The #4 class features a franchise QB, couple starting offensive linemen and starters on defense. They acquired two more first round picks in the Minkah Fitzpatrick->Steelers trade and the Laremy Tunsil->Texans trade.
With the fifth overall pick, the Miami Dolphins selected the second quarterback off the board in Tua Tagovailoa. After sitting behind Ryan Fitzpatrick for six starts, he was named the starter after the bye week in Week 8. He struggled in his nine starts, dealing with a thumb injury and got benched midgame at one point. He entered 2021 as the starter, but suffered several rib fractures in Week 2 and didn’t return until Week 6. He missed two games with a finger injury and started 12 games. His injuries continued in 2022 with controversy. He missed four games with a concussion that was reportedly misdiagnosed at the time and put the NFL on blast. Despite the injuries, Tagovailoa had a breakout year thanks to the addition of Tyreek Hill. 2023 was the year for Tua when he finally started all 17 games, got some MVP votes, and led the Dolphins to a 11-6 record, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champs in the wild card. With his fifth-year option picked up, Tua will have one more year to prove he is the franchise guy, but I think his performance the last two seasons is enough to get into the camp of Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow money.
With the second first-round pick, the fifth offensive tackle was off the board in Austin Jackson. He entered his rookie year as the starting left tackle, missing four games with a foot injury. The next year he was the left tackle then moved to left guard in Week 5. The year after he was moved to right tackle, then missed nine games with an ankle injury, came back, then back on IR, so only two starts on the year. Last year he started all 17 games at right tackle and earned a contract extension.
With the third first-round pick, the fifth cornerback was selected in Noah Igbinoghene. A guy I hadn’t heard of and was a project second-round pick are rarely good combinations. He was viewed as a raw inexperienced player, and he just couldn’t play. With five starts through three seasons where he was a healthy scratch 14 times in ’21 and ’22 and just didn’t play well when he was forced to play. He was traded to the Cowboys before this past season for fellow cornerback Kelvin Joseph, who was released midseason. Igbinoghene only played five games and his NFL future is looking bleek.
Robert Hunt has been a starter for most of his career so far. He started 11 games at right tackle as a rookie and has since been the full-time starting right guard. He finished as PFF’s #6 guard last year and will be getting a nice contract.
Raekwon Davis has been a key starter since his rookie season, being named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team playing in 50% of snaps in 63 games and 48 starts playing behind Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler.
Brandon Jones has also been a big player for the Dolphins defense as a starting free safety. He had a breakout year in 2021 with 79 tackles and five sacks in 15 games. After missing a lot of 2022 with a torn ACL, Jones was mainly the third safety behind Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott, he still finished as the #16 safety and joins a very crowded free agent safety market.
Solomon Kindley started 13 games at right guard as a rookie, then the first two the following year, but was benched and was a backup the rest of the year. He was cut in 2022. Jason Strowbridge was a backup as a rookie before getting released the following year. Curtis Weaver didn’t make it out of training camp and spent two-plus years on the Browns practice squad. Malcolm Perry was a quarterback with the Navy and spent one year with Miami before he release in 2021. He spent that year with the Patriots and Saints, then returned to New England in 2022 before retiring that offseason.
Blake Ferguson has been the long snapper since his rookie year and earned a contract extension.
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