The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has concluded after a week of measurements, interviews, evaluations and on-field workouts of top prospects. NFL coaches and general managers will now take all their notes and the film that comes with it as they construct their updated draft boards before late April’s annual selection meeting, otherwise known as the NFL Draft.
Coinciding this week with the deadline to designate potential franchise tag players, the Dolphins have a lot of due diligence ahead, as this is a massively important draft for the franchise and general manager Chris Grier.
With the recent news that they won’t utilize a franchise tag on defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, Miami and Grier may have to look to other markets to replace the 2019 13th overall pick. Whether that’s the draft or free agency is yet to be determined, but should Wilkins walk in free agency, Miami must do whatever they can to fill those cleats.
Regardless of the defensive line and the Wilkins drama, the combine featured outstanding prospects on the opposite side of the line, that being offensive. With Miami also not guaranteed to re-sign right guard Robert Hunt or center Connor Williams, the Dolphins have major needs within the offensive trench. Further adding to this would be the often-injured veteran, yet elite when available left tackle, Terron Armstead.
So, one could argue that heading into the free agency period and even the draft, Miami could be very much in need of one or two starters on the line and an insurance policy as well, should Armstead return for 2024.
Looking at the crop of prospects this weekend, many linemen caught the national eye while doing their drills and speaking to the media. Most notably, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, who arguably has been the most talked about non-skill position player dating back to even the Senior Bowl.
Even on Monday morning on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Peter Schrager expressed his thoughts on what could be a generational class of offensive linemen.
“My big takeaway from the 2024 Combine is that it’s the greatest offensive line draft class we’ve seen in some time… maybe ever. There are twelve- yes, twelve- guys who I could see get taken on Day One,” Schrager said.
This could be music to Dolphins fans’ collective ears, as many have been banging the drum for a dominant offensive lineman, especially in the middle at center.
Beyond Powers-Johnson, another interior lineman making waves is West Virginia’s Zach Frazier.
Frazier could be a fine fallback should Powers-Johnson be selected before Miami’s first-round pick at No. 21. Their second-round pick at No. 55 is an area to focus on guys like Frazier, and even Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe could be options should Miami not get a first-round lineman.
Another name to watch if Miami opts to go another way in the first round would be guard Christian Haynes from UConn, who even played a bit of center during the Senior Bowl.
Back to those potential Day 1 selections, Miami will not have a chance at the top tier like Joe Alt of Notre Dame, and it looks like Taliese Fuaga of Oregon State, as well as Troy Fautanu of Washington, raised their stock with their combine performances. Fuaga is definitely a top-20 pick, and if Fautau is available at No. 21, Miami must strongly consider.
So, if the Dolphins are focusing on a top-tier lineman at No. 21, there very easily could be five to seven of these guys selected before Miami gets a chance to make a pick. Add in names like Georgia’s Amarius Mims, Alabama’s J.C. Latham and Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu, and that number of 12 names referenced by Schrager for Day One offensive linemen, could hit.
Moreso in Miami’s exact range in round one could be Graham Barton out of Duke. Barton had a Combine Total Score of 87, which ranks him first in that metric and Production Score of 81. He ranked third in Athleticism Score. Barton projects as a late Day-One pick, and Miami could even be in trade-down territory should the above names all be gone by No. 21.
Should Miami entertain a trade back to the mid or late-20s, Barton and Oklahoma Sooner tackle Tyler Guyton could still be there. He could be an option with his ability to play left should Armstead call it a career. Even if Armstead returns, Guyton is a player who could learn from the veteran and, of course, provide sporadic starts. In a pinch, he could play the right side as well.
It seems like there are a very safe 10 names that could be Day One offensive linemen selections, and should teams react to these players flying off the board, you never know if another surprise name or two moves from Day Two to top-32 as the evaluation process continues into March.
Make no mistake; the Dolphins have plenty of needs, especially with the potential of players not returning, so these next several weeks of preparation are extremely important and significant for this franchise’s immediate and foreseeable future.
