When it comes to the NFL Draft, there are two schools of thought.
Draft the best player available when it comes to your selection regardless of position, or draft based on what your greatest needs of your team are, despite what grade the team has on the player.
Recently, it seems that Dolphins’ General Manager Chris Grier has stuck to the strategy of picking the best player available in the last few drafts.
When it comes to the NFL Draft, there are two schools of thought.
Draft the best player available when it comes to your selection regardless of position, or draft based on what your greatest needs of your team are, despite what grade the team has on the player.
Recently, it seems that Dolphins’ General Manager Chris Grier has stuck to the strategy of picking the best player available in the last few drafts.
In 2024, the team picked Chop Robinson in the first round, despite the team having two starting edge rushers in Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips.
While it initially seemed like a luxury pick, Robinson turned into one of the best players on the entire defense as a rookie. He became an impact player late in the season, finishing with six sacks.
The pick became even more critical as Chubb missed the entire 2024 season with an injury and will turn 29 in June, while Phillips will be coming off two straight seasons where he had season-ending injuries.
In 2023, Miami selected cornerback Cam Smith with their first selection even though they had Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey slated to start at cornerback.
Even though the Smith selection has not worked to this point, the evidence is there that Miami does not care what they have on the roster; they will take the best player on their board regardless of what position they play.
In 2025, Miami should continue this tradition.
Drafting the best player available can allow you to stockpile at certain premium positions in case of injury or rapid decline from your starters.
Yes, Miami needs help in the defensive secondary, defensive line, and offensive interior.
However, needing players at these positions should not restrict Miami from deviating from these positions with their top 100 picks.
For example, if Tyler Warren, the tight end from Penn State, is there at 13, the Dolphins should take him.
He would presumably have a higher grade among the players available at that spot and even though the Dolphins already have Jonnu Smith and Pharoah Brown at the position, Warren would be a clear upgrade over Brown and with Smith turning 30 years old in August, Miami must start preparing for a contingency plan down the line.
The same could be said for the wide receiver position.
Miami currently has both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle entrenched as starters, but with Hill’s ongoing legal trouble and his cap number shrinking after this season if the team decides to cut or trade him, the Dolphins could use the 13th pick to add his replacement in someone like Matthew Golden out of Texas or Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State.
