Draft insider says Dolphins won't address interior OL in Round 1

USA Today

04-03-2025

Draft insider says Dolphins won't address interior OL in Round 1
The Miami Dolphins are in desperate need of help on the interior of their offensive line, but it probably won't be their first priority, according to one draft insider.
Experienced insider Tony Pauline wrote that the Dolphins could look to add on the defensive side of the ball in Round 1 and the team's efforts to improve the interior offensive line "won't happen until Days 2 and 3." Specifically, Pauline named Georgia safety Malaki Starks, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, and Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant as likely Miami targets.
Early indications are that the Dolphins plan to add to their offensive line in free agency. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine that the team already has a couple of veterans in mind.
Still, Miami not making the offensive line their top priority in the 2025 NFL draft would raise eyebrows. After leading the NFL in rushing yards per attempt in 2023, the Dolphins plummeted to 28th in that metric in 2024. No team had more run plays go absolutely nowhere, and Miami's top three guards -- Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, and Isaiah Wynn -- are all set to become free agents this month.
Adding defensive talent makes plenty of sense too, though.
With both starting safeties, Jevón Holland and Jordan Poyer, set to become free agents, the team's top returning options at that position are 2024 sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris and special teamer Elijah Campbell. The cupboard is also pretty bare along the defensive line with the contracts of Calais Campbell, Benito Jones, and Da'Shawn Hand all expiring too.