The Miami Dolphins had a disappointing 9-8 season in 2024, which means it’s back to the drawing board for Mike McDaniel and company as they try to figure out a way to unseat the Buffalo Bills as kings of the AFC East. The 2025 NFL Draft will be a big part of that for the Dolphins, so we asked the PFF mock draft simulator what the team will do. Here’s what the AI-based mock drafters told us.
Round 1, Pick 13: EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Right out of the gates the Dolphins start strong addressing needs in this PFF NFL mock draft simulator run. The team was 27th in the league in sacks last season, only taking quarterbacks down 35 times.
Interior defensive lineman Zach Sieler was a stud again, posting 10.0 sacks for a second consecutive season, and rookie Chop Robinson impressed with 6.0, but the two players who should be the team’s primary pass rush, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, played zero and four games, respectively this season.
This gives the Dolphins a decent base to build a pass rush, but it is now obvious they cannot count on Chubb or Phillips anymore. They need another young edge player to go on the other side of Robinson, and Donovan Ezeiruaku can be that player.
The 6-foot-2, 248-pound, long-armed former Boston College Eagle is a demon off the edge and projects perfectly as the 3-4 outside linebacker the Dolphins need.
Ezeiruaku was a team captain in Boston and finished this season second and third, respectively, in the FBS with 16.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for a loss. He also won the Ted Hendricks Award as the top defensive end in the country.
Under McDaniel, the Dolphins offense is known for its speed and quickness. By taking Ezeiruaku in the first round, the defense will start getting that reputation, too.
Round 2, Pick 48: DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Josh Allen isn’t going to stop himself (anymore), Dolphins fans. That’s why defense is the keyword of the team’s 2025 NFL Draft, especially along the defensive line.
Last season, next to Seiler, the odd-front defensive line included nose tackle Benito Jones and defensive end Calais Campbell. The problem here is that Campbell is 38 years old, Jones ranked 88th out of 118 interior defensive linemen per PFF last season, and both are free agents.
With former Buckeyes lineman Tyleik Williams, the Dolphins would get a 6-foot-3, 334-pound run stuffer who can play on the nose and hold down the middle on early downs in the Dolphins’ base front.
He needs to get a little better pushing the pocket to be a three-down guy, but for a team that could be losing two big run defenders, Williams is a necessary piece.
Round 3, Pick 98: DT Deone Walker, Kentucky
One of my favorite players in the 2025 NFL Draft is Kentucky interior lineman Deone Walker. That’s because he is a wildly athletic and massively large human who, with the right coaching, could become a Calais Campbell-type player, who ironically, he would be replacing here.
At 6-foot-7, 331 pounds, Walker is an inch shorter than Campbell but 20 pounds heavier than his possible predecessor. The former Wildcat offers more potential than production at this point, but if a Miami coach can mold this ball of clay, they could really have something special.
Walker can become a run stuffer if he learns how to play lower, and will give the Dolphins interior pass rush and can even bump outside on occasions to give tackles fits. This is a high risk, high reward pick, but in the third round, it’s a risk the Dolphins should be willing to take.
Round 4, Pick 115: S Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Defense continues to be the word of the day in the fourth round, too, as the Dolphins turn their attention to the back end in this PFF NFL mock draft simulator run.
Last season, Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer came in at 56 and 57 out of 98 qualified safeties in PFF’s final grades. Both players are still under contract, but if the Dolphins can upgrade, they should.
Jonas Sanker is 6 feet, 206 pounds, runs a 4.48 40, and plays bigger and faster than the numbers suggest. He was a three-year starter who is comfortable playing downhill and sticking his nose in the run game.
Whether Sanker starts right away or sits a year and learns behind two veterans who were at one time among the best in the league, this is a solid pick in Round 4.
Round 4, Pick 135: RB Damien Martinez, Miami (FL)
A year after putting up over 1,00 yards and leading the league with 18 touchdowns, Raheem Mostert rushed for just 278 yards and two touchdowns last season. That means the Dolphins are in the market for a DeVon Achane partner in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In this PFF NFL mock draft simulator run, Miami Hurricanes back Damien Martinez is that guy.
Martinez seems like an ideal complement for Achane as the 6-foot, 217-pound back doesn’t have breakaway speed but can be a battering ram to soften up the line for his electric counterpart.
Round 5, Pick 151: G Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
Depth on the offensive line is never a bad idea, especially when you have a quarterback who is sadly and scarily one hit away from something truly terrible happening.
In Luke Kendra, the Dolphins get a solid offensive lineman who isn’t likely to become an All-Pro but could develop into a legit starter, possibly even early in his career. The best stat about Kendra is that he was called for just one penalty in 2,000 career plays.
Round 5, Pick 157: EDGE R.J. Oben, Notre Dame
It would be nice for the Dolphins to take a developmental quarterback somehwre in the first five rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, but alas, that is not the case, according to the PFF mock draft simulator.
With their final pick in Round 5, Miami goes back to defensive line and takes another pass rusher in Notre Dame’s R.J. Oben.
Oben has been in college for a long time, playing five seasons at Duke before finishing with one in South Bend. At 6-foot-3 and 261 pounds, Oben has good size and strength, but his biggest value is his versatility.
He played both five technique defensive end and three technique defensive tackle in college. For the Dolphins, this gives them an interesting wrinkle of putting him inside on third downs, which could help with their sack totals.
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