With the draft right around the corner and nearly endless options available to Miami on how they may want to handle day one. Let’s take a look at six of the more dramatic paths GM Chris Grier can take. Here’s the good, the bad, and the downright shocking choices we might see this Thursday at the NFL Draft.
Two Steals:
Armand Membou: OT Missouri
In a world where the term freak athlete gets thrown around loosely, the 330 lb tackle from Missouri has redefined it. He squats 600 lbs, runs a 4.91 40 yard dash, and boasts a 32″ vertical jump. That’s why he’s a near lock for a top 10 pick. I say near though, because this draft is loaded with eye popping athletes at every position on the field. And in a class that features top shelf talent everywhere, someone will have to slide. Teams ahead of the Dolphins might be looking for someone with a more prototypical height for OT, and if they do, Miami could have a bona fide mauler of a lineman fall right into their lap.
Mason Graham: DT Michigan
The best interior defender in the draft sliding all the way to the 13th pick is a bit of a stretch. But it’s far from impossible. There’s just so much positional variety in this year’s headlining prospects that a star will fall. And his less than noteworthy physical traits could cause some teams to look elsewhere. I’m on the record saying the Dolphins need an offensive tackle. But in a scenario where the top help on one side of the trenches is gone, it can’t hurt to look at the other. The loss of DT Christian Wilkins left a chasm in the Miami defensive line. Graham is a brick wall against the run game and a wrestler who can take on double teams. This Wolverine earned his stripes against the stiffest competition college has to offer and if there’s any non offensive line pick to consider, this would be it.
Two Reaches:
Josh Simmons: OT Ohio State
There’s two tiers of first round offensive tackles. Will Campbell, Armand Membou, and Kelvin Banks Jr comprise the first tier as guys who clearly belong in the top 15 selections. Then leading off the second group is Josh Simmons. It’s not his fault he suffered a brutal knee injury that cut his 2024 campaign short last October, but it’s something scouts can’t overlook. A healthy senior year may have put him in the conversation to be a top 10 pick. He’s still a superbly gifted player with versatility at LT and RT, which could be exactly what the Dolphins want with their currently projected starters Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson both giving some cause for concern. Regardless, Simmons is undoubtedly someone more fit for the back half of the first round than the front half.
Tyler Booker: OG Alabama
This 6’5” block of granite is the consensus number one overall IOL in the 2025 draft class. Towering, strong as the Hulk, and a team captain, there’s little to not love about the 21 year old stonewall. But history has shown us that the real impact picks on the line are found at tackle, not guard. This is why we so rarely see even one OG go top 13, while nearly every class produces multiple OT taken in the same span. Outside of cleaning up his hand technique there’s not much to criticize about All-American. Unfortunately the positional value puts a hard ceiling on his stock. Tyler Booker might be just what the doctor ordered for Miami’s line, but that doesn’t mean it still wouldn’t be a reach.
Two Surprises:
Shedeur Sanders: QB Colorado
It pains me to type this as a Tua loyalist, but if the QB2 prospect fell to Chris Grier’s lap, it would certainly be tempting. Tagovailoa has successfully completed just one full season, and sometimes your best ability is availability. Shedeur is coming out of college with many of the same strengths Tua promised: quick processing, laser accuracy, and a fast release, but with the added perks of better height, speed, and a bigger arm. Sanders has flaws of his own like bad habits in the pocket and a tendency to get too greedy on broken plays or tight window throws, but with the season Miami came off of, and the troubles brewing with their biggest stars, there has to be some appeal to hitting the reset button if given the chance. Could Shedeur be the new face of the Dolphins?
No One (trading down)
The Dolphins has moved back in the first round twice under the Grier regime. In the back-to-back years of 2020 and 2021 they moved down to increase their draft capital. And it could be the perfect storm to walk back again on Thursday. With how many holes the current roster has, it’s reasonable to argue that taking the best player available will likely be a needed help somewhere. But it’s also worth pointing out that with so many holes, Miami simply lacks the picks needed to address them all. Unless an ideal board shakes out, Miami could be better off swapping down into the mid 20’s where plenty of impact players, including the above mentioned reach picks, can still be found. There is no guaranteeing that the Dolphins first pick will be the 13th.
