The Miami Dolphins have done an excellent job accumulating Draft picks and building a young, talented team under General Manager Chris Grier and Head Coach Brian Flores.
The Dolphins went from 5-11 under Flores in his first season to 10-6 in 2020. With the help of a very successful 2021 NFL Draft, the sky is the limit for this Dolphins team moving forward.
The team came into the event with multiple picks in both the first and second rounds and turned those picks into premium players that can help right away. The highlight of Miami’s 2021 NFL Draft was their sixth overall pick, Jaylen Waddle. But the team did well to add starters throughout and continue to build a winning football team into the future of this proud Miami Dolphins’ franchise. Check out my grades below for each pick Miami made during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Round 1, Pick 6: Jaylen Waddle, WR Alabama
Entering the 2021 NFL Draft, the goal was clear for the Miami Dolphins: Build-around quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. And the team did exactly that, with the addition of Alabama speed-demon Jaylen Waddle among others. After missing out on both Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase early on, the Dolphins hit a home run by selecting Tagovailoa’s former teammate Waddle.
Waddle may be the most explosive player in the 2021 NFL Draft, with Tyreek Hill-like explosiveness and the knack to score from anywhere on the field. He has elite speed, agility, and return ability and will score a ton of touchdowns in Miami. Waddle has number-one type talent and should help in a variety of ways in year one. He will start in the slot right away and should take over return duties from Jakeem Grant as well.
Pick Grade: A
Round 1, Pick 18: Jaelen Phillips, EDGE Miami (Fla.)
Another big area of concern for Miami this offseason was the pass rush and ability to generate turnovers. The team addressed those needs in a big way with the selection of Jaelen Phillips. If not for a string of concussions to begin his career, Phillips would have likely been a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Therefore, the Dolphins came away with a steal and likely starter outside for the 2021 season.
As a one-year starter for the Hurricanes, Phillips made a significant impact on the edge in the ACC. He racked up eight sacks with 15.5 tackles for a loss and looked nearly unblockable in 2020. Following the opt-out decision of fellow Miami EDGE rusher Gregory Rousseau, Phillips filled that void and then some. Combined with Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah, Phillips should provide a significant boost to the Dolphins’ pass rush in 2021.
Pick Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick 36: Jevon Holland, S Oregon
This past week, I wrote about Jevon Holland being a “Minkah Fitzpatrick clone” as a safety prospect, and it is only fitting that Miami snatched him up. The Dolphins have been looking to replace Fitzpatrick since they traded with Pittsburgh during the 2019 season. Holland is a tremendous slot corner that can play the deep middle at safety. Holland also brings excellent ball skills to the Miami secondary. He intercepted nine passes between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Along with a few other Oregon players, Holland opted out of the 2020 season and chose to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft instead. And it appears that decision had little effect on his stock, as the ball-hawking defender was selected with the 36th overall pick. He became an excellent value selection for the Dolphins and should contribute heavy snaps as a rookie this upcoming season.
Pick Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick 42: Liam Eichenberg, OT Notre Dame
The Dolphins traded 2020 starting LG, Ereck Flowers, before the 2021 NFL Draft, thus creating an opening upfront. The team did well to address this need with a cheaper option with their second pick on Friday night. Miami traded up from 50 to 42 to secure a potential starter at RT for the 2021 season.
Eichenberg has tremendous size and strength to anchor outside on this Dolphins’ offensive line. The former Notre Dame star started at LT for the past three seasons but could flip over to the right side, while Robert Hunt moves inside to guard. Eichenberg was a fringe first-rounder that will be starting with the Dolphins for a long time. For that reason alone, this was another excellent pick for Miami.
Pick Grade: A
Round 3, Pick 81: Hunter Long, TE Boston College
While this pick of Hunter Long may have been surprising on the surface, it makes a ton of sense for the Dolphins’ team long-term. Current Miami TE Mike Gesicki is a free agent following the 2021 season, so the selection of Long provides the team some great insurance for 2022 and beyond.
As a prospect, Long is another significant weapon added to a young stable for QB, Tua Tagovailoa. He led all FBS tight ends with 57 receptions this past season. Long gets in and out of his breaks quickly and provides a dependable receiver for the QB. He’s improving as a blocker, but has terrific hands and will rotate with Gesicki to provide an upgrade on Durham Smythe and Adam Sheehan.
Pick Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 231: Larnel Coleman, OT Massachusetts
When it comes to this point in the Draft, it is important to get players with the proper tools, upside, and experience to perform at the next level. The Dolphins did exactly that with the selection of Massachusetts’ Larnel Coleman. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle prospect is exactly the type of project and is worth the gamble here in the seventh round.
Coleman ran a 5.1 forty-yard dash, jumped 31 inches in the vertical, and measured out with an 84 and 7/8-inch wingspan. He’s athletic with tons of experience outside at both right and left tackle. Coleman started every game for the past three seasons for the Minutemen and could compete for a backup swing role as early as the 2021 season.
Pick Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 244: Gerrid Doaks, RB Cincinnati
Miami fans were clamoring for them to draft a running back for the entirety of the 2021 NFL Draft, and they finally did so in round seven. The team selected former Cincinnati Bearcat runner, Gerrid Doaks. The big, bruising RB led Cincinnati in rushing this past season with 673 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named first-team All-AAC while adding 14 catches for 202 yards and two more scores.
While Doaks may not be the biggest name among casual fans, his presence provides an excellent complement to the incumbent, Myles Gaskin. Miami did a poor job converting short-yardage situations in 2020, which could be rectified with the addition of Doaks and free-agent signee Malcolm Brown. The backfield is not loaded with talent and upside, so Doaks stands a tremendous chance to make the opening day 53.
Pick Grade: C+