The Dolphins are picking first in the upcoming NFL Draft for a reason, they simply are not very good. There is young talent on offense in spots, but the defense is aging and falling apart. Veteran leader Zach Thomas is in Dallas, Jason Taylor may retire and the rest of the defense lacks raw talent or potential.

Picking first overall, the Dolphins will be tempted to find a trade partner. This is a club with many needs, which makes trading down for more picks an attractive solution. Bill Parcells is notorious for moving up and down the board to get the players he wants. It will be interesting to see how Jeff Ireland runs his first NFL Draft. No matter where they are picking, here are the needs Miami is facing this off-season on offense.

Quarterback
New head coach Tony Sparano is an offensive line guru, placing a lot of emphasis on the ground game and ball control.There is still a massive need for a quarterback in Miami. 2007 rookie John Beck played little this past season, and did not look good when he was in the game. Beck though is the most promising passer on the roster. Backups Matt Baker and Casey Bramlet are most likely camp bodies.

Need: Look for Miami to sign at least one free agent here and also draft a player to compete with Beck. Parcells is said to like Boston College's Matt Ryan.

Running back
One area that the Dolphins do have talent at is running back. Starter Ronnie Brown only saw action in seven games during the 2007 season after coming to camp overweight and then injuring his knee. It should be noted that Brown was leading the league in rushing at the time of the injury. Behind Brown is Ricky Williams, an odd player but a solid back up should he come to camp in "football shape". Lorenzo Booker didn't see the carries many expected him to receive as a rookie, but he does have potential as a third-down back and return man. Jesse Chatman has a chance to re-sign with the club.

Need: None

Wide Receiver
The roster is thin here at press time, with only four signed bodies to play receiver. Ted Ginn appears to be the featured player for a dormant passing game. A top ten pick in the 2007 draft, Ginn has not yet shown the return/receiving ability that led to his big pay day. He must step up in '08. Complimenting Ginn will be Derek Hagan, a solid possession receiver who really started to play well this past season. Kerry Reed and Chandler Williams provide depth.

Need: Miami must sign at least two free agents to compete during camp and look to the draft for a player who can push Ginn and draw attention from the defense. Should Miami trade the first pick, receiver could be seen as their target. If not, there is a lot of talent to be had at the top of round two or with the second round pick acquired from San Diego as part of the Chris Chambers trade. Early Doucet (LSU) and Earl Bennett (Vanderbilt) would both be great additions in round two for Miami.

Tight End
David Martin had a decent season, considering the team lacked a passing game. He is looked at as the team's starter coming into the '08 season. Behind Martin are Justin Peele and Aaron Halterman.

Need: Parcells and Sparano both come from the school of using the tight end in the passing game. It will be tough to acquire a high-end starter through free agency, which pushes this need to the draft. Dustin Keller is a player who the Dolphins have been spotted interviewing. Keller is a very athletic tight end, but not the blocker Parcells has preferred (Kyle Brady, Jason Witten, Ben Coates). If the Dolphins look to land a tight end in round three, John Carlson (Notre Dame) or Brad Cottam (Tennesssee) are both big bodied players who have an all-around game.

Offensive Tackle
The team waived Anthony Alabi soon after the Super Bowl, a move that surprised many and leaves a gap at tackle. Vernon Carey has talent and promise, but hasn't developed into a dominating left tackle and may be a better guard. Julius Wilson is the only other tackle on the roster as of today. Mike Rosenthal is an unrestricted free agent and is expected re-sign.

Need: This may be the biggest overall need for a team that is going to be built around a heavy ground game. The smart move would be to bite the bullet and draft Michigan's Jake Long with the first overall pick. The Dolphins may also pass on Long and look to a player like Jeff Otah or hopefully Sam Baker at the top of round two. Flozell Adams (Dallas) is also a free agent and may follow his former line coach to Miami.

Offensive Guard
Miami likely has a Pro Bowl guard on their roster, but he's playing left tackle. In a roster clearing cut party, Miami waived most of the guards on the roster. Drew Mormino is the lone holdover at this juncture. Chris Liwienski and Gene Mruczkowski are both capable of starting, but are also unrestricted free agents. The team should target signing both and then looking to the later rounds of the draft or third-tier free agents for depth.

Need: Re-sign Liwienski and Mruczkowski. Add depth via the draft or free agency.

Center
Samson Satele has planted himself into the starting position in Miami and could turn into a nice player for them. Mruczkowski can provide depth if he's on the roster, as can Mormino.

Need: None