NFL mock draft 2025: Miami Dolphins first round pick in early ESPN projection

Training camps for the 2024 NFL season open in the next two to three weeks, with the start of the regular season nine weeks away. While we are in the slowest part of the year for NFL news, ESPN’s Matt Miller released an early 2025 NFL Mock Draft on Tuesday, taking a look at potential first-round picks in next year’s college prospect selection process.

What position does he see on the Miami Dolphins’ radar for next offseason? Miller used ESPN’s Football Power Index to set the order of his mock draft. The results of the simulated seasons landed the Dolphins with the 21st pick, which would place them in the playoffs, but losing in the wildcard round (again).

Miami’s 21st overall selection spot has them the second-place team in the AFC East for the season, behind the Buffalo Bills (26th pick) and just ahead of the New York Jets (20th pick). The New England Patriots round out the division as the worst team in the league, claiming the number one pick. Miller has the Patriots trading the pick to the New York Giants to receive the ninth pick, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.

The Dolphins’ selection with the 21st pick makes a lot of sense for the team, who shore up their front seven with the pick. According to Miller, he sees Miami adding Kentuck defensive tackle Deone Walker. Explaining the selection, he writes:

If you like Derrick Brown and Dexter Lawrence, you’re going to love Walker. The 6-foot-6, 348-pounder is an anchor in the middle of the Kentucky defensive line but also has the quickness and agility to get after the quarterback, notching 7.5 sacks in 2023. He would immediately plug the nose tackle hole in Miami, allowing speedy edge rushers Jaelan Phillips, Chop Robinson and Bradley Chubb more true one-on-one looks coming off the corner.

Walker to the Dolphins would give them the presence in the middle of the line of scrimmage that would seem to be needed. It seems like a really solid choice for Miami and maybe gives the fans the first player to watch this year in college football as a possible target for the Dolphins in 2025.