As a lead-up to the 2025 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Miami Dolphins.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2025 NFL Draft Hub.
Miami Dolphins Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2025
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Back
- Defensive Line
What Picks Do the Miami Dolphins Have in 2025?
The Miami Dolphins have 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (13)
- Round 2 (48)
- Round 3 (98)
- Round 4 (116)
- Round 4 (135)
- Round 5 (150)
- Round 5 (155)
- Round 7 (224)
- Round 7 (231)
- Round 7 (253)
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Miami Dolphins 2025 Draft Capital Stats
The Dolphins have the 13th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.
Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
Miami Dolphins Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Dolphins’ draft value is 8% higher than the league average of all 32 teams.
Miami Dolphins Draft Prediction:
Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Dolphins to draft:
- Brendan Donahue's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
- Ryan McCrystal's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #8 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
Miami Dolphins Strength of Schedule, 2025
The Miami Dolphins have the 9th-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2025 NFL season.
Miami Dolphins Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Miami Dolphins, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Zach Wilson
Miami’s success last season was tied to the availability of Tua Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins went 6-5 in Tua’s starts and 2-4 without him.
With Tagovailoa on the field, Miami averaged 5.5 yards per play compared to 4.5 yards per play without him.
That was the difference between 14th in the NFL and dead last.
With Tagovailoa on the field, Miami converted 44.4% of their third downs, seventh in the league.
Without him, they converted a league-low 22.1% of their third downs.
While they were better with Tagovailoa on the field last season, the passing attack had issues getting the ball down the field, an area where this passing game has regressed under Mike McDaniel.
Tagovailoa attempted a league-high 31.1% of his passes at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Over his first two seasons under McDaniel, Tua’s rate of those passes was 17.0% and 27.3%.
He only attempted 27.1% of his passes 10 or more yards downfield, 34th in the league.
That followed a 44.8% rate in his first season in this offense in 2022 and a 35.5% rate in 2023.
A league-low 7% of his throws went 20 or more yards downfield last season after a 14.2% rate in 2022 and an 11.4% rate in 2023.
Miami had a league-low 3 passing touchdowns from outside the red zone last year compared to 10 in 2022 (7th) and 13 in 2023 (2nd).
Injuries and the state of this offensive line have contributed to those declining rates, which have been steady in the past three seasons.
One element that remained static is that Miami continued to struggle to punch above their weight class.
The Dolphins went 1-4 against 2024 playoff teams (all Tua starts), pushing their record to 4-16 versus playoff teams in the past three seasons.
Tagovailoa signed a lucrative extension last offseason that has him with the team through 2028, but his absence once again affected this team's overall performance.
After missing another six games with concussion issues, Tua has started every game in just one of his five years in the league.
With the position's depth again exposed, Miami has only added Zach Wilson on a one-year deal this offseason.
Running Back Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- De’Von Achane
- Jaylen Wright
- Alexander Mattison
- Alec Ingold (FB)
After sporting a hyper-efficient running game in the first two seasons under Mike McDaniel, this was one of the least efficient in the league in 2024.
Miami running backs combined for -0.19 EPA per rush (31st), and a league-worst 27.5% of their runs failed to gain yardage.
Their running backs averaged only 1.06 yards before contact (28th), so much of this stemmed from another rough season up front.
However, they also were 20th in yards after contact per rush (2.88) after leading the NFL in that department in 2023 (3.85).
After one of the all-time seasons per rush by a rookie in 2023, De’Von Achane’s efficiency per opportunity took a significant hit in 2024.
| Year | YPC | EPA/Att | Success% | 10+% | Stuff% | YBC/Att | YAC/Att |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7.8 | 0.28 | 53.4% | 21.6% | 15.5% | 2.67 | 5.10 |
| 2024 | 4.5 | -0.07 | 39.9% | 10.3% | 24.1% | 1.56 | 2.91 |
Out of 46 running backs to run the ball 100-plus times, Achane’s rate of runs that failed to gain yardage was ahead of only Nick Chubb (26.5%) and Cam Akers (26.9%).
He went from leading the league in the rate of runs to gain 10 or more yards down to 28th last season.
Despite the drop in efficiency, there were positives from Achane in 2024.
After only 130 touches as a rookie, he climbed to 281 touches last season, showing he can stand up to a more immense workload.
He appeared in all 17 games. His only missed time was due to a concussion after a rookie season filled with soft-tissue injuries.
He was also a major contributor in the passing game.
Achane caught 78 passes for 592 yards and 6 touchdowns, all of which led the league at his position.
Miami selected Jaylen Wright in the fourth round (120th overall) last season.
As a rookie, Wright turned 71 touches into 257 yards (3.6 yards per touch).
