The Miami Dolphins have only four selections in the NFL’s upcoming draft, and that comes just one year after general manager Chris Grier made four selections in 2022.
Last year, the group of rookies didn’t make much of an impact. The only player with significant opportunities was unfortunately quarterback Skylar Thompson due to injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater.
This year, Miami will have to make better decisions and add players who can help bring them closer to their ultimate goal – winning a Super Bowl.
In Touchdown Wire’s newest mock draft, Doug Farrar has the Dolphins selecting Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker with pick No. 51 and South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft with pick No. 84.
Hooker may be one of the most surprising picks in recent mock drafts, as Miami has been so committed to Tua Tagovailoa publicly. Even last week, when speaking to the media about the draft, general manager Chris Grier stated they haven’t had quarterbacks in for meetings.
At 25 years old, Hooker is the same age as Tagovailoa and is coming off of a torn ACL. He has been impressive in his two seasons at Tennessee, completing 68.8% of his passes for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding another 1,046 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
This would just be too sudden of a shift unless Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel are really good at hiding their true feelings.
Kraft, on the other hand, feels like a pick the Dolphins could make. They’ve reportedly already met with him at his school, and tight end is a clear need for this team with only Durham Smythe, Tanner Conner and free agent signing Eric Saubert on the roster.
Making the jump from South Dakota State is more difficult than the average transition to the NFL, but Kraft has the potential to be a solid option in McDaniel’s offense if he were selected.
