The Miami Dolphins suffered a ton of losses this offseason as they continue to change the roster drastically from the 2015 NFL season. The Dolphins lost several key players, including wide receiver Rishard Matthews, defensive end Derrick Shelby and cornerback Brent Grimes.
The Dolphins also lost star edge rusher Olivier Vernon to the New York Giants, outside linebacker Quinton Coples to the Los Angeles Rams and star running back Lamar Miller to the Houston Texans. Miller and Vernon especially sting because they were both so young and had so much room to grow.
Now, the Dolphins are looking to replace the players they lost in free agency, which will be a rather difficult task. Currently, the replacement for Lamar Miller is on the Dolphins roster: Jay Ajayi, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
His draft stock was affected by a knee injury that seemed to linger, however, every time Ajayi was on the field in 2015, he looked swift and agile. At only 22 years old, he is the top option to replace Miller and should get the first opportunity to lead the Dolphins ground game.
With Damien Williams and Robert Herron backing up Ajayi, the Dolphins depth at running back could be improved. With all of the quality free agent running backs snatched up, it appears the Dolphins will be focused on the draft to select their compliment to Ajayi.
The Miami Dolphins will have the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, which could be high enough to select a top running back to pair with Ajayi. The first name that comes to mind is Ezekiel Elliott, but even his draft stock is too high for him to slip all the way to No. 13.
This means that their best chance could be Derrick Henry in the second round and, as teams will look to build up more important areas of their roster, the Dolphins could steal a starting running back in the second round.
Whatever running back the Dolphins select, they should have a better pedigree than Ajayi considering he was a 5th round pick. After failing to sign Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, the Dolphins should be desperate for a productive back they can pair with Ajayi. Look for the Dolphins to select a speedy and elusive player like Alabama's Kenyan Drake.
