5 Dolphins Targets To Keep Your Eye On At the Senior Bowl
Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The 2025 NFL Draft season will unofficially open with the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Showcasing the best seniors in college football, the game kick-starts the scouting and evaluation season. Almost more enjoyable and important than the game itself is the week leading up to it, which is an appetizer to the NFL Combine. NFL coaches, executives, media, and fans will get a magnified look at prospects before their Pro Days and three-month-long “job interviews” begin.
For the Miami Dolphins, this draft process is a crossroads for general manager Chris Grier. Miami’s 10 (projected) picks are their most since 2020, and that haul includes three of the top 100 picks. The Dolphins are guaranteed a first-round pick (No. 13 overall) and their second (48 overall), with a projected compensatory pick coming in around No. 98 overall. While having plenty of needs on both sides of the ball, they must place a focus on the offensive line. In addition to looking for help in the trenches, Miami could also be in the market for a tight end or wide receiver, and might have some other surprises on the way.
So, with all that in mind, who should we keep an eye on at the Senior Bowl? Here are a few intriguing names.
Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Last season Grier joked about people worrying about the offensive line. Those smiles vanished after the 2024 season.
After missing the playoffs, Grier pivoted publicly saying they must “invest in the offensive line now.” The Dolphins have holes up front at both guard spots. Having bookend tackles Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson to go along with center Aaron Brewer makes for a solid foundation, but Miami must sure up the interior. Beyond the area of need inside, the Dolphins must adapt to a more physical mindset, especially on short yardage. Being a speed and finesse team under head coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t quite cut it, and Miami needs to add a power component to its repertoire.
That makes Georgia right guard Tate Ratledge a perfect fit. A prototypical road-grader of a right guard in college, Ratledge is 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, and an outstanding pass protector. Over the course of his college career, he took over 2,000 snaps allowed just two sacks, and was flagged for only five penalties. From a run-blocking standpoint, Ratledge has the power to push a pile forward, as well as the range to get out to the next level and help ball carriers in space. He is a workmanlike, gritty, physical player who is bound to be popular this week in Alabama.
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Sticking on the offensive line, Wyatt Milum of West Virginia has the versatility to play any role. A left tackle in college, he started in 31 consecutive games for the Mountaineers. He is an elite pass-blocker and did not allow a single quarterback sack in the 2023 season. What makes him a great target for Miami is that West Virginia had a run-heavy system, which makes him a strong run blocker who can translate to guard. His combination of size (listed at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds), athleticism, and positional flexibility would all work in a makeover of the offensive line.
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
The Dolphins suddenly need depth at wide receiver, given the uncertainty surrounding Tyreek Hill and the utter failure of the Odell Beckham, Jr. experiment. Should Hill be traded, that essentially leaves Jaylen Waddle and 2024 rookie Malik Washington as the remaining receivers with NFL experience… and Washington only caught 26 passes in 2024.
The Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa might benefit from having a big-bodied, outside receiver, even if Hill doesn’t bolt. Originally from South Miami, Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins is 6-foot-4 and moves well for his size. Although he doesn’t have game-breaking speed, Higgins makes up for it in his route-running and catch radius. He can even line up in the slot, where he could be a mismatch for linebackers given his frame and hands. A former basketball player (that is, the Antonio Gates profile), he can create separation and use his size to his advantage, especially in the red zone. Higgins could be a savvy Day 2 pickup this April.
Jaxon Dart, Mississippi / Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Yes, those are quarterbacks, which might stir up some controversy. Hear us out.
There’s no doubting the Dolphins’ offense when Tagovailoa is in the lineup. However, his availability and injury concerns are too major to ignore. Miami found that out this season that they can’t skimp on having mediocre backup quarterbacks. Even though Tyler Huntley acquitted himself at the end of the season, competition is never a bad thing. It could behoove Grier and Miami to commit to a developmental quarterback who might be able to compete for a starting job eventually.
The Senior Bowl’s top two quarterbacks are Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe. Milroe is likely a first-rounder, and could perhaps be the third quarterback off the board. Miami probably can’t invest 13 overall into Milroe, unless they really fall hard in love with him.
However, Dart could be a player that may be available with the No. 48 pick. He has a powerful arm to mix with his rushing ability, being able to make plays on the move. His zip on the ball, along with his ability outside of the pocket, could be a bit of a differentiation in his game as compared to Tua. Dart excels in the RPO and has signs of a potent play-action passer. He may be a very interesting prospect to watch, though perhaps so much so that he flies up draft boards over the coming weeks and months.
The 2025 Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday, February 1 at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium at 2:30 pm Eastern Time.
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