The NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror. How did the selection process impact the Miami Dolphins’ “power ranking” position? NFL.com provided an update on Monday.
The NFL Draft ended on Saturday and was immediately followed by the signing of undrafted free agents all across the league. While everyone was tracking each non-drafted player’s status and which team he would be joining, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm was updating his 2024 NFL power rankings with the draft’s results factored into the listing.
The draft did nothing at the top of Edholm’s rankings, where the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hold the top spot and the San Francisco 49ers maintain the second position. The Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions continue to hold positions three and four, respectively, while the Philadelphia Eagles moved up one position to claim the fifth spot.
The Buffalo Bills, previously Edholm’s fifth-ranked team, fell two spots to the seventh position.
The Miami Dolphins continue to hang just outside the top ten, remaining in the 11th position, according to Edholm. He explained the rating, writing:
I completely understood the rationale of taking edge Chop Robinson in the first round. The Dolphins were gutted when Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Andrew Van Ginkel all went down with injuries down the stretch last season, and Christian Wilkins, Emmanuel Ogbah and Van Ginkel are now playing elsewhere. Plus, they can’t count on Phillips and Chubb being fully healthy to start the season. Robinson profiles similarly to Danielle Hunter when he came out, lacking quality college production but possessing all the pass-rush traits NFL teams are seeking. The rest of Miami’s draft was fine. I really liked the middle three picks of RB Jaylen Wright, edge Mohamed Kamara and WR Malik Washington, but none of the three are going to significantly push Miami closer to a Super Bowl in 2024.
Looking at the rest of the AFC East, the New York Jets trail well behind the Bills and Dolphins, ranking 21st, one position lower than Edholm had previously ranked them. The New England Patriots, despite their excitement in selecting Drake May with the third-overall pick, continue to fall, sliding one position down to 31st in the league, with only the Carolina Panthers ranked lower.
Edholm’s rankings feel about right for Miami. They lost a ton of talent in free agency this offseason and have injury concerns that will likely linger into this season. They have to keep players on the field and perform up to their full potential to improve on last year’s one-and-done playoff appearance. Will the Dolphins move up once the season begins, challenging to be among the league’s elite? Until they prove they are capable of competing with the top-tier teams, an 11th-play position seems accurate.
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