2024 Miami Dolphins Mock Draft 1.0

It’s that time of year again, Ladies and Gentlemen. It’s time for Mike’s first Miami Dolphins Mock Draft of 2024. I want to point out my credentials to those who are new to our website and new to me.

• Owned and Operated DolphinsTalk.com as the Managing Editor since 2011
• Author of “The Blitz” Column for MiamiDolphins.com
• Host the award-winning DolphinsTalk.com Podcast, which won a Webbie in 2017 and this past year was nominated for Best Team Podcast by the Sports Podcast Awards
• And on top of all of that, I have a knack for getting a thing or two right with these mock drafts. Last year, with my final mock draft, I had Miami selecting De’Von Achane in Rd 3. That is exactly where Miami took him.

As I type this, it is April 7th. I am going off the information I have today. I will update this mock draft between now and the week of the draft when I put out my Final Miami Dolphins Mock draft.

I want to remind people I don’t have a crystal ball; the draft process is fluid. I am going off of information that is out there today.

As we approach the draft and more information becomes available on which players are rising and which are falling, we are seeing what other teams are doing and where they are leaning. I will get a clearer picture now of who will and won’t be available, at least with picks 21 and 55.

So, without any further Ado, here is my 2024 Miami Dolphins Mock Draft 1.0 (and remember, I make no trades in these mock drafts; I just pick as is)

Round 1, Pick #21: Byron Murphy, DT – Texas

The Dolphins must replace Christian Wilkins, and they do so here with their first pick of the draft. Miami has Zach Sieler who is great, they recently signed Teair Tart who is a serviceable defensive lineman, but other than that they got nothing. I know they signed a bunch of career backups this offseason, but those are only depth pieces. Murphy is by far the best defensive tackle in this class, and the fact that he is still on the board at pick #21 is amazing. But because 4 or 5 QBs and 4 WRs will go flying off the board, good players at other positions will fall, and this is a prime example of that.

Murphy is 6 ft, 300 lbs of explosiveness. He is built to be a 3-down player in the NFL who can stay on the field to stop the run and get after the quarterback. He has an array of pass-rush skills. You wish he were a little bit taller and a little bigger, but it truly is nitpicking. This kid is an ascending player who hasn’t come close to hitting his ceiling and should be a very good to great pro. He is such a good athlete he scored a rushing and receiving touchdown in 2023, remind you of a defensive tackle who dabbled on offense every now and then?!

This kid disrupts and has a motor that doesn’t stop. He has the potential to be a building block piece and not just a player on the roster. Anthony Weaver will be very happy to add Byron Murphy to the defense.

Round 2, Pick #55: Roman Wilson, WR – Michigan

I don’t know if Miami will sign Odell Beckham Jr or not, but even if they do, he is just a 1-year Band-Aid; they need a young legit WR to get in the pipeline to bring adequate depth to the position. There will be a run on WRs between picks 1 and 54, but when Miami is on the clock at pick #55, there will still be very good wide receivers on the board, and I think Wilson, in my opinion, will be the best option for the Dolphins to pair with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

Wilson ran a 4.39 at the combine and has the speed that you know Mike McDaniel loves. At 5’11 and only 185 lbs, he is a bit small, and you wish to compliment Hill and Waddle. You would like a taller WR to bring a different skill set, but you don’t pass on talent at WR due to height. He is an explosive player who can blow-by-man coverage, and when you already have Hill and Waddle on the field, put this kid out there vs. a 3rd cornerback, and defenses won’t know what to do.  If in 2 years Miami can’t afford to keep Jaylen Waddle, you will feel good you have Roman Wilson to step up into that role. If, in a couple of years, Miami has to move on from Tyreek Hill, you will feel good knowing Miami has Roman Wilson on the team to step up into a larger role. This pick helps Miami win in 2024 by giving them depth but also with an eye on the future.

Round 5, Pick #158: Isaiah Adams, OT/G – Illinois

The Dolphins finally addressed their offensive line here, and they do so with Isaiah Adams, a big, athletic man who will project to play guard in the NFL. Last April, Chris Grier told the media (and I paraphrase) that they were more worried about the offensive line than we were. And by looking at the moves he has made this offseason, I think that still rings true. Armstead it back. Wynn is back. Lamm is back. Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, and Lester Cotton are still here. Connor Williams is gone, but Aaron Brewer was signed to replace him.

I kinda think Grier is gonna put the band back together and see if he can get some luck with injuries and only improve the offensive line on the fringes with signings like Jack Driscoll. Maybe he signs a vet guard after the draft and post-June 1st. But I don’t see an early-round pick (21 or 55) on an offensive lineman. Maybe I will change that in my 2.0 or 3.0 mock draft if new information comes to be, but as of today I just don’t see it.

And Adams is a perfect fit for a Mike McDaniel offense. He played tackle and guard in college but is too slow to be tackle in the NFL, as he can’t handle speed rushers. But move to him guard, and he is an athletic guard with a high level of ability to pull and still has that nastiness to finish off blockers. He is a little bit of a dancing bear as a pass blocker, which is what Miami needs as Jones and Cotton struggle in that aspect when they play guard. But his athleticism, quickness, and ability to get out of his stance for pulling blocks are top-shelf.

Round 6, Pick #184: Dominque Hampton, S – Washington

Jordan Poyer is a 1-year Band-Aid for Miami’s secondary and safety position. We have no idea if this is Jevon Holland’s final year in Miami as his contract expires after this season. The Dolphins have very little safety depth and Hampton is someone who can come in and be a depth piece in 2024 hopefully and maybe move up the ranks and fight for a starting position down the road.

Hampton is a bit raw, but he is a physical specimen. Hampton is a big safety, a fast safety, and has great length. And for a 6th-round pick, those are traits you want in safety, and you just hope your staff can coach the kid up and polish him up to be more seasoned. He has Inspector Gadget’s arms to break up passes, and he hits like a ton of bricks. If you were drawing up an NFL safety in a lab, it’s Dominque Hampton. The issue with him is that he takes bad angles and is usually in a poor position. He needs to be coached up and taught the nuance of the game. However, as a year one special teams contributor and someone with whom there is a lot to work, I would be a great pick in Round 6.

Round 6, Pick 198: Nathaniel Watson, LB -Miss St

Miami could use some depth at linebacker behind Jordyn Brooks and David Long, and I think Watson fits the bill as a depth piece Miami can add in Round 6. Watson is a throwback-type linebacker with an old-school style of physical play between the tackles. He is a pure middle linebacker in every sense of the word. He isn’t fast, he isn’t great in coverage, he is a 2-down thumper in the middle of the defense to stop the run. What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with knowledge and a high football IQ. As a depth piece who can fill a role as a run stopper, to get that in Round 6 is good value.

Round 7, Pick #241: Matthew Hayball, P – Vanderbilt

I will not accept Miami having Jake Bailey as their punter in 2024 and not bringing in some competition for him with more upside. Hayball started his college career at FAU before transferring to Vanderbilt. His senior season was the best at Vandy, with 58 punts, a 47.6 average, with a long of 71. Special Teams matter; draft a punter.