Dolphins’ Injury Woes Continue, Leading to Offensive Collapse and Need for Offensive Line Help

The Miami Dolphins have been plagued by injuries to start the 2024 season, effectively derailing their offense and highlighting a serious need for offensive line help. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered his third concussion of his career, is currently on injured reserve and will be out until at least Week 8. The team has also been dealing with a rash of injuries to running backs, wide receivers, and the offensive line, leaving them struggling to field a healthy team week-in and week-out.

The Dolphins’ offense, which was one of the best and most innovative in the league last season, has taken a significant step back due to these injuries. One of the most significant injuries is to starting left tackle Terron Armstead, who has a history of injuries dating back to his early days in the league.

With Armstead’s inconsistent availability, the Dolphins’ lack of depth along the offensive line has been exposed. This lack of depth isn’t due to a lack of effort from the team, as they have consistently drafted offensive linemen in recent years. However, development of these players has been lacking, and the team has been hesitant to invest premium resources in the position.

In his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, Sports Illustrated’s NFL Draft analyst **Cory Kinnan** has the Dolphins selecting Texas offensive tackle **Kelvin Banks, Jr.** with the 7th overall pick. Kinnan believes that while Banks may have some athletic questions at the NFL level, he has proven to be an anchor at left tackle.

“He has even shown exponential growth in his strike placement and hand usage as a pass protector,” Kinnan said.

Taking an offensive tackle in the top 10 would be a departure from the Dolphins’ usual draft strategy, but it could be the solution to their offensive line woes and help keep Tagovailoa upright.