Miami Dolphins Mock Draft: Building Bobby Slowik’s offense and rebuilding the defense

Dolphins add multiple big playmakers on offense: Miami needs size and contested-catch ability, and in this simulation addresses that early by selecting Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston in the first round and Baylor tight end Michael Trigg at pick No. 75.

Miami needs to find a competitive on-the-ball cornerback: Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds could be the Dolphins’ version of Keisean Nixon.

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After another dismal start to the season and just seven wins to show for it, the Miami Dolphins enter the offseason in full reset mode. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan will attempt to recreate elements of the Green Bay Packers’ defense in South Beach, hiring Jeff Hafley as head coach and Sean Duggan as defensive coordinator — both of whom worked with Sullivan in Green Bay last year. On the other side of the ball, Bobby Slowik will take over as offensive coordinator for his second stint in that role after leading the Houston Texans offense from 2023 to 2024.

In an ideal world, Slowik and company would begin by identifying a long-term solution at quarterback. However, given Tua Tagovailoa’s contract and the limitations of the upcoming draft class, Miami is likely headed for a “gap year” at the position. That reality should push the Dolphins toward adding size to the skill positions and leaning into Slowik’s Shanahan roots by targeting athletic offensive linemen who can thrive in a zone-heavy scheme.

Defensively, the most urgent needs lie in the back seven, particularly at cornerback and linebacker. Fortunately for Miami, the Dolphins hold five of the top 90 picks in the draft, giving the club ample opportunity to address a wide range of critical needs on both sides of the ball.

Round 1, Pick 11: WR Denzel Boston, Washington

Size is sorely lacking in Miami’s current receiver room, making the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Boston a natural fit here. He was an explosive playmaker for Washington last season, turning 49 of his 62 receptions into first downs and 11 into touchdowns. Boston was also dominant in contested situations, hauling in 10 of the 13 contested targets thrown his way.

Round 2, Pick 43: CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana

Ponds’ stature — listed at 5-foot-9, 173 pounds — pushes him into Round 2 of this simulation, but his 2025 performance for the national champion Hoosiers was clearly worthy of first-round consideration. He did not allow a single touchdown in coverage all season, intercepting two passes and breaking up 11 more.

Round 3, Pick 75: TE Michael Trigg, Baylor

When the Houston Texans hired Bobby Slowik as offensive coordinator in 2023, one of their key free-agent additions was tight end Dalton Schultz, who quickly became a fixture in Slowik’s offense. Trigg has the skill set to fill a similar role now that Slowik is in Miami. Over two seasons at Baylor, 31 of his 80 receptions went for 15-plus yards, and he broke an impressive 28 tackles after the catch.

Round 3, Pick 87: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Miami’s linebacker corps is in desperate need of youth and athleticism, and Rodriguez just put together one of the best seasons of the PFF era. His 93.0 overall PFF grade and 92.3 coverage grade both ranked first among all FBS linebackers in 2025.

Round 3, Pick 90: G Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M

Bisontis shows the lower-body flexibility needed to thrive in Slowik’s zone-based scheme. Over three seasons at Texas A&M, he graded positively on 13.3% of zone runs and allowed just one sack in each of the past two campaigns.