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Draft Selections
Aireontae Ersery Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (MIA)
Aireontae Ersery
OT Minnesota
Riley Leonard Head Shot
PICK: 48 RND: 2 (MIA)
Riley Leonard
QB Notre Dame
Rylie Mills Head Shot
PICK: 98 RND: 3 (MIA)
Rylie Mills
DL Notre Dame
Andrew Mukuba Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (MIA)
Andrew Mukuba
S Texas
Jack Bech Head Shot
PICK: 115 RND: 4 (MIA)
Jack Bech
WR TCU
Brashard Smith Head Shot
PICK: 149 RND: 5 (MIA)
Brashard Smith
RB SMU
Joshua Gray Head Shot
PICK: 156 RND: 5 (MIA)
Joshua Gray
OG Oregon State
Jaishawn Barham Head Shot
PICK: 224 RND: 7 (MIA)
Jaishawn Barham
LB Michigan
Brant Kuithe Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (MIA)
Brant Kuithe
TE Utah
Jonah Monheim Head Shot
PICK: 251 RND: 7 (MIA)
Jonah Monheim
C USC
Draft Grade — Dolphins
Overall C+
ValueD- NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Dolphins landed square in the muddy middle: C+.

The Riley Leonard pick is the one that will follow the Dolphins into the fall. They took him 106 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so. The good and the questionable cancel out to a C+.

On value alone, Smith makes the weekend a net positive. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

In the end, one you will need a couple of seasons to truly judge.

Pick Analysis
Pick13 Rnd1 Aireontae Ersery
This one needs a full-page explanation: Aireontae Ersery in the Round 1 slot, miles early. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick48 Rnd2 Riley Leonard
A big swing on Riley Leonard at pick 48, well ahead of any board in the building. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick98 Rnd3 Rylie Mills
Rylie Mills in the 98th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick99 Rnd3 Andrew Mukuba
They robbed the room for Andrew Mukuba here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick115 Rnd4 Jack Bech
The board fumbled Jack Bech all the way to the 115th overall pick, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick149 Rnd5 Brashard Smith
Brashard Smith in No. 149 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick156 Rnd5 Joshua Gray
They liked Joshua Gray enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 156. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick224 Rnd7 Jaishawn Barham
Taking Jaishawn Barham in the Round 7 slot is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick231 Rnd7 Brant Kuithe
Brant Kuithe in No. 231 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Pick251 Rnd7 Jonah Monheim
Circle this one: Jonah Monheim at the 251st pick is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.