Miami Dolphins announce numbers for 2025 draft picks, and one serves as an appropriate passing of the torch from an outgoing star

A couple of numbers jump off the page quickly. First, Terron Armstead announced earlier this offseason that he would be retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons with the Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints.  Armstead donned number 72 for the entirety of his career, which ended with five Pro Bowl nods. He anchored the Dolphins' offensive line for the last three seasons after agreeing to a deal with the Dolphins in free agency in the 2022 offseason. 

Now, that #72 passes to another player the Dolphins will be counting on to help lead their offensive line in Arizona rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea, who the team traded up to take in the second round of last month's draft. Savaiinaea is viewed as a mauler of a guard who should be a seed to help establish a new level of physicality that the unit has sorely lacked recently. 

Another recognizable number on the line of scrimmage is going to a new draft pick as well, with the Dolphins' fifth-round pick - Maryland DT Jordan Phillips - getting number 94. 

It doesn't take a lot of explaining to the Dolphins' fans about the importance of 94.  2019 first-round pick Christian Wilkins starred for the Dolphins' defense from 2019 to 2023 in that number. Wilkins provided a steady presence in the middle of Miami's defensive line alongside Zach Sieler and also provided something that the Dolphins haven't gotten enough of lately - availability - missing just three games in five years. Wilkins signed a 4-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders last offseason.

While Phillips won't be asked to be Wilkins, obviously, he's still going to carry a reminder of one of the best Dolphins defenders in recent years on his back every time he goes out on the field this year.  That won't be an easy thing.