7 potential Miami Dolphins targets to watch at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

The Dolphins’ top decision-makers will be in Indianapolis this week for the 2024 Scouting Combine. Head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier will speak to the media and could provide updates on the team’s plans a few weeks away from the start of free agency. They will also get an in-depth look at the 2024 draft class, with over 300 prospects gathering for physical measurements, testing and interviews.

Despite a second straight playoff appearance, Miami has numerous needs on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins might need to rebuild their offensive line with three starters set to hit free agency. Miami could also use a secondary pass-catcher, whether it be a wide receiver or tight end, behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

On defense, the Dolphins are building the unit through the vision of new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. Defensive line could be a major need, as Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis are unrestricted free agents. Miami needs outside linebacker depth with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips rehabbing from severe lower-body injuries. Secondary could also be a target; Miami is releasing cornerback Xavien Howard at the start of the new league year, and safeties DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones are pending free agents.

If the Dolphins don’t trade their No. 21 overall pick, it would be the first time since 2021 that the team makes a selection in the first round of the draft. And with limited cap flexibility expected, Miami needs an influx of young contributors on rookie deals.

“You’re the Miami Dolphins, you’re right smack dab in the middle of your window. To me, you can look at upside guys that are ready right now,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said during a conference call last week. “I always think about what [former Baltimore Ravens general manager] Ozzie Newsome used to say: ‘Let’s hit doubles in the first round and not strike out.’

“I think [if] I’m the Miami Dolphins, I want somebody to come in that can help me, that I feel is a rock-solid player, ready to roll right now. That would be kind of the area that I would be leaning to. If you have a choice between player A or player B, I might be a little bit more conscious of the floor, just personally where they are. A lot of times those high-floor picks end up being really, really good players.”

Here are prospects, from seven areas of need for the Dolphins, to watch for at the combine.

Outside linebacker: UCLA’s Laiatu Latu

Latu’s stock has been rising since he was a standout at the 2024 Senior Bowl. He might have the best pass-rush plan of any player in his class and would give the Dolphins reinforcements at edge defender while Chubb and Phillips return from their injuries. Latu, 6-5 and 265 pounds, recorded 23.5 sacks in the last two seasons and was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023 and 2022.

“Latu is a technician, man,” said Jeremiah, whose latest mock draft has the Dolphins selecting Latu. “I compare him to Trey Hendrickson. He is really good with his hands. He can win a variety of ways. He has a natural feel for pass rush. Some parts of the pass rush remind me of wide receivers. There’s route runners. There’s an artistry to it. Latu is an artist.”

Tight end: Penn State’s Theo Johnson

Durham Smythe has been a solid player but the Dolphins need more juice at tight end. Johnson fits and could also perform the blocking duties that McDaniel requires in his offense.

Johnson, 6-6 and 264 pounds, logged over 300 snaps as an inline tight end but also took 200 snaps either out wide or in the slot. In the 2023 season, he caught 34 passes for 341 yards and seven touchdowns.

“Big catch radius,” said Jeremiah, who believes Johnson will be one of the first four tight ends drafted. “There’s a play watching him this year where I saw him backpack a defensive back for ten yards, just carried him. He is [a] big, physical, intriguing player there.”

Offensive line: Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson

Center Connor Williams could take his time to sign with a team in free agency as he continues his ACL rehab, so the Dolphins might have to look to the draft to find his replacement. There are several capable centers in this class, and Powers-Johnson might be the best of the group. Jeremiah lauded the combination of size and athleticism from the 6-3 and 320-pound Powers-Johnson, who is a first-round prospect.

“It’s hard to find guys that big that can move like that ... you can’t get through him,” Jeremiah said. “He just kind of catches guys and absorbs them in pass pro. He is quick to the second level and good on combo blocks. He has some nasty to him. He is a bulldog. Got some real snap and pop in his hands.

“I think he’s going to find his way into the bottom portion of the first round. He is too clean of a player, and it’s just somebody that can anchor your offensive line for the next decade.”

Wide receiver: LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr.

Thomas’ college teammate, Malik Nabers, is a projected top-10 pick but Thomas isn’t too far behind. At 6-4 and 205 pounds, he would give the Dolphins a bigger profile at wide receiver but still satisfies McDaniel’s desire for speed. The third-team All-American caught 68 passes for 1,177 yards and led the country with 17 touchdown catches.

“Big time, big-time speed,” Jeremiah said. “I wrote on my notes on him ‘death by slot fade.’ Jayden Daniels hit him on a bunch of those. He is somebody that can play inside, outside, and play on the ball, off the ball. You name it, he can do everything.”

Defensive tackle: Texas’ Byron Murphy II

The defensive tackle class isn’t regarded as a standout group but Murphy is expected to be a first-round selection in April’s draft. The 6-1 and 308-pound Murphy is a quick and nimble lineman who was a disruptive pass rusher in 2023, recording five sacks. There are size concerns that may limit his scheme fit but he’s a player who could make an instant impact for the Dolphins if Wilkins leaves in free agency.

Cornerback: Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell

Mitchell answered many questions about his ability to compete with elite talent when he showed out at the Senior Bowl. And now, he could put his athleticism on display at the combine, cementing his status as a first-round pick. Mitchell, 6-foot and 196 pounds, is a physical corner who can excel in either man- or zone-based schemes.

Safety: Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin

Jeremiah isn’t very high on the safety class, saying that there is a chance a player at the position may not be selected within the first 50 picks. Nubin, though, is arguably the best player at his position and has playmaking skills that could pair well with Jevon Holland.

The 6-2 and 210-pound Nubin set a program record with 13 interceptions, nine of which came in the last two seasons, and was a second-team All-America selection in 2023.

Also look out for: West Virginia center Zach Frazier, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson, Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson, Georgia safety Javon Bullard.

Daniel Oyefusi

Miami Herald

Daniel Oyefusi covers the Dolphins for the Miami Herald. A native of Towson, Maryland, he graduated from the University of Maryland: College Park. Previously, he covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.