The Miami Dolphins' 2024 draft is over, and the team added 7 new faces from Thursday to Saturday in Detroit. The Fins also signed 12 players after the draft as undrafted free agents.
As such, the roster is now filled with young faces looking to compete for roster spots either open or held by incumbents. And that, of course, will create a cascade of effects both positively and negatively for certain members of the roster moving forward.
Here's who stands to win and lose from the happenings over the weekend.
Winners
Tua Tagovailoa
Well, he's mostly a winner here. Had Miami addressed their interior offensive line in the draft's first two days, he'd really be a winner. As it stands, he will now have three new weapons at his disposal in Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright - a strong passing game threat and a very capable pass protector - along with wide receivers Malik Washington and Tahj Washington. The Washingtons are both smaller but electric targets who gives Tua an absolute absurdity of downfield threats. No quarterback in the league will be set up with more game-breaking weapons than the Dolphins' signal caller.
Cam Smith
Smith is a winner by the simple fact that the Dolphins did absolutely nothing during the draft to create some competition for him as he fights for playing time behind starters Kendall Fuller and Jalen Ramsey. Smith didn't earn his coaches' trust last year, and he'll have fewer faces to compete with to try to improve upon that in 2024.
Isaiah Wynn
Likewise, Wynn is another winner here by virtue of the fact the Dolphins did nothing to address their offensive line during the draft outside of taking Houston tackle Patrick Paul in the second round, who projects to be a down-the-line starter. They also later added two IOL in Andrew Mayer from UTEP and Matthew Jones from Ohio State as UDFA signings. As such, there's not much in the way of new competition for Wynn to unseat him from his starting job at left guard. Good for him, bad for the team.
Losers
Raheem Mostert
Jaylen Wright is a really good player, and he'll be on a rookie contract for four years. De'Von Achane, who proved himself as a major playmaker last year, isn't going anywhere after just finishing up his rookie year. That means the sun could be setting on Mostert whether that's after this year or after 2025 when his contract runs out. Miami has an incredibly talented backfield now, but that also means more mouths to feed and payroll to carry at the position. I have a feeling the guy north of thirty could eventually be the odd man out.
Zach Sieler
Having someone impactful alongside him on the defensive line would have been appreciated by #92, I'm sure. As it is, the Dolphins only signed Colorado defensive tackle Leonard Payne as an undrafted free agent. That's the only defensive lineman they added over the weekend. As such, the pressure is going to largely still rest on the Dolphins' veteran defensive tackle once the season rolls around absent a surprise addition, or for one of the seemingly mediocre free agent signings to rise up and surprise.
Braxton Berrios
The Dolphins added two players (two Washingtons) during the draft on Saturday that should have legitimate shots at winning the #3 WR job, particularly Malik. Tahj also has extensive experience as a returner, another of Berrios' traits. As such, things perhaps just got a bit more challenging for the veteran wideout to see the field as much in 2024 as he did before.
More must-reads: