The Miami Dolphins could have gone in many different directions when they were on the clock in last April's draft. They made their choices, and at the time, it seemed to be decent enough, but as is usually the case, Chris Grier's selections come with a lot of scrutiny.
It is too early to call the draft a bust, but through five weeks, fans are not exactly jumping up and down about what they have seen thus far. There is plenty of growth ahead, but when fans consistently see other teams getting production from their draft class and Miami isn't, it can be hard to swallow.
Like all NFL fans, it is easy to look back and say, "Miami could have drafted this guy instead," but hindsight is always 20/20. Regardless, fans had reasonable expectations entering the season, but the Dolphins' rookie class hasn't made much of an impact so far.
Dolphins aren't getting enough production from their rookie class so far in 2024
Chop Robinson has to start getting better because the Dolphins need him to
The Dolphins' coaching staff and executives have never been associated with smart football minds, and they are not showing any real intelligence with Chop Robinson either. Robinson has played 41% of the team's special teams snaps through five games. Why? Why is he playing on STs? The Dolphins are already banged up along the edge, and Robinson should concentrate solely on playing his position.
Through the first five games of the season, Robinson has had seven combined tackles and one quarterback hit. That's it. That isn't impressive. Pro Football Focus has him tied for 75th in solo tackles with three and 40th in assists. His overall PFF grade thus far is 64.5.
Robinson wasn't known for his ability to sack the quarterback. It was the downside to his game. His upside, however, was his ability to get pressure on opposing QBs. Through five weeks, he has five QB hurries.
Patrick Paul is the left tackle of the future, not the present
When the Dolphins drafted Patrick Paul in the second round, many fans laughed and shook their heads. He was considered a project at best, but the Dolphins loved his size. They didn't need a left tackle this year but knew that Terron Armstead would likely be gone after the 2024 season, and he hasn't exactly proven he can stay healthy.
For the most part, Paul is a draft pick for the future, but Armstead has already missed one game and Paul has stepped in. His play is about what was expected. He has taken 61 snaps and has only allowed one sack and three pressures.
Unfortunately, his PFF grades are not impressive, with just 63.7 in pass protection and a horrible 44.8 in run blocking. Paul has to develop better, and while he wasn't expected to play much in 2024, the fact the Dolphins drafted a guy they didn't expect to play for another year is egotistical at best when you consider the needs at other positions on the roster that remain a problem.
Jaylen Wright is making a case as the Dolphins' best pick in 2024
The Dolphins loved what they saw in Jaylen Wright's college tape. They traded back into Round 4 to draft him, giving up a 2024 third-round pick. That's a lot, but it looks like it could pay off in the long run. Wright has looked good in his first five weeks. He is second in yards on the Dolphins behind De'Von Achane.
Wright had his best game against the New England Patriots on Sunday and should continue to see his workload increase, although he will still split carries with Achane and Raheem Mostert. He is a solid fourth-round pickup, but Miami paid a lot to get him when you consider he is part of a three-man rotation.
Mohamed Kamara was supposed to the steal of the draft
When the Dolphins drafted Kamara in the fifth round, it was universally regarded as one of the best "steals" of the entire draft. The Dolphins thought quite highly of him as well. So far through five games, the defensive end/linebacker has made no impact on the roster. Why? Because he has yet to be active for a single game.
What makes the optics look worse is the fact the Dolphins have outside edge depth issues. They signed Tyus Bowser off the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad after losing Jaelan Phillips, and played him, while Kamara sat on the inactive list. Is he not impressing anyone at practice? He should have been on the field already.
Malik Washington has shown nothing to warrant Miami's WR roster decisions
To be fair, Malik Washington has been injured since the season started, and against the Patriots, his biggest impact was a penalty that negated a nice gain. Washington has a lot of development ahead of him. After impressing in the preseason, Miami was banking on him making an impact. Then again, they thought the same thing of all their receivers.
Patrick McMorris and Tahj Washington never got a chance
The final two selections in the draft never made it to the final 53-man roster, but they did make it to the Dolphins' long list of players on injured reserve. Both will spend the season out of football and look to make their impact next season.
Overall, the Dolphins draft is far from getting an early-season "bust" tag, but "dud" seems to fit. Miami's first two draft picks are not making an impact, and the mid-round selections, aside from Wright, are "wait-and-see" players instead of surprising "impact" players.
