For weeks last season, the question wasn’t whether the Dolphins would draft a quarterback in the first round, but which one.

No longer. Several factors conspired to practically ensure that Miami will address a different position with the eighth or ninth pick of the first round, barring a trade-up with St. Louis for the No. 2 choice, and the right to select Baylor’s Robert Griffin III.

With Matt Barkley and Landry Jones deciding to remain in school, Griffin soaring up draft boards, and the Dolphins winning more games than quarterback-starved Cleveland and Washington, there is no quarterback considered worthy of selection in the Dolphins’ first-round range. And that means Miami’s best options at that spot figure to be an offensive tackle, a defensive end or a linebacker such as Boston College’s Luke Kuechley. Cornerback is not out of the question.

A coin flip next month will determine whether the Dolphins or Panthers pick eighth. Andrew Luck obviously will be off the board by Miami’s pick, and Griffin, Southern California offensive tackle Matt Kalil and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne likely will be, too. So could Alabama’s Trent Richardson, but Miami doesn’t need a running back. A few others on the Dolphins’ radar also could be gone, including Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon.

Beyond a costly trade-up for Griffin, here’s an early look at Miami’s potential options with its pick, by position:

•  Offensive tackle: Right tackle might be the most pressing need on the roster, and the free agent class is weak. The Dolphins could have two appealing options: Iowa’s Riley Reiff and Stanford’s Jonathan Martin. Both played left tackle but would need to move to the right side with the Dolphins. Mel Kiper has Reiff eighth and Martin ninth among all prospects on his ESPN.com ratings.

Reiff “isn’t a mauler but dependable, consistent, technically sound,” Todd McShay wrote on ESPN.com. Martin, according to Kiper, “has a chance to develop into a fantastic player.”

•  Defensive linemen: It’s highly questionable — considered less than 50/50 — that North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples will be there when Miami picks. McShay has him going fifth, Kiper seventh. Coples, 6-6 and 285 pounds, had 71/2 sacks this season and would fit nicely in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.

“Production isn’t amazing, but the skill set is hard to look past,” Kiper said. “He’ll need to add to his arsenal with increased blocking attention. Great size and length to hold the edge as a 4-3 defensive end.”

Keep an eye on two other defensive ends who could play outside linebacker in a 3-4: Clemson’s Andre Branch (ranked 11th overall by McShay) and South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram (ranked 13th). Both had 10 sacks this season.

LSU’s third-year sophomore tackle Michael Brockers “has the size and strength to dominate the point of attack as a run defender,” said McShay, who ranks him 17th.

Kiper’s highest-rated defensive tackles are Penn State’s Devon Still (11th overall) and Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox (15th). Still, 6-5 and 310, is a “great penetrator and has been extremely disruptive, breaking up double-teams to pile up tackles for losses,” Kiper wrote.

Cox, first-team all-SEC, “could go inside in a 4-3 or be a defensive end in a 3-4,” according to Kiper. The tackle class is lackluster overall, McShay said. Miami will need help there if Paul Soliai leaves in free agency, but Miami’s pick might be too high for any of the tackles.