's first-round pick from the 2021 Trey Lance trade but flipped it to Denver at this year's trade deadline in a deal for DE Bradley Chubb. Miami's first pick will be in the second round (No. 53).

Potential second-round picks: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State; Darnell Washington Jr., TE, Georgia; Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State

The Dolphins are 27th in opponent passing yards per game, and with CB Xavien Howard on the decline, they must address the secondary. Howard has allowed the most yards of his career this season (826), and his 55.2 Pro Football Focus coverage grade is the lowest of his career.  

TE Mike Gesicki (362 yards) hasn't been a factor in HC Mike McDaniel's explosive offense and will be a free agent in March. Durham Smythe, the only TE Miami who's under contract for 2023, is entering a contract year.

Washington is a ferocious blocker and, at 6-foot-7, has the size to be a lethal red-zone threat. Kraft, potentially the best FCS prospect in the draft, missed most of the season with an ankle injury but returned to help lead the Jackrabbits to their first FCS national title.