Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier consistently preaches that he’ll take the best available player rather than focus on addressing specific positions.
Picking Mohamed Kamara with the No. 158 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft proved he means it.
The Colorado State pass rusher was a star in the Mountain West earning the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023 and racking up 33 tackles for loss in just the last two seasons. But despite being unblockable for most of his collegiate career and landing 68th on the big board of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr, Kamara was available in the back half of the fifth round.
Lackluster competition and less-than-ideal size at 6’1 played a role, but Kiper argued on the ESPN broadcast Saturday that the league hasn’t figured out that Colorado State pass rushers can play.
Look no further than the Dolphins’ own roster where Shaquil Barrett, a Colorado State alum who went undrafted, has earned two trips to the Pro Bowl in his career.
The issue for the Dolphins is the keeping so many pass rushers on the roster. Having depth and rotation is one thing, but finding a way to keep so many players could be a challenge. Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are the presumptive starters when healthy and Miami will want to get Barrett and first-round pick Chop Robinson involved.
“‘Man that team, they just had too many pass rushers. That was their problem,’ that’s never been said,” Mike McDaniel quipped Thursday night after the Dolphins picked Robinson.
Miami added the best available player Saturday afternoon when they took Kamara. But they’re testing the limits of McDaniel’s too many pass rushers theory.
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