Dolphins must seek three free agents following the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft may be gone, but the Miami Dolphins aren’t finished replenishing their roster. There are still some significant free agents who the team could pursue.
Like most teams, the Dolphins will continue to add and subtract from their roster, tweaking their 90-man roster until the eventual cut down to 53 once the regular season starts. Of course, this is a team that has been going through a bit of a transition since the beginning of the new NFL year started back in March with free agency.
The Dolphins were essentially devastated in free agency, losing starters like as defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, offensive guard Robert Hunt, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Xavien Howard, and others. They tried to compensate for some of their losses through free agency acquisitions and the draft.
When the 2024 NFL Draft concluded, the Dolphins had walked away with seven total picks, starting with first-round selection Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson at No. 21 overall. And then, like every other team in the league, they went out shopping for undrafted free agents. But that doesn’t mean Miami general manager Chris Grier is finished making moves to acquire veteran free agents.
The problem with this is that Grier doesn’t have a lot of wiggle room thanks to the Dolphins’ limited cap space of just under $2 million, according to OverTheCap. Though that will be rectified some after June 1 when Howard’s $18.5 million comes off the books and/or the team decides to make further cuts. However, should the Dolphins decide to revisit free agency, here are three free agents they should target.
Dalton Risner, G
One position the Dolphins didn’t address in the draft was the interior offensive line. When free agency first opened, they acquired former Tennessee Titans center Aaron Brewer, along with former Philadelphia Eagle Jack Driscoll.
Brewer is coming off a horrible season in 2023, playing on one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines last season. Driscoll, on the other hand, is a fairly versatile lineman but has spent most of his time at both of the tackle positions.
But if the Dolphins are looking for a proven interior offensive lineman, then Dalton Risner should be first on their list. Risner didn’t allow a single sack last season and was only penalized three times. Though run-blocking is not what he’s known for, he typically grades well in pass-blocking. He graded 70 or higher in five games last season, according to Pro-Football-Focus. With as limited as this position is for proven offensive linemen, he’s the best available.
