The Miami Dolphins bid their farewell to Terron Armstead earlier this month when the seven-time pro-bowler called it a career following his 2024 injury.
Armstead left behind him a gaping hole in the Dolphins offensive front. A hole that many believe the Dolphins will address on Thursday, but how soon is too soon in a weaker tackle class?
“Miami desperately needs a tackle with Terron Armstead retiring,” said draft analyst Steve Muench on the podcast he cohosts with Todd McShay. “Kelvin Banks… he’s off the board too. Can’t wait till the second round… they’re in a tough spot here man.”
In Muench’s hypothetical, the Dolphins, who draft at thirteen in next weeks draft, are inheriting a board that has seen Will Campbell, Armand Membou, and Kelvin Banks getting drafted in the first twelve picks.
“Nothing will shock me with these offensive tackles,” added Todd McShay. “That would be very high.”
“It’s not high based on the tape, its high based on the total picture,” Muench concluded.
Muench Predicts Miami Reaches On Ohio State Tackle
Regardless of the teams need at corner and defensive line, Muench sees the Dolphins pulling the trigger on Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons.
“Josh Simmons, the guy I’ve loved since the beginning,” gloated Muench. “He’s going to come off the board in the first round at some point. I’m going to do it there.”
Though his talent is undeniable, Simmons raises many questions when his injury history is brought to question. His season ended early in October when the tackle suffered a season ending knee injury that required surgery. Though his agent, Drew Rosenhaul, says he will be ready for the start of NFL training camp.
“Josh Simmons could easily end up being the best left tackle in this class once the dust is settled,” wrote Bryce Lazenby of Newsweek. “The only problem is that Simmons is coming off a major injury in 2024. Offensive line is a huge need for the Dolphins, which was emphasized even more when Terron Armstead retired. The Dolphins need a tackle who can step in and play immediately, and Simmons might not be able to do that.”
Muench Predicts Miami Doubling Up In The Trenches
Later in the podcast that attempted to mock all 102 picks in the drafts first three rounds, Muench once again had Miami neglecting the teams needs on defense and committing to their offensive line.
“At 48 they need a safety or guard,” began Muench. “So, I’ll take (Marcus) Bow there. I’ll take Bow and kick him into guard there. Use my first two picks on improving the offensive line and protecting our quarterback.”
The analyst did have the Dolphins going defense with the 98th pick, but his main concern is with the offensive line unit that PSFN ranked 26th in the league.
“The Dolphins need a quality starter,” wrote SI’s Dante Collinelli in his review of this year’s guard class. “And if they wait to take one because they need multiple cornerbacks and interior defensive linemen, they might miss out on getting one.”
