2024 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins draft offensive lineman

With the 21st overall pick in the 2024 Bleeding Green Nation community mock draft, Miami Dolphins GM Neil Dutton selects …

JC Latham, OT, Alabama

Whatever the wide footballing worlds thoughts are on Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins appear committed to continuing his tenure with the team into the near future. So, with this in mind, the team has to maximize the protection around him. When allowed time to operate, Tua is a capable coxswain for the Dolphins, delivering high end efficiency on a per play basis. But when pressured, he becomes something quite different. According to Pro Football Focus, Tua averaged 8.9 yards per attempt when kept clean in 2023. This fell to 5.3 under pressure. Likewise, Tua completed 75.5% of his passes when clean, but just 39.8% when pressured.

Woof.

With this in mind, it makes sense for the Dolphins to invest in their offensive line with their first pick, and in this scenario they could do a lot worse than former Alabama lineman J.C. Latham. Latham started 27 games for the Crimson Tide over the last two season, all at right tackle. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, writing in his seminal annual rookie draft preview “The Beast”, declares that Latham might be the strongest player in the entire draft class. While maybe not standing at prototypical tackle height, Latham’s measurable stack up quite nicely, including 95th percentile weight (342 lbs) and 11” hands as per Mockdraftable.

The Dolphins still have Austin Jackson at RT from last season, with the 18th overall selection from the 2020 draft starting all 17 games last season. Jackson was middle of the road in run blocking, according to PFF, but he was ranked 22nd out of 30 tackles with 1000 snaps as a pass blocker. Jackson signed a new deal with the Dolphins late in the 2023 season, so he’s unlikely to be moving. But some think that Latham could do a job at guard, which would help the Dolphins after Robert Hunt left for the Panthers in free agency. Maybe spending a pick on a guard at this stage of the draft isn’t the best use of resources, but if it allows the Dolphins to put their five best offensive linemen on the field together, while potentially considering moving someone to left tackle to replace Terron Armstead as early as 2025, taking Latham here would seem to make sense.

2024 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Bears (Draftjunky): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
2) Commanders (surefooted): Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
3) Patriots (niels.rosenquist): Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
4) Cardinals (eaglenomics): Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
5) Chargers (SeanEFootball): Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
6) Giants (89Tremaine) Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
7) Titans (Philly21): Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
8) Falcons (Eagles_Blitz80): Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
9) Bears (pheebthegoose): Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
10) Jets (GreenGrampa): Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
11) Vikings (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
12) Broncos (PBARB1978): Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
13) Raiders (iam4theBirdz): Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
14) Saints (Fly Like An Eagle): Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
15) Colts (J. Wil): Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
16) Seahawks (Phreezy E): Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
17) Jaguars (dredscottroberts): WR Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
18) Bengals (grantspectations): Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
19) Rams (Nolo0oo): Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
20) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen): Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
21) Dolphins (Neil Dutton): JC Latham, OT, Alabama
22) Eagles (ablesser88)
23) Vikings (RabidPanda13)
24) Cowboys (Elliptical Man)
25) Packers (LeFire)
26) Buccaneers (FlJoe)
27) Cardinals (green1us)
28) Bills (Leo Bedio)
29) Lions (MrOilman)
30) Ravens (LancGuy)
31) 49ers (SakPrescott)
32) Chiefs (Hoosinole)

Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2024 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Bears: QB Caleb Williams
2) Commanders: QB Jayden Daniels
3) Patriots: QB Drake Maye
4) Cardinals: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
5) Chargers: WR Malik Nabers
6) Giants: WR Rome Odunze
7) Titans: OT Joe Alt
8) Falcons: EDGE Dallas Turner
9) Bears: OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
10) Jets: TE Brock Bowers
11) Vikings: QB J.J. McCarthy
12) Broncos: QB Bo Nix
13) Raiders: OT Taliese Fuaga
14) Saints: OT Troy Fautanu
15) Colts: CB Quinyon Mitchell
16) Seahawks: DT Byron Murphy
17) Jaguars: CB Terrion Arnold
18) Bengals: OT JC Latham
19) Rams: EDGE Jared Verse
20) Steelers: OL Jackson Powers-Johnson
21) Dolphins: