The picks are in, Lambeau Field is cleared out. Another draft is in the books, and eight new Dolphins had their names called. How did the front office do at addressing their needs? What are the strengths of Miami’s rookie class? And could this draft class signal a soft reset for the Fins? Let’s breakdown the 2025 draft haul.
Defensive Line Gets Priority
GM Chris Grier spent three of his eight picks on defensive tackles. If there was one word to define this class, it would be physical. That tone was set early Thursday night with the selection of Kenneth Grant. He is a startlingly athletic DT from Michigan with fantastic stats, great measurements, and a national championship. The team doubled and then triple downed on this tone with the additions of two more defensive linemen in Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers from Maryland and Georgia Tech respectively. Phillips is as raw as they come from a development standpoint but incredibly strong and an explosive anchor at just 20 years old. Then with the team’s final pick, they added the mountainously tall Zeek Biggers. He stands at 6’6″ and is another high reward project if he can capitalize on his massive size and reach. Consider Christian Wilkins thoroughly replaced.
Extra Help for OL and the Secondary
Miami came into Day 2 with a pair of picks but left with only one player after trading up for guard Jonah Savaiinaea. Grier had been under tremendous scrutiny over the lack of investment in the OL. But this weekend Miami climbed up from the 48th to the 37th pick to nab Savaiinaea. The Arizona junior comes to South Beach with three seasons of experience under his belt where he relied on both power and technique to protect his teammates. Then the next day help came for the secondary. Corner Jason Marshall Jr heard his name called 150th overall. He is a Miami raised corner with great physical attributes but was held back by spotty play during his time at Florida. Five picks later Dante Trader Jr, a two sport athlete from Maryland with a high football IQ and technical proficiency as a tackler. He adapted to a wide variety of roles in the Terp’s defense and received heaps of praise for his intangibles and character. It’s not replacement for Ramsey, but the secondary got support.
Fins Find Discount Deals at QB and RB
All eyes in the world of football were glued on Shedeur Sanders ever since he slipped past the Steelers in the 1st round and remained on the QB until his historic plummet hit the pavement at pick 144 thanks to the Cleveland Browns. But Sanders was not the high profile passer sliding down on Day 3. Longhorn Quinn Ewers was project around the 3rd to 4th round on most big boards but was still available for the picking well into the final round of the draft. Ewers is a QB some pegged as a potential starter, and Miami only had to pony up a 7th for him. RB Ollie Gordon II was another good value pick who saw his stock decimated by his 2024 season. Following on 2062 total yards and 22 TDS in 2023 was a year plagued with inferior performance on the field and bad decisions off of it. Still, Gordon’s strengths as a downhill physical back perfectly fit Miami’s need for a strong short yardage back.
The Big Takeaway
Miami came into this draft with 10 picks and ended it with eight players plus a 3rd rounder next year. The club targeted all their primary needs with their premium picks and then shifted into a best player available approach in the draft’s twilight hours. Is a rebuild coming? It does not seem like the plan for now at least. The team didn’t move Ramsey like some speculated could happen and added several players to remedy their most immediate needs to correct for the regression that took place last year. This draft was a calm and collected signal that the team felt good with where they were, but wanted to add a helping of physicality to the mix for 2025.
