What Will the Dolphins do in Round One?

This is the time of the year that is “football limbo.” Free agency is pretty much done. The draft is about 4 weeks away. Mock drafts are all at 3.0, with 4.0 coming soon.

The sports channels and writers are scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find something new and fresh to write about.

In Miami Florida, Dolphins fans are having debates, sometimes rather heated ones, at who Chris Grier will take in round one. The Dolphins did fill some holes in free agency, mostly it was for depth in the roster. James Daniels will be a bona fide starter and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will likely see action. What happens to the rest of the free agency signing will be determined by who gets taken in the upcoming draft.

There is no question that Grier must have a successful draft. Both he and Coach McDaniel are likely fighting for their jobs. At the end of the season, owner Stephen Ross said “the status quo wasn’t good enough” and then he ran it back with General Manager and Head Coach.

It is hard to imagine that if the Dolphins only win 8 or 9 games that he will retain these two guys. So, the pressure is on for these guys to hit on as many picks as possible.

Most mock drafts have Miami selecting a guard or tackle in round one. Some have predicted a safety or cornerback, and a few have gone with defensive tackle.  Grier has said that he would address the offensive line in the offseason. He signed Daniels, who was one of the better guards in free agency. He resigned, to the chagrin of fans, Liam Eichenburg. If keeping Tua healthy is the key to 2025, and it should be, then the round one pick has to be an offensive lineman.

Miami won 11 games in 2023 when Tua played in every game. Last season, he was out injured for six games, and well, we all know how last season ended.

With the loss of Jevon Holland, it can be argued that safety is the biggest need. As some have predicted, taking Malaki Starks in round one would certainly be a great choice. Assuming in round two that Grier takes a guard or tackle, is the drop-off greater than a round-two safety? If the goal is to protect your number one quarterback and reestablish the run game, the safety position must wait until the second round.

No general manager hits on all their picks. Fans should not expect this. There are always surprises in the draft. Grier has pulled off some good moves and blown a few as well. Regardless of who they pick in round one, the entire draft has great importance to Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel.