The Miami Dolphins finished the 2013 season at a meager 8-8. They’re in the AFC East, a division owned by the New England Patriots for more than a decade. But the Dolphins aren’t as far away from the top of their division as some people may think. If Ryan Tannehill is the quarterback the Dolphins think he is and they can put together a solid 2014 draft, they could be fighting for the division as early as next season.

Their most glaring need is, without a doubt, their offensive line. Last season it was a mess with the Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin controversy, but both of those players are gone now. They signed Branden Albert as their left tackle and Jason Fox as their right tackle. Albert is a solid starter but Fox has been injury prone in his short career. Fox only signed for one year so they obviously have other plans at the right tackle position. Look for them to address that need during the draft.

Another spot on the offensive line they need to address is the guard positions. They have two very young players here with Shelley Smith at left guard and Dallas Thomas at right guard. Smith is impressive with his run blocking but equally unimpressive with his pass blocking. He has the tools to develop the skills he lacks though. Thomas, on the other hand, only played in five games in his rookie season so there’s a lot that isn’t known. If the coaching staff feels he’s progressing accordingly, they’ll most likely stick with him. If they didn’t like what they saw last season then they could draft his replacement this year.

The Dolphins’ other glaring need going into draft season is at running back. They signed Knowshon Moreno and have Lamar Miller as his backup. Miller is extremely fast and the kind of change-of-pace back teams look for today. The problem isn’t with Miller though, it’s with Moreno. Moreno isn’t a quality number one running back. With Miller’s breakaway speed, the Dolphins would be smart to look for a bruiser to complement his speed. Moreno isn’t that kind of running back.

With a record of 8-8 it would seem the Dolphins have more needs than these. However, if you were to look at their roster they have a ton of talent. Besides the positions named above, they really just need to focus on overall depth during this draft. Having few specific needs and being able to focus a lot of picks towards depth, that affords them a lot of freedom when draft day arrives.