The Miami Dolphins concluded a promising season in 2022 with their first trip to the playoffs since 2016 and just their fifth since 2000. Can they keep up the momentum heading into the draft?
The 2022 offseason was one of immense change for the Miami Dolphins. A new head coach in Mike McDaniel, a healthy Tua Tagovailoa, and a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Tyreek Hill showed the franchise was serious about righting the ship. It’d had been a playoff drought spanning five seasons and it was time for sweeping changes.
Those changes would prove fruitful as the Dolphins started the year 8-3, including a thrilling victory over the division-rival Buffalo Bills. Despite a fantastic start, they found themselves limping to the playoffs behind a 1-5 finish that saw Tua Tagovailoa get shut down due to injury the last two weeks of the season. Their playoff dream was short lived after a first-round exit and the Dolphins once again found themselves back at the drawing board to prepare for 2023.
The Dolphins started this offseason relatively quiet, opting to sign their own free agents and make lower impact moves. That all changed on March 14, when the Dolphins made yet another blockbuster move, trading for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
BREAKING: Rams trade CB Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins. Rams get a 2023 third-round pick and TE Hunter Long. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/vDNyuevUo1
— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2023
The move would pair Ramsey with Xavien Howard giving the Dolphins one of the leagues best pairings at the position.
With much of the free agency frenzy now in the rearview, attention turns to the draft. Unfortunately, the Dolphins possesses the fewest picks of any team with a total of four. It will require a lot of work from the scouting department and management to ensure each pick is used on someone who can help this team make another playoff push in 2023.