PFF’s “Perfect Fit” Day 2 Pick for the Miami Dolphins

Is this interior offensive lineman the perfect fit in Miami?

The 2024 NFL Draft is within shouting distance, and the Miami Dolphins made it clear that they expect to draft the best player available at number twenty-one overall.

Many names could be thrown into the fray, like Graham Barton, Jared Verse, Jer’Zhan Newton, Byron Murphy, or even another receiver like the speedy Xavier Worthy or his other half, big ol’ Adonai Mitchell.

Whoever it is, it’ll probably be someone Dolphins fans weren’t expecting to drop to them. That’s the beauty of picking the best player available rather than restricting yourself to a specific need.

That said, I didn’t call this meeting to talk about the first round. There are many articles on here about that. This here is day two talk, and when that second round rolls around, the Dolphins will need to address their most critical need, and that’s the interior offensive line.

Pro Football Focus seems to agree and posted their “Perfect NFL Draft Day 2 Fits”, and they have the Dolphins selecting Christian Haynes.

Connecticut’s Christian Haynes is the perfect replacement for Robert Hunt in Miami. Haynes is very athletic and excels in the zone run game. He also excels in pass protection, having allowed just one sack over the past two seasons. Haynes’ performance seldom wavered, even against Power Five competition, and he could start immediately at right guard for the Dolphins.

PFF is bullish on Haynes, and I can see why when I watch some tape on him. He has quick feet, gets out in space well, sustains blocks downfield, and is as strong as they come.

Here’s PFF’s analysis on Haynes through their “2024 NFL Draft: The top-10 interior offensive line prospects if everyone in college football was eligible” column.

Haynes was named a second-team PFF All-American in 2022 before cracking the first team this past season. He’s the only FBS guard over the past two seasons who’s earned 85-plus PFF grades both as a pass-blocker and as a run-blocker.

He’s at his best on the move, posting a 93.6 PFF run-blocking grade on zone runs since 2022. That’s the highest mark among any guard in the country. The team that drafts Haynes should get him out in space as much as possible.

That says it all. Haynes is prolific in both run blocking and pass protection. He’s even better on zone runs and getting out in space. That is everything the Dolphins could want in an interior offensive lineman.

The most underrated part of his game is his initial punch when he engages in blocks. He knocks guys off their feet and big brothers them. I see a lot of NFL pancakes in his future for whatever team he ends up on.

I’m not a huge PFF guy, but the more I watch highlights of Haynes, the more I think this pick is absolutely spot on. He’s a diamond in the rough, and even though he has a second-round grade on most consensus big boards, he could end up being a Pro Bowl to all-pro-level player in Miami’s offense, especially once Butch Barry gets a hold of him.

It’s a leap of faith, but the tape doesn’t lie. Haynes is a bit undersized but makes up for that with quick feet and strong arms that lock you in and make it incredibly difficult for defenders to disengage.

If the Dolphins go with the best player available, which seems to be the case, Christian Haynes is who PFF feels is the perfect fit, and I could not agree more.

Let us know in the comments if you feel Christian Haynes is the perfect fit in the second round or who you think could be a better fit.