Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed at a press conference earlier this week on Tuesday that the team was actively looking to trade their star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, despite already lacking depth at the position, in a bid to help Miami “win not only just this year, but in the future as well.” And while moving the three time All-Pro could bring in a couple of picks to help fill out the roster, it would also turn a thin CB room into a gaping hole, one of many in the Dolphins rather patchy looking roster.
Naturally this has caused many to reconsider how Miami should spend their 13th overall pick at this Thursday’s NFL draft. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter from Colorado is the projected CB1 (WR1 too) and will almost certainly be off the board within the first few selections, but Michigan standout Will Johnson and Texas lockdown Jahdae Barron both could realistically still be available when Miami is on the clock. And while they rely on very different skillsets to get the job done, either could make an instant impact as a day one starter and would be welcome additions to a secondary that seems otherwise doomed to allow for yet another season getting carved up by Bills QB Josh Allen twice a year. Replacing Ramsey, who turns 31 this season, with a younger, healthier, defender on a rookie deal seems like a no brainer.
And it would too, except for the fact that this is the Miami Dolphins we are talking about. And the Dolphins are heavily invested in a fragile quarterback who gets hammered repeatedly behind an offensive line that only got worse by losing a bright spot in LT Terron Armstead to retirement. The Miami offensive line struggled not just in protecting their QB but also in paving a way for the run game, as they finished among the worst in the league for short yardage rushing. The team managed to convert just 11 of 24 attempts on 3rd or 4th and 1. Most teams who have a secondary as leaky as Miami’s would sprint to the podium to draft talents like Johnson and Barron, but most teams don’t have offensive lines that warrant comparisons to a subway turnstile.
Whether Chris Grier and company want to admit it or not, a rebuild is brewing in South Beach. And whether it needs to be a soft renovation or a full on tear down to start from the ground up is a subject for another time, but the hard truth is that Miami needs to start in the trenches. Regardless of if it’s outside help with the likes of a potential top 10 pick such as Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr to compete with current tackles Austin Jackson and Patrick Paul, or if it’s interior strength from Alabama OG Tyler Booker, the Dolphins need to focus on the front five to give their offense a chance next fall. Last year exposed how even with explosive weapons like De’Von Achane, Jonnu Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyreek Hill, games are still won and lost at the line of scrimmage.
Next week’s draft will be a make or break moment for the Miami Dolphins. Even if they lose Jalen Ramsey, the hollowed out secondary will still have to take a backseat to the never ending crisis that has been the Dolphins offensive line. It’ll be hard for fans watching flashier prospects slide on past, but the line has been put off for far too long and it’s high time serious draft capital was spent fixing it.
