The Miami Dolphins made two selections on Day Two of the 2023 NFL Draft, and neither pick should be considered overly surprising for the team.
The 2023 season is expected to be one where the Miami Dolphins push to go beyond just reaching the playoffs, and the first two picks of this year’s Draft show the thought process the team’s hierarchy has on how to achieve that.
With the 51st pick in the Draft, the Dolphins selected cornerback Cam Smith out of South Carolina, and with the 84th pick, the team chose running back Devon Achane from Texas A&M. Neither of these players should surprise many, even if they did.
Miami Dolphins Picks Not Surprising
The biggest ‘surprise’ of the Dolphins’ first two selections this year is Smith, who plays a position that many would argue the team has no business addressing.
The team has perennial Pro Bowler Xavien Howard and even traded for three-time All-Pro and one-time Super Bowl champion Jalen Ramsey, giving them arguably the best tandem in the entire league.
So, why would they add a player such as Smith? Well, the answer simply lies with the 2022 season.
When fans discuss last year, the biggest talking point is usually how the team only narrowly reached the playoffs with a 9-8 record after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered two concussions and missed the final stretch, including their wild card game against the Buffalo Bills.
However, it’s on the defensive side of the ball that the team had some struggles and in particular at corner where injuries truly played their part.
Byron Jones missed the entire year, and Howard missed two games. He played hurt at times, leaving the Dolphins to dig into their depth chart and uncover a surprisingly impressed undrafted rookie in Kader Kohou, who ended up starting 13 games.
Entering another important season without adding some additional depth would be illogical for a team that is desperate to at the very least win a playoff round for the first time since near the turn of the century.
Smith would be joining the best situation to learn and develop, taking his impressive coverage skills and talents and enhancing them further by studying both Howard and Ramsey’s games, while also learning from one of the best defensive minds in Vic Fangio.
He is a clear fit in terms of scheme, with Fangio keen on multiple cover packages and unique looks on defense. He’s young, so could project to become a long-term replacement for either Howard or Ramsey in the long-term, while providing the Dolphins with a player they can use right away in select packages.
As for Achane, it had been reported before the draft that the Dolphins had spent a lot of time with him and there was a clear liking to what he can bring.
He is small in stature, but he has an attribute that clearly fits in well with the Dolphins’ offensive style: speed.
He can be a complimentary back to Raheem Mostert and he will likely get special teams time on returns, as highlighted by his impressive 96-yard return against Alabama in 2021.
Playing in the tough SEC, Achane picked up just over 2000 yards across the past two seasons, with 17 rushing touchdowns for the Aggies.
He can help out somewhat in the passing game, with just shy of 460 receiving yards and four touchdowns over the past two seasons, giving him flexibility in Mike McDaniel’s offensive packages.
He won’t be an every-down back, with Mostert the clear starter, but he will give the Dolphins more options and depth and should cause plenty of headaches for opposing defenses as they try to plan for which offensive weapon Tagovailoa will call upon each and every snap.
With speedy receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, adding Achane’s speed to the backfield will be a headache for opposing players and should help the Dolphins balance out plays and not rely on Tagovailoa’s arm all the time.
It could be argued that tight end or linebacker may have been a more pressing need for the team, but there are still free agents the Dolphins are talking to and could bring in to fill those gaps, which may be the more productive way of doing so.
The Miami Dolphins have a well-rounded team at present and still have opportunities to improve as the off-season progresses, but for their first two draft picks this year they look to be good players that will add genuine value on both sides of the ball.