The Miami Dolphins desperately need bullies on the offensive line.
There’s no denying that the Miami Dolphins will pick who they believe is the best player available once on the clock in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft — and there’s a strong chance that player will be an offensive lineman.
The Dolphins desperately need to rebuild the offensive line after seeing the rushing attack plummet from 135 yards per game to 105 yards between 2023 and 2024. Needing a change in the trenches, longtime NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks sees Alabama junior Tyler Booker as the perfect fit for Miami’s offense.
“Adding physicality and toughness to the offensive line is a priority for the Dolphins,” Brooks wrote. “Booker is a bully at the line of scrimmage with the nastiness needed to set the tone up front.”
Booker, a first-team All-SEC honoree by the Associated Press, started 11 games at left guard and one at tackle last season for the Crimson Tide. He played 653 total snaps while averaging seven knockdown blocks per game, according to the Alabama website.
#NFL doesn’t like to take OG in first round, but for those teams that need IOL help, Alabama’s Tyler Booker will be next year.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/F8Kr2G4vYs
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) November 30, 2024
Miami desperately needs help up front after failing to replace Robert Hunt, who earned his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2024 after signing a five-year, $100 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in the offseason. In a game of inches, drafting Booker would fill the void with physicality up front after Miami ranked No. 25 with a 48% fourth-down conversion rate in 2024.
The 2025 NFL Draft is nearly three months away, but the offensive line will continue to be a popular pick for the Dolphins. While ESPN’s Mel Kiper had Miami going defense at No. 13, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah also had Miami adding to the O-line.
While the offensive line makes the most sense, it wouldn’t necessarily align with Miami’s recent draft tendencies. Austin Jackson is the only offensive lineman drafted by the franchise in the first round since 2017.
Roy Foster, who was picked No. 24 in the 1982 Draft, was the last first-round guard selected by the Dolphins. That said, also he went on to become a two-time Pro Bowler during his nine seasons with Miami.