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2024 Dolphins mock draft; Miami goes on the offense and gets aggressive early

Dolphins trade first round pick to get back into second day selections

By Scott Alan Salomon

This expedient 40-time by Xavier Worthy caught the attention of scouts and coaches at the NFL Combine last month. Look for Miami to spend its first draft pick on the speedster from Texas.
This expedient 40-time by Xavier Worthy caught the attention of scouts and coaches at the NFL Combine last month. Look for Miami to spend its first draft pick on the speedster from Texas. / Kara Durrette/GettyImages
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Round 2 - Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan

Dolphins' owner Stephen Ross, who is a big Michigan alumnus and benefactor, could not lure Jim Harbaugh to Miami, but he can use his influence to have Chris Grier select Michigan's big defensive lineman to fill the void of Christian Wilkins, who left via free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders. Jenkins is 63, 299 and will pair up with Zach Sieler to form a Dynamic Duo on the inside of the defensive line that will punish opposing ball carriers and quarterbacks.

The former Maize and Blue player had a solid senior season for Michigan and performed admirably at the NFL Combine and at his Pro Day. He is a 4.91 40-yard dash guy who made 37 tackles and had 2.5 sacks and a pick his during his senior campaign. Jenkins, with that 40-yard dash time is considered fast for an interior defensive lineman and speed kills, especially in Miami when opposing teams are dying in the second half of a 1:00 pm EST start. Jenkins will adapt to the weather and will soak up the rays while opposing players are ready to puke.

Round 3 - Ja'Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas

Miami goes to two and three tight end sets on more than a rare occasion. The Dolphins signed Jonnu Smith, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, who will lineup as the replacement for Durham Smythe at the TE1 position. Look for Sanders to push Julian Hill early for the TE2 spot in McDaniel's high-octane offense. When Miami goes to three tight, you should see Jody Fortson who comes over as a free agent from the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.

The 6-4, 245-pound Sanders is a lot like 2023 second-round selection Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals, incidentally, in how he can take over a game. McBride had 81 receptions on 106 targets for 825 yards and three scores as a rookie.

Round 5 - Will Reichard, Kicker, Alabama

This is an interesting pick that will leave some people scratching their heads. This is the bonus pick from the Cardinals trade. Jason Sanders had a brilliant season for Miami last year and is coming into his prime. However, Sanders is very expensive against the cap for a kicker and that is simply a luxury that the Dolphins can no longer afford. The Dolphins get the best kicker in the draft in Reichard, who is the NCAA all-time leading scorer.

Miami frees up about $2.1 million in cutting Sanders during training camp. Reichard will also help the special teams units with his booming kickoffs that will allow his gunners to get downfield and make the tackle. Sanders has a problem placing his kicks inside the five yard-line with sufficient hang time and just elects to kick the ball out of the end zone. Under the new rule, that will allow the offense to start at the 30-yard line and that is just unacceptable.

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