11.8% of his runs gained 10 or more yards (21st out of 70 backs to run the ball 50-plus times), but he ran into similar issues as Achane behind this offensive line.
32.4% of Wright’s runs failed to gain yards (last on the same list), while he gained only 0.41 yards before contact (69th).
His 3.25 yards after contact per rush was 19th.
With Raheem Mostert leaving in free agency, Miami added Alexander Mattison as veteran depth.
Mattison once again struggled in 2024, rushing for only 3.2 YPC (46th out of 46 backs with 100-plus runs) and a run of 10 or more yards on only 5.3% of those attempts (45th).
Since entering the NFL in 2019, Mattison’s 3.9 YPC ranks 70th among running backs with over 300 runs, and his 35.1% success rate ranks 63rd on that same list.
His offensive lines in Minnesota and Las Vegas have not done him any favors, but that remains a potential thorn in the side again for Mattison's decision to join the Dolphins.
This is not a team “need” for Miami as they look for better play up front to get this running game back on track (still a question), but the coaching tree from which McDaniel comes does not shy away from adding backfield competition in the draft.
Miami has a plethora of Day 3 picks that could be used to add another young runner to the depth chart.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Tyreek Hill
- Jaylen Waddle
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Malik Washington
- Tahj Washington
- Erik Ezukanma
- Tanner Conner
- Tarik Black
- D’Wayne Eskridge
This passing game struggled to generate production down the field in 2024, and the wide receiver production was lackluster, given the caliber of front-end talent at the position.
Miami wide receivers combined for 190 receptions (20th), 2,146 yards (26th), and a league-low 8 touchdowns.
Even accounting for the six games Tua Tagovailoa missed, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had disappointing seasons.
Each dealt with injuries, but both had a drop in production.
Hill caught 81 of 123 targets for 959 yards and 6 touchdowns.
His 4.8 receptions per game were his fewest in a season since 2019.
His 56.4 yards per game were his fewest since his rookie season in 2016.
He averaged a career low 1.79 yards per route after rates of 3.21 yards and 3.85 yards per route in his first two years with the team.
Hill averaged 11.8 yards per catch last season after 14.4 and 15.1 yards per catch in his first two seasons with Miami.
He had only 3 receptions of 30 or more yards after 23 in his first two years with the team.
After catching 25 and 29 passes for gains of 20-plus yards in his first two seasons with the team, he had just 13 of those catches last season.
Hill played with a wrist injury that required surgery after the season, but he did not miss a game.
There was some noise about trading Hill this offseason after the way his frustrating season ended, but he remains on the roster.
He just turned 31 this March and is still signed for the team for the next two seasons.
Hill's cap hit this season is $27.7 million ($28.2 million in dead cap), making him a tough asset to move.
But it does get easier for Miami to potentially move on from Hill after this season if there is a repeat performance.
Hill's 2026 cap hit is $51.9 million, but the team can save $36.3 million if he is traded or released.
Waddle had an even more disappointing season, catching 58 of 83 targets for 744 yards and 2 touchdowns.
It was his first season falling below 1,000 yards receiving, averaging a career-low 3.9 receptions for 49.6 yards per game.
Like Hill, Waddle was void of big plays.
He averaged 12.8 yards per catch in 2024 after rates of 18.1 and 14.1 yards in the previous two seasons.
Only 9.6% of Waddle’s targets came on throws 20 or more yards downfield after rates of 15.4% and 12.5% in his first two seasons in McDaniel’s offense.
Waddle was only targeted on 17.4% of his routes, the lowest rate of his early career.
Before last season, Waddle had been targeted on 24.2%, 22.4%, and 27% of his routes.
To top it all off, Waddle once again dealt with injuries.
He missed nearly the entire preseason with an undisclosed injury rumored to be a core-body issue.
Waddle then suffered a knee injury, which kept him out for two more weeks at the tail end of the season.
He has missed five games over the past two seasons and has not been on the field for 80% of the offensive snaps since his rookie season.
Miami is looking for a rebound here since Waddle is locked into a front-end role.
He signed a massive contract last offseason that has him on the books through the 2028 season.
Hill and Waddle are locked into the top-two receiver spots in an offense that has not often utilized 3WR sets.
Under McDaniel, Miami has ranked 29th, 30th, and 30th in offensive plays with 3 or more wide receivers on the field.
The team added Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a two-year deal this offseason to compete for snaps when Miami does add wideouts to the field.
Westbrook-Ikhine is coming off a career-high 9 touchdowns with the Titans after scoring 10 touchdowns over his first four years in the league.
He still only averaged 1.9 receptions per game and has not averaged more than 2.4 catches per game any year of his career.
Malik Washington should compete for snaps as depth.
