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As we continue to dig for all the reasons the Miami Dolphins took a step back and failed to make the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in three seasons, there’s one factor that shouldn’t be dismissed.
The lack of contribution from the rookie class.
All seven of the Dolphins’ draft picks made the team, along with a couple of undrafted free agents, but the reality is the impact was limited.
In an ESPN study examining the production of every team’s rookie class, using a combination of different metrics, the Dolphins came in at 27th in the NFL, ahead only of the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings, whose first-round pick J.J. McCarthy spent the entire season on injured reserve.
The Dolphins’ 2024 rookie class combined for 88 games and 11 starts, with draft picks Patrick Paul and Malik Washington and undrafted free agent Storm Duck all tied for most starts with three.
First-round pick Chop Robinson played all 17 games but made only one start, as did fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright.
Fifth-round pick Mohamed Kamara was a non-factor all season, appearing in only five games in a backup capacity. Sixth-round pick Patrick McMorris spent most of the season on injured reserve before being activate late in appearing in six games.
Robinson “really came on in the second half of the season. Robinson finished 11th among edge rushers with an 18.8% pass rush win rate, and he was fifth at 20.5% from Week 10-18,” ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wrote. “His six sacks all came in November or December. But the second-best Dolphins rookie was probably an undrafted depth corner. The fantastically named Storm Duck played in 14 games and started three.”
For those keeping score, the Los Angeles Rams had the top production based on ESPN’s research, followed by the Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers.
Among 2023 playoff teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the best rookie production, coming in fourth, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers (8th), Philadelphia Eagles (12th) and Houston Texans (13th). Perhaps not coincidentally, all those teams returned to the playoffs in 2024 and the Eagles will be playing in Super Bowl LIX.
The thing with the Dolphins’ rookie class, specifically the draft class, is that it seemed all along to have been put together with an eye toward the future more than the 2024 season.
Specifically, Paul was drafted to become the left tackle of the future and Wright, acquired after the Dolphins surrendered a 2025 third-round pick to the Eagles, was a luxury pick considering Miami already had De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and even Chris Brooks on the roster.
The contributions of Malik Washington and Duck actually were bonuses, while the one disappointment among the draft picks was Kamara not being able to get on the field.
If the Dolphins are going to rebound in 2025, they’ll not only need to score big in free agency and the draft, but getting contributions from their 2024 rookie class would greatly help.
