The Miami Dolphins made a few splash additions during the 2023 offseason to upgrade their defense. They signed linebacker David Long Jr., who was one of the better players available this year in free agency. Miami then pulled off a blockbuster trade, acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams.
Both players address what were sizable needs on the defensive side of the ball. Miami struggled last year slowing down opponents, as they were 24th in points allowed and 18th in yardage allowed. With their additions, along with Vic Fangio taking over as defensive coordinator, the Dolphins should be much improved.
Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, Miami is lacking in draft capital. They are without a first-round pick after being docked it as punishment for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton. But, they do have two selections on Day 2.
Those picks could be used to help round out the offense. Miami had an explosive unit with Tua Tagovailoa throwing to wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but beyond those two, the offense left a lot to be desired.
There is a major void at the tight end position, as Mike Gesicki left in free agency, signing with the New England Patriots. Hunter Long was part of the Ramsey trade, leaving the team very thin. One player who could fill that need with the No. 51 overall pick is Luke Musgrave.
There is some risk in selecting Musgrave, who had two shortened campaigns, one because of COVID-19 and the other because of injury. But, his background as a multi-sport athlete shows in his football tape. Musgrave would be a good fit for the Dolphins system with a solid floor and room to grow into an excellent starter.
In the third round, the Dolphins could look to add some juice to their backfield. Despite finishing 25 in rushing yards last season, Miami brought the band back, re-signing Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Myles Gaskin. It would not be surprising if they add to that mix in the draft and Devon Achane of Texas A&M is someone to keep an eye on.
Achane is an explosive athlete that plays much bigger than his listed size. He has true dual-threat ability, which the Dolphins could certainly use more of. Last season their running backs combined to catch only 58 passes the entire season despite the team having 584 passing attempts.
Health has been an issue for that stable of running backs as well, so adding some fresh legs in Achane would be a good insurance policy. The former Aggie has the skill set to handle a three-down role, but wouldn’t need to, at least in the early going, with that kind of veteran depth around him.
