The Miami Dolphins surprised many this offseason when they re-signed four of their own free-agent running backs that were all scheduled to hit the market.
Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert all returned on contracts that are set to have them wearing aqua and orange for at least the 2023 season.
However, this doesn’t mean that Miami has given up on adding more talented running backs to their roster. According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the Dolphins have been evaluating some of the top prospects at the position ahead of the upcoming draft.
“The Dolphins worked to re-sign three running backs to short-term deals in free agency but are still evaluating the top running back prospects in this class, according to a source with knowledge of the team’s plans. With no first round-selection and four total picks, running back could be addressed in Rounds 2 or 3. Roschon Johnson (Texas), Zach Charbonnet (UCLA) or scatback Devon Achane (Texas A&M) could fit. The Dolphins still need a true RB1, similar to how the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey despite having a full RB depth chart last year. Both Charbonnet and Johnson could end up fitting that billing.”
With the small chest of selections in this year’s event, Miami will be looking to fill their remaining holes for this season and prepare for the coming years when they’ll have to shell out more money for some of their top players who could hit the market.
At running back, the Dolphins haven’t used a pick above the third round since general manager Chris Grier took over in 2016 (Kenyan Drake). That would probably be the team’s sweet spot again this year, as their second selection in 2023 is currently set to come at No. 81.
With only Texas’ Bijan Robinson and Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs expected to be off the board early in this draft, Miami will likely have their pick from the rest of the group in the second and third rounds.
