The Miami Dolphins‘ 2024 rookie class will be close to 20 players between their seven draft picks and the dozen or so undrafted free agents who agreed to terms in the last 24 hours.
Here are five to keep an eye on when new pros report for rookie minicamp on May 10.
An Early Look at Intriguing 2024 Miami Dolphins UDFAs
CB Storm Duck | Louisville
Beyond having the best name of the group, Storm Duck also has the best chance of this group to actually make the team.
There are two reasons for that:
- The Dolphins didn’t draft a cornerback
- The Dolphins, per the Miami Herald, gave Duck a $20,000 signing bonus and $150,000 guaranteed to sign.
That’s a signal that Duck, who was second-team all-conference in 2022, probably should have been drafted.
QB Gavin Hardison | UTEP
Want to see a big arm? Feast your eyes on the rocket launcher.
Gavin Hardison to Kelly Akharaiyi is going to be FUN to watch this year pic.twitter.com/CypaT55pYj
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) August 26, 2023
We’re hoping Gavin Hardison makes it to at least the final cuts just for the chance to see if Tyreek Hill can actually be overthrown.
So why didn’t Hardison get drafted? He completed just 53.7% of his passes in college and threw 33 interceptions. He’ll need to fix that quickly in order to have any chance of beating out Skylar Thompson for QB3.
DB Isaiah Johnson | Syracuse
This isn’t just a homer pick from a proud alumni. Isaiah Johnson has a shot to make the team, particularly if the Dolphins play him at safety.
“Long, explosive, fluid for his size, physical downhill with a quick trigger,” writes PFN Draft Analyst Ian Cummings.
Johnson, a team captain who started every game, spent two years with Syracuse after transferring from Dartmouth. He finished his senior season with 62 tackles, six pass breakups, and one interception.
OL Bayron Matos | USF
If nothing else, Bayron Matos is a lock to be a first-round pick in any rookie pickup basketball game.
The 6-7, 313-pounder is the latest college basketball player trying to make the transition to the NFL. But unlike his forefathers — Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, and Julius Thomas — Matos isn’t a skill-position player.
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Matos will probably find out early in rookie minicamp that there’s a big difference between boxing out East Carolina small forwards and trying to stop Chop Robinson from getting around the edge.
EDGE Grayson Murphy | UCLA
The Dolphins now have contingency after contingency in case Jaelan Phillips or (more likely) Bradley Chubb is not ready for Week 1.
“Murphy is an undersized pass-rush specialist,” Cummings writes. “His brother Gabriel (signed by the Vikings) was a little bit better, more consistent as a prospect, but Grayson has speed, bend, active hands. Good in the scheme, but the unit is stacked now with Chop Robinson and Mo Kamara.”
Looking for everything you need surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft? Make sure to check out the latest draft results, overall team grades, and updated best remaining players available at every position!