Dolphins Evaluating Another Former First-Round Pick on the Rebound (And Who Could Be Next)

The Miami Dolphins' roster additions and auditions have focused almost exclusively on young players looking to establish themselves in the NFL, but they also have brought in two failed former first-round picks looking to rebound and revive their career.

And now they're ready to take a look at another one of those players, with a report Monday morning they'll be having a workout for 2020 Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Kenneth Murray.

Murray went unsigned this year as an unrestricted free agent after playing last season with the Dallas Cowboys following one year with the Tennessee Titans and his first four in the NFL with the Chargers.

A former standout at Oklahoma, Murray has a lot of starting experience in the NFL with 83 starts, including five seasons with 14 or more, but his performance has been uneven at best, unsatisfactory at worst.

Pro Football Focus has ranked Murray 73rd or worse among qualifying linebackers (a number always in the 80s) in five of his six seasons and Pro Football Reference has him with a career 109.0 opponent passer rating when targeted.

Murray made $7.5 million with the Cowboys in 2025, but right now he's looking at not drawing a paycheck this year, so perhaps he'd be willing to settle for a one-year, prove-it contract, the kind of deal the Dolphins have been giving their newcomers (not named Malik Willis) this year.

FOLLOWING IN THE FIRST-ROUND FOOTSTEPS

The Dolphins already have signed two former first-round picks this year, bringing in former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor and former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end/edge Clelin Ferrell.

The Dolphins also gave a workout earlier this summer to former Kansas City Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire but didn't wind up signing that other former first-round pick.

Reagor and Ferrell shouldn't be considered locks to be on the 53-man roster and project as backups if they do wind up making the team.

Murray's workout coincides with a rash of injuries at linebacker, with Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Trey Moore and Ronnie Harrison Jr. all missing practice Monday.

WHO COULD BE NEXT?

With Murray only 27 years old, this would be a good gamble for the Dolphins if they can get him at the right price because maybe he could shine enough to earn a second contract with Miami.

And the reality is there are other current players available who fit the same mold.

By all calculations, there are 21 other former first-round picks currently without a team and still active — unlike former Dolphins backup QB Teddy Bridgewater, who recently announced his retirement.

Because of where they are as an organization, we think focusing on those under 30 makes sense, which would eliminate a good bunch of them, including former Miami first-round pick Christian Wilkins, who will turn 31 in December and is a special case regardless because he's not out of work for performance reasons.

But there are four current free agents who are former first-round picks and younger than 30, including former Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, who already has agreed to terms with the Seattle Seahawks but must navigage some legal issues.

That leaves three and those three are: former Cincinnati Bengals tackle Jonah Williams, former New York Jets tackle Mekhi Becton, and former Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah.

Interestingly, Okudah and Becton both were selection in the first round in 2020 when the Dolphins had three picks. Okudah went third overall, two spots before Miami selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa; Becton went 10th, eight spots before Miami drafted USC tackle Austin Jackson.

Becton certainly is interesting. He has started 59 of his 61 NFL games, but he had a rough 2025 season with the L.A. Chargers. His PFF grade was 37.1, which ranked 77 out of 79 qualifying NFL guards, ahead only of Cincinnati's Jalen Rivers and the Dolphins' Jonah Savaiinaea.

Becton had signed a two-year contract worth up to $20 million with Chargers last offseason after enjoying a breakout year with the Eagles in 2024, but was released after just one season.

Okudah, meanwhile, played for a different team each of the last four years and didn't start a game for either the Houston Texans in 2024 or Minnesota Vikings last year.

Williams has started all 74 games he has played in his NFL career, but injuries limited him to 15 combined starts over his two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Dolphins certainly could use depth on the offensive line and at cornerback — shoot, they could use depth everywhere on the roster — so maybe they should consider at least bringing any or all three of those players in for a visit or a workout.

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