As a rookie in 2024, Washington caught 26 of 36 targets for 223 yards (8.6 yards per catch) and added a rushing touchdown.
This is another spot that is not an immediate “need,” but Hill’s future with the team could instantly change that when his time is up.
If Miami is going to get out in front of potentially moving on from Hill or find a suitor for him during the draft, he will create a large void in the passing game that the depth here is not equipped to fill.
Tight End Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Jonnu Smith
- Pharaoh Brown
- Julian Hill
- Hayden Rucci
While many Miami offensive skill players had down seasons in 2024, Jonnu Smith enjoyed the best season of his career.
He set career-marks in targets (111), receptions (88), and receiving yards (884), to go along with 8 touchdowns.
Over the final 8 games of the season, Smith averaged 6.9 receptions (second among tight ends) and 67.1 yards (4th) per game.
Smith remained an asset after the catch.
He was fourth among all tight ends with 510 yards after the catch
His counting stats were elevated due to the lack of success other pass catchers were having in the offense, and they could come down if Hill and Waddle bounce back, but Smith’s spot is secure in this offense.
However, he is set up to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Miami does not have a tight end signed for the 2026 season.
It will hold restricted rights to Julian Hill and exclusive rights to Hayden Rucci after this upcoming season.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Dolphins:
LT: Patrick Paul, Ryan Hayes, Kion Smith
LG: Liam Eichenberg, Jackson Carman
C: Aaron Brewer, Andrew Meyer
RG: James Daniels, Chasen Hines
RT: Austin Jackson, Larry Borom, Braeden Daniels, Bayron Matos
This unit was again at the heart of the primary issues for the offense.
Miami ended the year ranking 28th in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (56%) and 26th in run block win rate (70%).
At Pro Football Focus, they ranked 20th in team pass blocking grade and 27th in run blocking grade.
This team struggled to keep anyone on the field up front for the second year in a row.
Miami’s most-frequently used combination across the line was on the field for 35.7% of their offensive snaps.
The tackle spots were problem areas in that department.
Terron Armstead missed two games, and Austin Jackson missed 9 games due to injuries.
Armstead announced his retirement, leaving Miami with a massive hole at left tackle.
He missed multiple games every year with the Dolphins, but he was still at the top of the position when he was available.
Armstead was fourth in overall grade per Pro Football Focus among qualifying tackles last season.
He only allowed a 3.2% pressure rate (8th).
With Armstead on the field over the past three years, Tua Tagovailoa averaged 8.3 yards per pass attempt with a 5.6% touchdown rate, a 4.6% sack rate, and a 106.8 rating.
With Armstead absent, Tagovailoa has averaged 7.7 Y/A, a 4.8% touchdown rate, a 6.5% sack rate, and a 92.7 rating.
Miami lost swing tackle Kendall Lamm in free agency, pushing Patrick Paul into a starting spot.
Paul was selected in the second round last season (55th overall).
Making three starts last season, he played 248 snaps at left tackle and another 89 snaps at right tackle as a rookie.
He allowed a 6.6% pressure rate (68th among tackles) and finished 82nd out of 85 qualifying tackles in overall grade per Pro Football Focus.
Austin Jackson could pivot back to left tackle, where he opened his career, but he has been a subpar performer steadily over his time with the team.
Jackson was 80th among tackles in overall grade per PFF last season and has never had a top-50 grade in any of his five years in the league.
Jackson still has two years remaining on his current contract.
Miami did upgrade a guard spot this offseason, signing James Daniels to a three-year contract.
Daniels only appeared in four games with the Steelers last season but was second among all guards in grade while on the field.
Robert Jones took every snap at left guard last season, while Liam Eichenberg took 92% of the snaps at right guard.
Jones was 91st in overall grade among guards Pro Football Focus, and Eichenberg was 104th.
Eichenberg is in the final year of his contract, and the team has allowed Jones to move on to free agency.
It would not be surprising if Miami used premium draft capital on multiple linemen.
Miami Dolphins Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Miami Dolphins, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Zach Sieler
- Benito Jones
- Matt Dickerson
- Neil Farrell
The Dolphins allowed 4.4 yards per running back carry in 2024, ranking 19th, but the defensive front did a good job getting early contact.
Miami led the league in yards before contact allowed per RB carry, giving up just 0.84 YBC per run.
Two of the primary contributors to that success are gone, though, with Calais Campbell and Da’Shawn Hand set to play for new teams in 2025.
Zach Sieler is back after logging 10 run stuffs last season – 24th among qualified defensive linemen – and leading the team with 10 sacks.
His 10.2% pressure rate suggests there was some luck in that sack number, but he is a quality option who should be locked into a starting spot.
Everything else is up in the air.
