Dolphins Senior Bowl Primer: Offense

The 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl is right around the corner, and it’s one of the most important weeks of the offseason calendar.

The annual Senior Bowl, with the game this year scheduled for February 1 following a week of practice, is an excellent opportunity for teams to get an up-close look at some of the class's best prospects, and plenty of prospects could help the Miami Dolphins next season.

The Dolphins have the 13th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and are projected to have 10 picks total (if you include project compensatory picks). For now, this is the highest the Dolphins will pick in the first round since 2021 when they wound up with the sixth overall pick (and selected wide receiver Jaylen Waddle).

Last year, the Dolphins selected a few players invited to the Senior Bowl. Patrick Paul was drafted in the second round after a strong performance in Mobile, and the team traded up for Jaylen Wright in the fourth round. Wright was on the Senior Bowl roster but missed the event with an injury.

We decided to examine the tape and give fans one player from each position to watch this week. A team’s needs can change throughout the offseason, so even if a position group looks strong now, it might not look that way in April.

Dolphins Senior Bowl Preview

Quarterback: Jalen Milroe, Alabama

The 2025 NFL Draft isn’t strong at the quarterback position, but Jalen Milroe has so much upside that he’s worth discussing. The consensus seems split on whether Milroe will go inside the top 10 or fall into the second round.

Either way, the Senior Bowl should help us answer that question. Dolphins fans should pay attention to Milroe because if he falls outside of the first round, he’s the only quarterback worth considering as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup and possible long-term successor. The game’s other quarterbacks don’t have high-end starting upside.

Milroe is wildly raw but has impressive arm talent and mobility. As a runner, he’s comparable to players like Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. The Dolphins have suffered without Tagovailoa in the lineup, and he’s played a full season just once since entering the league.

Tua isn’t going anywhere this season, which would give Milroe time to develop and learn. The Dolphins could even implement a small package of plays for Milroe to get some production out of his athletic ability. That’s what Baltimore did with Jackson during his rookie season before the Ravens moved him into the starting lineup for the final seven games of the regular season.

Milroe becoming as good as Jackson is highly unlikely, but he’s at least worth paying attention to in Mobile.

Honorable Mention: Jaxson Dart, Mississippi

Running Back: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Cam Skattebo took over the college football world after his performance in the College Football Playoffs against Texas.

In that game, Skattebo carried the ball 30 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding eight catches for 99 yards and threw a touchdown pass on a trick play. Skattebo was basically the Sun Devils' entire offense this past season, and he proved his skill set would translate against the best.

Why should the Dolphins be interested in Skattebo? He offers something the team’s current batch of running backs doesn’t — contact balance and short-yardage prowess. Skattebo finished second in the country in forced missed tackles, according to PFF.

The Dolphins have relied on speed from backs like De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert, but they’ve struggled to pick up the tough yards in between the tackles. Skattebo would complement someone like Achane perfectly.

Running back is not Miami’s biggest need, and Wright could fill this role if given ample opportunity. However, Skattebo would likely do it better, leaving Wright to focus more on his strengths. It’s unlikely Miami invests in running back, but Skattebo is the right prototype to complete that group.

Honorable Mention: Damien Martinez, Miami

Wide Receiver: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford

Wide receiver is another position group where the Dolphins could benefit from adding a player with a different skill set. Right now, the entire group is comprised of small, speed receivers.

Elic Ayomanor is listed at 6-2, 210 pounds, and plays incredibly physical at the outside. He can win 50-50 balls thanks to his long arms, which give him a huge catch radius. The Stanford product also moves pretty well for his size, pointing to someone who can separate at a high level with some development to his route running.

Aymoanor might be the most helpful for Miami right away with his blocking. The Dolphins' running game wasn’t good in the second half of the season, and a big reason for that was the team’s poor blocking on the perimeter.

Remember, wide receivers are often tasked with key blocks to spring big runs in an outside zone scheme like Miami's. Ayomanor was a dominant blocker at Stanford, showing the right mind-set and strength to make a legitimate impact on an NFL running game.

Ayomanor is currently projected as a Day 2 pick, but a big performance at the Senior Bowl could push him into the first round since this year’s receiver class isn’t as strong as usual.

Honorable Mention: Jack Bech, TCU

Tight End: Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech

Keeping with the theme of finding better perimeter blockers, Georgia Tech’s Jackson Hawes is one of the best blockers in the tight end class.

Durham Smythe and Julian Hill filled that role this past season, but neither was particularly impressive. Smythe specifically stood out as a player who can be upgraded, and he has an out in his contract that would save the Dolphins cap space this offseason.

Hawes is a physical presence with extensive experience blocking in-line or as an H-back and getting a running start on his blocks. He has the strength to create movement upfront, and his tape shows more than a few examples of him driving smaller players 5+ yards downfield.

The downside with Hawes’ profile is that he doesn’t offer much as a receiver. He’s not fast and isn’t much of a route runner, either. He’s tough and can make some catches through contact, but he’s not giving an offense a ton outside of that.

However, the Dolphins already have a potent receiving threat at tight end in Jonnu Smith, so Hawes wouldn’t need to be a significant passing game option.

Hawes is currently projected as a late Day 3 pick, so barring a shocking rise in his stock, it shouldn’t cost Miami anything valuable to bring him in.

Honorable Mention: Gunnar Helm, Texas

Interior Offensive Line: Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Unlike the skill positions, interior offensive line — specifically guard — is one of the Dolphins’ biggest needs this offseason. Liam Eichenberg and Robert Jones are scheduled to be free agents and aren’t NFL starters.

Grey Zabel played left tackle for the Bison last season, but most analysts believe the NFL will view him as a guard prospect. Transitioning offensive linemen to different positions can be a hurdle for their development, but Zabel took 363 snaps at left guard in college.

Moving him inside wouldn’t be as big of a transition for him. On tape, it’s easy to see why teams view him as a guard. He’s a mauler in the running game, showing the strength and leg drive to pave the way for ball carriers.

He’s got enough movement skills to operate in Miami’s outside zone heavy scheme, but would give them more physicality and the ability to push the pile a bit better in short-yardage scenarios.

Coming from a small school, Zabel’s performance against better competition in Mobile could go a long way to determining his draft stock. Right now, he’s mostly viewed as a second- or third-round pick.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Mbow, Purdue

Offensive Tackle: Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson are likely the team’s long-term starting tackles, and it’s not guaranteed that Terron Armstead will retire this offseason. That said, Jackson and Armstead are injury-prone, and Paul is unproven.

Josh Conerly Jr. enjoyed an impressive season at Oregon. He’s a fluid, athletic pass protector who should be able to hold up on an island against some of the NFL’s quickest pass rushers. Those same movement skills also make him an excellent fit for the Dolphins’ run scheme.

Conerly Jr. needs to add some weight to his frame, and he’s not a consistent run blocker from a technique perspective. However, Conerly Jr.’s upside will likely entice teams around where the Dolphins’ first-round pick is.

If Miami wants to maximize its offensive line, moving Jackson back to guard and adding Conerly Jr. at tackle could be a viable option.

Honorable Mention: Armand Membou, Missouri