ESPN Two-Round Mock Has Dolphins Going Big

The Miami Dolphins need to beef up their line of scrimmage on both sides
Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Armand Membou (79) at the line of scrimmage against the Florida Gators during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Armand Membou (79) at the line of scrimmage against the Florida Gators during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins' issues and needs along both the offensive and defensive lines haven't gone unnoticed among draft analysts.

The most recent example came in the form of a two-round mock draft from ESPN's Matt Miller, who projected not one but two linemen to the Dolphins.

Miller pegged Missouri offensive lineman Armand Membou to the Dolphins with the 13th overall selection in the first round and South Carolina defensive lineman T.J. Sanders in the second.

The idea of the Dolphins selecting an offensive lineman is obvious given the problems at guard during the 2024 season, but the defensive line need might be a bit more under the radar but just as significant given that Calais Campbell, Da'Shawn Hand and Benito Jones all are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March.

"Losing Christian Wilkins in free agency last offseason hurt the Dolphins, so they get a replacement for him here," Miller said. "Sanders is a 3-technique pass rusher with awesome first-step quickness and a similar build to Wilkins at 6-foot-4, 284 pounds."

One thing to note here is that Sanders will have to gain some weight to get to Wilkins dimensions, considering the Dolphins' 2019 first-round pick is listed at 6-4, 310.

Other prospects who would have been linked to Miami in mock drafts so far this offseason have been offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. from Texas and Georgia safety Malaki Stars.

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THE DOLPHINS' 2025 DRAFT PICKS

The Dolphins finished as one of four teams with an 8-9 record in the regular season, but their league-lowest .417 opponent combined winning percentage put them at the top of those four teams and 13th overall in the first round.

The Dolphins finished with the same record as the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons and will rotate between 13th and 16th in every round, with the teams moving in a forward direction.

That means the Dolphins will go from 13th in the first round, to 16th in the second (because they can't go higher than 13th and have to return to the back of that line), to 15th in the third ... and so forth.

The Dolphins currently are slated to have seven picks in the 2025 draft, plus the expected three compensatory picks that should include a third-round selection for the loss of Robert Hunt and possibly a fourth for the loss of Wilkins. The compensatory picks likely will be announced in March.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.