Somewhat surprisingly (and perhaps shortsightedly), Miami loaded up on skill-position players on the draft's third day, landing a running back (Tennessee's Jaylen Wright) and two wideouts (Virginia's Malik Washington and USC's Tahj Washington). In between, the 'Fins landed an edge rusher (Colorado State's Mohamed Kamara) and a safety (California's Patrick McMorris), which fit much better into the "need" category than the other three selections.
The pluses: Wright was assigned a third-round grade and deemed the No. 83 overall player by draft analyst Dane Brugler, though Miami grabbed him with the 120th overall pick, in the fourth round. He's seen as an explosive, speedy (4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash) home-run hitter, which makes him a scheme fit.
Kamara is intense (described as an inspirational captain) and productive (30.5 career sacks), with a high-effort style that lends itself to a rotational role at a position of need due to injury.
Assigned a third-round grade by Brugler, Washington may have simply been too good to pass up by the Dolphins in the sixth round -- Brugler had him as the No. 90 player in the draft and Miami got him 184th overall. He was second in the nation in receiving yardage (1,426 overall) and a team captain with only four drops in three seasons. Importantly, Dolphins draft guru Simon Clancy tabbed Washington as the best prospect at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
A former running back, McMorris is described as having good play recognition, physicality (6-0, 207 pounds), and versatility. That's the extent of the good news on this sixth-rounder (198th overall).
The 'Fins landed another small wideout Washington (5-9, 174 pounds) in Tajh, who was rated as a fifth- or sixth-round pick by Brugler but landed 241st overall, in the seventh round. One of Caleb Williams's favorite targets, he can stretch the field vertically (five 50-plus-yard catches to lead the conference), is strong after the catch, is durable, possesses return skills, and had a single drop as a senior.
The minuses: At 5-10, 210 pounds, Wright is viewed by some as inclined to avoid contact and was an afterthought in the receiving game. Miami also traded a third-rounder in 2025 for this selection, despite already having Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Chris Brooks, and Salvon Ahmed in the backfield.
Kamara will be 24 years old by the time the season starts, so his ceiling is perceived to be limited. He has been described as undersized (6-1, 248 pounds) and stiff, with struggles in the run game and with avoiding penalties.
Washington is another wee 'Fins receiver (5-8, 191 pounds) who is challenged to overcome jams, lacks long speed, and does not have much experience on special teams. Granted, there appeared to be some conflicting analysis of the wideout in his scouting report, so the minuses for Washington would appear to be debatable.
McMorris was rated as a priority free agent by Brugler based on a lack of impact plays (two interceptions in the past two years), poor angles, iffy technique and balance, questionable range, and shaky tackling. That's ... a lot to overcome.
Like Malik, Tajh Washington is described as struggling against physical coverage, with a poor catch radius, short arms, and small hands. If he is to perform in the slot -- his most likely role -- he would need to improve his patience in route-running, according to analysts.
The bottom line: While the best-player-available approach is usually the right one, did Miami really need to triple up on skill-position players when the only offensive lineman taken (Patrick Paul) is described as an extreme project? The Dolphins also had seven picks and did not take a single defensive tackle -- despite losing Christian Wilkins in free agency -- nor a cornerback, despite an aging and depleted corps.
In addition, the 'Fins loaded up on undersized players again, despite the team's well-documented struggles against physical opponents when the weather gets worse late in the season.
It's also important to note that the Dolphins surrendered a third-round pick next year to take Wright, though the team is likely expecting compensatory picks after losing some key players in free agency.
The early impression is that Miami will come out of this draft without a starter -- technically, Chop Robinson could start early in the campaign due to injuries to both Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb -- for the third year in a row (obviously, never a good sign). With so much of the salary cap tied up in so few players, general manager Chris Grier is digging himself a big, big hole by struggling to replenish departing talent via the draft.
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