DRAFT DOLPHINS
1,013 yards rushing and 141 yards in receptions on 22 catches.
He averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 368 career rushing attempts in three seasons at Tennessee, with 18 touchdowns rushing. And he caught 30 passes for 171 yards in 34 games with the Volunteers.
He has blazing speed, with a 4.38 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. So in that regard, he fits right in with the NFL’s fastest offense.
He also said he has run as fast as 23.7 miles per hour when he had access to a tracking device. As perspective, the fastest recorded NFL play last season was a 22.3 mph catch and run by Seattle’s DK Metcalf.
Though Miami already was deep at running back, general manager Chris Grier said he traded up for Wright because of “his explosiveness on the field, his toughness. When Mike McDaniel started watching him, [he] was excited. Our scouts [too]. It was an ability to add a good player we really liked. An opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”
Having two likely compensatory picks in the
Anthony Weaver, a former NFL pass rusher who is Miami’s new defensive coordinator. “There’s things that a lot of people say that I don’t have. I feel like I know I’ve been working on it and I feel like he can elevate my game even more.”
After three seasons Miami dumped Harris because he didn’t live up to his potential.
ROBINSON MIGHT BE ASKED TO START
third round of the 2025 Draft made it easier for Miami to trade its own 2025 third-rounder to Philadelphia in exchange for the fourth round pick used to select Wright.
“That gave us some flexibility to move around,” Grier said.
Wright joins a room with speedy Raheem Mostert and DeVon Achane, as well as Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks.
Wright’s father nicknamed him Cheetah many years ago.
“We already have a Cheetah on the Dolphins [Tyreek Hill],” he said. “I’ve going to let him have Cheetah. That’s his thing.”
Wright said he’s OK with “lightning” or “flash” as his new nickname. He said others call him “JWright.”
Wright said Mike McDaniel indicated to him that he “likes my skill set, feels it will fit in the offense, that I can make explosive plays in the offense. I agree.”
He said he can run around or through defenders. “I have no limitations to my game,” he said.
He graded out well in pass protection at Tennessee. “I take pride in protecting my QB,” he said. “I feel like pass protection is a mentality thing and I want to stone defenders.”
Hopefully that won’t be the case for Robinson, whom the Dolphins need to become an immediate contributor while Jaelan Phillips (Achilles’ tendon) and Brandley Chubb (ACL) rehab their serious injuries, which could keep them sidelined for the season’s first month or two.
That means Robinson and Shaq Barrett, a free agent addition, will need to hold down the edges until then, and possibly carve out a role for themselves in a four edge rotation.
Clearly coaching is supposed to help young
COLORADO STATE EDGE PLAYER KAMARA
The 6-1, 248-pound linebacker/defensive end, who was selected in the fifth round at 158, had
45.5 tackles for loss, 30 sacks and five forced fumbles in five seasons and 46 games at Colorado State.
Kamara had 56 tackles players like Robinson improve, and the 21-yearold knows exactly what he needs to work on, which are his inconsistent hands, which prevent him from turning pressures into sacks.
He produced 60 tackles, 11.5 sacks and eight total quarterback hits in the 35 games he played during his three collegiate seasons.
“I know I had the speed and the bend, but sometimes I forget to use my hands,” Robinson said when asked why his Penn State production didn’t match his measurables. “That’s something I’ve
(17 tackles for loss) and 13 sacks last season and was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
What’s more, his 138 quarterback pressures since 2021 are fourth most among FBS edge players, per PFF.
Kamara and Robinson been working on this whole offseason, and I feel very confident because I’ve been working on this so much repeatedly and I know it’s going to be natural when it comes time to put my hands to use.”
DOLPHINS PASSED ON GOOD DEFENDERS
In an NFL Draft that needs to replenish the Dolphins talent base in the trenches, Miami passed on taking one of the draft’s best defensive tackles [Illinois Jer’Zhan Newton, who is still available in the second round], every cornerback and safety in the draft class, and offensive give the Dolphins two talented young edge players to develop. Kamara said they’re friends and trained together in Arizona before the draft.
Kamara, on a Zoom session with Dolphins writers, said: “I’m excited, but I’m very angry going the round I did. The lovely team of Miami picked me up and I’m going to give them that burning desire. All 31 other teams, look out.
“The way I’m about to play against these guys, you should have picked me before. I’m grateful for Miami for picking me up. I know what I’m going to bring to the field. Every other team has to see me. I’m going to roast the whole NFL; that’s how I look at things.”
Grier said “we were kind of surprised” that Kamara “was there” and marveled at “how physical, how fast” he is. “He’s relentless, his motor. You feel that passion in him. He’s very prideful, feels he’s better than some people selected in front of him.”
VIRGINIA RECEIVER WASHINGTON
Washington — who’s
5-8 and 191 pounds — is best suited for the slot.
Washington, who was selected in the sixth round and 184th overall, led FBS with a Virginia-record 110 receptions last season, linemen Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and Duke’s Graham Barton, and they did it for a pass rusher whose body of work is questionable.
“They valued a third edge over an interior offensive lineman. But can he become more of a finisher versus a creator of pressure,” one NFL executive said about Robinson. “The Jets and Bills have gone hard at having 2, 3, 4 edge guys for depth, so I can see why they go with trait players like Robinson.”
It was the 4.48 40-yard dash time, the 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump and the ranked fourth with a school-record 1,426 receiving yards (13.9 per catch) and was ninth with 1,706 all-purpose yards. He also led the team with nine receiving TDs. And was named All-ACC.
What’s more, he led all college wide receivers with 35 broken tackles last season.
Before transferring to Virginia before the 2023 season, he played four years at Northwestern, where he had 120 catches for 1,348 yards (11.2 yards per catch) and three touchdowns.
He has 18 career rushing attempts for 29 yards.
His only experience as a returner came as a kickoff returner at Virginia last season, when he returned 14 kickoffs for 273 yards (a 19.5 average).
“YAC is a big part of my game,” he said. “I let that shine through.”
As for McMorris, who was selected in Round 6 with the 198th pick, he described himself as “an intelligent player who loves the game” and can play in the box or deep. He said he thought the call informing him that the Dolphins drafted him 198th was a spam call and hung up. The Dolphins then called him back. 34.5 inch vertical jump that sold the Dolphins.
Robinson, who was universally viewed as a top 25 talent in the 2024
Draft, presents the elite measurables the NFL hasn’t seen since Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett were in the process.
Those are big names to be compared to, and the Dolphins are hopeful he’ll come close to what those two elite pass rushers have accomplished.
If he comes close to their production, it’s a win for Miami.
Dolphins fans better just hope he’s not another Harris.