It's no secret that the Dolphins have a lot of spots on the offensive line that they need to fill. It's also no surprise that the Mad Scientist, also known as head coach Mike McDaniel, loves speed at the skill positions and he cannot pass up the fastest guy on the board.
The Dolphins only have six picks heading into the first night of the draft. That changes significantly when Miami trades down in the first round and picks up a third and a fourth so that they can compete in the draft with a full arsenal of picks.
Miami had no third round pick as they forfeited the pick due to an alleged tampering violation surrounding Tom Brady and Sean Payton. They also traded this year's fourth-round selection to the Denver Broncos as part of the package to bring Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins.
The Dolphins trade their 21st pick in the first round to the Arizona Cardinals for their 27th selection in the first round and their third round pick, which is number two in the round. They also receive Arizona's fifth-round pick to round out the trade.
The Dolphins still manage to get the man that they were looking for in the first round and pick up an additional third round pick and a fifth round pick to boot.
Round 1 - Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
I am not swaying from my first two mock drafts wherein I stated that McDaniel goes for Worthy because he is enamored with his speed. Picture Worthy with his 4.21 speed coming in as the third receiver along with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Dolphins already have a plethora of speed on offense and Worthy steps up and takes over WR3 from Cedrick Wilson, Jr. who was aging and did not have the hands or speed that Worthy possesses. Wilson was cut and is now a member of the New Orleans Saints.
Picture the Three Amigos at wide receiver and Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane in the backfield. Forget the 4x100 relay, the Dolphins have a five-legged monster that can break the sound barrier and score from literally anywhere on the field. Worthy is the fastest man that ever ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He bested John Ross' 4.22 that the former Cincinnati Bengal ran in 2017.
In my last mock draft, I had Miami reaching a bit and picking Worthy at 21 and passing over center and all over interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson. JPJ is off the board when Miami picks at 27 so the pick of Worthy is a no-brainer. Miami has Aaron Brewer to start at center, so that pick is not a necessity pick any longer. Miami can go with the best skill player available and that is Worthy.
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.
Round 5 - Tory Taylor, Punter, Iowa
If I am special teams coach Danny Crossman, I am smiling ear to ear with the earlier selection of Reichard and the chance to put Worthy back as a return man. However, I am banging the tables and throwing plates to secure the selection of the Taylor, the best punter in the draft. The Australian can flip the field and gain hang time, something that Jake Bailey, the current and resigned punter cannot do. I draft Taylor and say au revoir to Bailey who I would have cut after the long punt return that he yielded in a losing effort against Buffalo in Miami.
Round 6 - Javion Cohen, Guard, Miami
Cohen does not have far to drive when he goes to training camp as it is right up the road from the University of Miami campus, where the Alabama transfer made the All-ACC team as a senior. While at Alabama, he was All-SEC as well. Offensive line coach Butch Barry really likes this kid, who can play either side and can also play tackle. Cohen is a versatile athlete that can push Isaiah Wynn and Robert Jones for playing time.
Round 7 - Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
Miami needs to bring in a quarterback that can take over for Mike White or Skylar Thompson and give the offense some breath of life in the event that Tua Tagovailoa goes down or needs a breather. White counts for more than $5 million against the cap and should be a cap casualty during training camp. Thompson did spell Tagovailoa in his rookie season and led Miami to a playoff berth, but he quickly laid an egg at Buffalo in the wild-card game.
I was originally thinking that Miami could bring in an undrafted free agent (UDFA), but with Travis still on the board, I draft him and throw him on the physically unable to perform list for six weeks and then groom him to take over the backup job. Travis believes that he will be ready by training camp, but I doubt it and I would hate to see the kid rush it back to only reinjure the compound fractures in his leg.
If the Dolphins do as I suggest, which history says they won't, this will be a very successful draft. I look for Miami to draft the positions that I reference above, but maybe not the particular player that I note. Miami will look to trade down as they need to acquire more picks, especially in that third and/or fourth round where they have no selections.