Dolphins' Top 2023 NFL Draft Targets

Barring a surprise trade, Miami Dolphins fans are going to have to wait a while to watch their team make their first selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Dolphins were forced to forfeit their first-round pick, which would have been No. 21, due to tampering in their pursuit of Tom Brady. So, the first time they are scheduled to be on the clock is with the No. 51 pick in the second round on Friday night.

The good news is there are still plenty of prospects who could be available at that point who could help enhance the Miami roster.

Some of the biggest needs the Dolphins have are best targeted on Day 2 of the draft anyway. Tight ends and running back happen to be deep positions in this year's class, and the team could use additional talent at both spots.

Here's a look at some of the top names who should be at the top of the Dolphins' board and could be available when they get to their first pick.

RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

AP Photo/Thomas Graning

Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs (1) runs the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

We saw what can happen when the San Francisco 49ers offense actually has an elite talent at running back.

They were able to make a playoff run with the last pick of the 2022 draft at quarterback, in part because Christian McCaffrey and the supporting cast around Brock Purdy made his life easy.

Now imagine the damage Tua Tagovailoa could do with an elite talent in the backfield to pair with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at receiver.

Jahmyr Gibbs might never quite hit McCaffrey levels of stardom, but he has that kind of potential. The 5'9", 199-pound back drew a comparison to Dalvin Cook in Derrik Klassen's scouting report for Bleacher Report.

"Players with his burst and top-end speed can be game-changers under the right conditions. Gibbs would be best served in a system that runs outside zone, pin-pull and counter frequently to maximize his ability in space and on the perimeter," he wrote.

If there's a coach who has the creativity to maximize Gibbs in the run game, it's Mike McDaniel. Essentially, the Dolphins have brought all running backs back in the fold even though they were ranked 19th in yards per carry.

Gibbs' burst, vision and ability being used as a receiver would open up the offense in a way that their current backs can't.

TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State

Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

BROOKINGS, SD - OCTOBER 29: South Dakota State Jackrabbits Tight end Tucker Kraft (85) runs with the ball during the college football game between the Indiana State Sycamores and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on October 29th, 2022, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, in Brookings, South Dakota. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mike Gesicki simply wasn't a fit in Mike McDaniel's offense, but his ability to be a receiving threat down the seams added a nice element to the passing game. It's just a requirement that everyone blocks, and the 27-year-old didn't bring enough of that to be in the long-term plan.

That won't be a problem for Tucker Kraft.

In his current stage of development, the 22-year-old is a better blocker than receiver. Playing at the FCS level, he only had 27 receptions for 348 yards and three touchdowns across nine games.

The athleticism is what makes Kraft intriguing, though. He posted a relative athletic score of 9.68, which ranks 36th of 1,104 tight end prospects since 1987, per Kent Lee Platte of Pro Football Network.

Finding a 6'5", 254-pound tight end who is uber-athletic and can block is no easy task. The best tight end for the Dolphins in this draft would be Darnell Washington, but it's unlikely he'll last until the No. 51 pick.

A bet that Kraft would be able to get on the field early because of his blocking and develop into a legitimate receiving weapon based on his athleticism is a good one.

The South Dakota State product could be the small-school sleeper in a talented group of tight ends.

TE Sam LaPorta, Iowa

David Berding/Getty Images

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 19: Sam LaPorta #84 of the Iowa Hawkeyes runs with the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first quarter of the game at Huntington Bank Stadium on November 19, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Hawkeyes defeated the Golden Gophers 13-10. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

Again, tight end should be a position the Dolphins are looking to upgrade through the draft. Letting Gesicki walk was the right call, but going into the season with Durham Smythe as the primary TE isn't ideal.

Gesicki was third on the team in targets, while Smythe only drew 20 all season. There's a reason for that: He doesn't bring a lot to the table as a receiver.

Sam LaPorta is another prospect worth consideration from Miami. Iowa has a long history of producing good NFL tight ends, and he could be next in line. He's a little smaller than Kraft at 6'3", 245 pounds, but he's a much more polished receiver.

The Iowa passing game was not good in general, but LaPorta still managed to post 657 yards on 58 receptions. His ability to gain yards after the catch and physical running style should translate to the NFL as he doesn't rely on simply running away from slower defenders.

He has the flexibility to line up wherever he's needed, but he has the blocking chops to become more reliable than Gesicki was.

LaPorta could easily pair with Smythe to fill the need for next year and beyond, giving the Dolphins a reliable receiver underneath to pair with Hill and Waddle.