The Dolphins did bring back both Benito Jones and Matt Dickerson, but they are better depth options than frontline starters, though Jones did play 481 snaps for Miami last year.
They need at least one starter-quality addition here, and there is an argument that they need two starters along with a little more depth.
EDGE Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Bradley Chubb
- Jaelan Phillips
- Chop Robinson
- Quinton Bell
- Cameron Goode
- Mohamed Kamara
- William Bradley-King
- Grayson Murphy
- Derrick McLendon
The Dolphins only ended up with 35 sacks last season (27th), but they were a bit better as pressure rate goes, getting after the quarterback on 34.9% of dropbacks (15th).
The story here is about health.
Bradley Chubb did not play at all in 2024 after a late December knee injury back in 2023, and Jaelan Phillips suffered a torn ACL in September of 2024, just 10 months after suffering a torn Achilles.
Both were impact players before the injuries, but there are some serious questions given the injuries Chubb and Phillips are rehabbing.
The Dolphins did have a great hit with 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson, which gives them a little leeway in getting Chubb and Phillips back to full speed.
Robinson “only” logged 6 sacks as a rookie, but his 17.2% pressure rate ranked third among all eligible pass rushers. He was sandwiched between Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa on that list.
That strong rookie performance does not guarantee Robinson will consistently be one of the most impactful pass rushers in the league, but it was a great start.
There is not any real proven production behind that top three, but if that trio is all healthy, it would represent one of the better units in the league.
On the other hand, Phillips will be playing 2025 on his fifth-year option, and Chubb took a pay cut this offseason after his lost season.
Along with the injury concerns, there are some long-term contractual questions.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Jordyn Brooks
- Tyrel Dodson
- Willie Gay Jr.
- K.J. Britt
- Channing Tindall
- Dequan Jackson
Jordyn Brooks is back after leading this unit last season, and the Dolphins re-signed Tyrel Dodson after he started the final two games of the season.
Brooks was solid during his first season in Miami, leading the team with 12 run stuffs and allowing 7.1 yards per target in coverage.
Dodson had a great 2023 with the Bills, but he did not settle in with the Seahawks before joining the Dolphins midway through the season.
If Dodson can play at that 2023 level, this should be a pretty solid unit, and they have some interesting names behind that top two with new signings Willie Gay and K.J. Britt.
Gay could not find his footing after signing with the Saints last offseason, but he had a few good seasons with the Chiefs over his four years there.
Britt made 11 starts with the Bucs last season.
Overall, this is a pretty solid unit with some upside should players find their form.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Jalen Ramsey
- Kader Kohou
- Artie Burns
- Storm Duck
- Cam Smith
- Ethan Bonner
- Jason Maitre
- Isaiah Johnson
- Ryan Cooper Jr.
Miami did a good job against the pass in 2024, allowing 6.7 yards per attempt (3rd) and finishing seventh in defensive EPA per opponent pass.
Jalen Ramsey is not the player he once was, but he was still a solid option last season and clearly the No. 1 corner in this group.
He would be a solid anchor if he remains on the roster, but that is now a big if following reports that both the Dolphins and Ramsey are working to facilitate a trade.
If Ramsey leaves, this corner group will be in a very tough spot.
Kader Kohou should be fine as Miami’s slot corner after playing well there in recent seasons.
Among qualified cornerbacks, Kohou ranked sixth in yards allowed per coverage snap and seventh in yards per target allowed last year.
The only concern with Kohou is the contract, which is scheduled to run out after this season.
What happens behind that is in question.
As it stands, new signing Artie Burns, Storm Duck, and Cam Smith are likely competing for the No. 3 job, but two of those guys could enter Week 1 as a starter if Ramsey is moved.
Of course, moving Ramsey would free up both cap space — eventually, assuming they make it a post-June 1 transaction — and bring in draft capital to use at the position.
Still, it is tough to argue this group will be better in 2025 than they were last season if Ramsey is gone, even with where he is in his career and the talent Miami eventually finds in the draft.
This was a need with Ramsey on the roster. Now it stands out as a major need.
Safety Depth Chart, Dolphins:
- Ifeatu Melifonwu
- Ashtyn Davis
- Elijah Campbell
- Patrick McMorris
- Jordan Colbert
Neither Jevon Holland nor Jordan Poyer is on the 2025 roster – Poyer is still a free agent – completely opening up this unit.
Miami added both Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu in free agency, but neither player has a wealth of starting experience in the NFL.
The same is true of Elijah Campbell, who has played considerably more snaps on special teams than on defense.
There are a lot of veteran safeties still available in free agency, and Miami will likely dip into that market.
Whoever that is will likely be on a short deal like the rest of the depth chart, though, meaning Miami also needs to make some additions in the draft.
This stands out as a primary need.
2025 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams
