The Miami Dolphins are determined to progress from their 2022 season, and they may need to make a splash on draft day to do so.
The 2022 season saw the Miami Dolphins reach the playoffs under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel, but they did so limping, with their top two quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater, injured.
Tagovailoa is the unquestioned starter heading into 2023, and there is belief the Dolphins can once again be an offensive force in the AFC, thanks largely to the dynamic receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Miami Dolphins offense would be complete with Bijan Robinson
However, the running game is something that improved under McDaniel last year and will undoubtedly be another important cog in the machine that helps keep the Dolphins competitive, especially with the AFC East expected to once again be one of the strongest in the league this year.
Raheem Mostert is returning, which is greatly welcome news for the team, but there is room for the team to add another body that could ultimately overtake Mostert’s importance and become a focal point for the offense.
Bijan Robinson is the top running back prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft, and he is expected to be selected somewhere in the first round.
It’s difficult to truly gauge where Robinson projects to land, as the value of running backs in the first round has diminished in recent years.
He could be taken very high, like 2018 second-overall pick Saquon Barkley, or he could find himself tumbling down the board as teams look to add talent to more pressing areas of need.
With the addition of Vic Fangio to the staff, the Dolphins could conceivably look to strengthen on defense with this draft, but if Robinson hits the mid-way point of the first round, perhaps the team should consider using assets to move up and land themselves a day one impact player on offense instead.
Averaging 6.12 yards per carry, Robinson rushed for 1580 yards for the Texas Longhorns in 2022, hitting the end zone an impressive 18 times as he dragged the team to an 8-5 record.
This adds to the already impressive 11 touchdowns and 1127 yards (5.78 YPC) he put together in his 2021 season at the 40 Acres.
Robinson projects to be a featured, three-down back for years to come and the Miami Dolphins could compose one of the deadliest offenses in the NFL, with a solid quarterback, a pair of star receivers, and a one-two punch in the backfield that would make any opposing defenses nervous.
Fangio is expected to make the Dolphins’ defense improve, especially with the addition of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, so if the team wants to truly impose themselves on the rest of the league, considering a trade up into the first round to snatch Robinson could be one way to do so.
The cost of making a trade will of course be a consideration for general manager Chris Grier, but seeing the potential the team could have right out of the gate will surely outweigh whatever it would be to make the move.