The Miami Dolphins have picks in the first and second rounds of
the NFL Draft on April 24 and 25. Miami's first scheduled
pick is No. 13 overall and second pick is No. 48. Dolphins general manager
Chris Grier and coach
Mike McDaniel are acutely aware of needs at guard, cornerback, defensive tackle and defensive end.
Who Miami Dolphins have taken at No. 13 and 48
We all know what the number 13 means in Dolphins lore. Quarterback
Dan Marino , who wore No. 13, is the best player in franchise history. It turns out 13 has been a productive spot in Dolphins draft history, too. Defensive tackle
Christian Wilkins of Clemson was a hit at No. 13 in 2019. Wilkins was a four-year starter and has 22.5 career sacks. Offensive tackle
Laremy Tunsil of
Ole Miss was a hit at No. 13 in 2016. Tunsil was a three-year starter for Miami and made five Pro Bowls with the Texans. In 1981, the Dolphins chose Oklahoma running back
David Overstreet of No. 13. Overstreet began his pro career with Montreal of the CFL, before demonstrating his potential after joining the Dolphins. Sadly, Overstreet was killed in a car accident in June 1984. Linebacker
A.J. Duhe was a hit at No. 13 in 1977. Duhe had 38.5 career sacks and was a seven-year starter. The Dolphins have also had some success at pick 48. In 1980, the Dolphins drafted center
Dwight Stephenson of Alabama No. 48. Stephenson is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Oddly, Stephenson is the only player Miami has ever selected with the 48th pick.
NFL Draft History of No. 13 Pick
Over the last 10 years, pick No. 13 has had a good result at least nine times. Consider these nine players:
Brock Bowers (Las Vegas),
Jordan Davis (Philadelphia),
Rashawn Slater (LA
Chargers ),
Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay),
Christian Wilkins (Miami),
Daron Payne (Washington),
Haason Reddick (Arizona),
Laremy Tunsil (Miami),
Andrus Peat (New Orleans).
Wow! It's easier now to see why Grier would really love, if at all possible, to choose the best available player at No. 13. Yes, it would be great if it were a guard/tackle, defensive tackle, defensive end or cornerback. But if it's a safety, tight end, quarterback, running back or receiver that he views a potential Pro Bowler, so be it. Grier knows he must get a strong player at No. 13. He can't miss. The 10th player in this group, incidentally, is pass rusher
Lukas Van Ness of Green Bay, who has been limited to 0 starts and seven sacks in two seasons due to injury. There are skeptics, but the jury is still out.
NFL Draft History of No. 48 Pick
As you might expect, pick 48 has been a bit less consistent. But there are still really good players in this group over the last 10 years. Let's say six players have been proven correct:
Cody Mauch (Tampa Bay),
Aaron Banks (San Francisco),
Darrell Taylor (Seattle),
Erik McCoy (New Orleans),
Joe Mixon (Cincinnati) and
Denzel Perryman (San Diego). Let's say two players have not panned out yet, largely due to injuries:
Maason Smith (Jacksonville) and
Jaquan Brisker (Chicago). And let's say two players did not pan out at all:
Uchenna Nwosu (LA Chargers) and
Jason Spriggs Green Bay.
This study tells us that Grier should hit at an 80 or 90 percent rate at No. 13. He's already gone 2-for-2 in the past 10 years with Wilkins and Tunsil. And this tells us that Grier should hit at about a 60 or 70 percent rate at No. 48. The Dolphins really need two quality starters with those two picks. It's essential.
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post . You can reach him at and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe . Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
