Miami Dolphins draft crushes: Florida DT Desmond Watson

The Miami Dolphins, at least statistically, didn't appear to be all that bad against the run in 2024.  Their 4.4 ypc allowed was tied for 12th best and their 1763 rushing yards allowed was ninth in the league. 

However, the cupboard is largely bare in the defensive tackle room, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell is out the door.  The Dolphins SHOULD have their eye on a defensive tackle early in the draft. However, there's also someone else near the end who could help in a specific way.

The Miami Dolphins should consider taking Florida DT Desmond Watson in the seventh round of the draft. 

Ok, ok. Hear me out here.  

I know the Florida defensive tackle isn't someone who's high on draft boards.  He's a big body that teams can scheme and run away from on a regular basis.  While he moves relatively well for a guy that heavy, he's still 464 and not going to quickly as fast as other guys.  

But, to me, the seventh round is about taking players who have specific skillsets or situational usefulness.  And don't tell me that Watson doesn't have usefulness in short yardage situations.  Line him up inside, and that space is covered.  Tush push? Quarterback sneak? Line him up at nose, and it will be very hard to move him off that spot. 

Right now, Miami's defensive line room is a mess with Zach Sieler and Benito Jones being the only starting caliber defensive tackles on the roster.  While Jones has good size at 335, imagine putting someone in who outweighs that figure by over 100 pounds.  He also showed his considerable strength at Florida's Pro Day with 36 reps of 225 on the bench press, which was three more reps than anyone at this year's NFL Combine. 

I will say Watson needs to shed some of that weight to maximize his athleticism in that frame.  By way of comparison, he weighed 415 his sophomore year and has gone up significantly since then. If the Dolphins think they can manage his weight and get him a bit slimmer, then there could be a real opportunity there to convert him into a short yardage stalwart. 

Watson appears to be, per draft projections, a late Day Three pick who could go in the seventh round.  That's a good spot to take a chance on a player with risks, but with a potential payoff in at least some areas. 

Miami simply needs to add talent and numbers to their defensive line room, which is one of the weakest in the NFL.  Why not consider a player who can add a more than a little bit of size and strength to it?