While most of the focus is on the present for those following the Miami Dolphins, there’s always some attention paid to the future of the organization, and no future event gets more eyes than the NFL Draft.
In 2022, the Dolphins don’t own their own first-round pick, but they do own the pick that once belonged to the San Francisco 49ers, so Miami’s draft position is completely determined by how Kyle Shanahan’s team finishes.
After Week 13, the 49ers are currently the seventh seed in the NFC playoff picture. That means that if the regular season ended today, the Dolphins’ pick would be decided when San Francisco gets knocked out in the playoffs. The highest the pick could be is 19th.
The 19th pick would likely keep Miami in position to select an impact player who could help right away. It’s not quite clear what direction the team wants to go in, but if they want to stick with Tua Tagovailoa and get him some help, they may be able to target Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning who Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield had them taking in his most recent mock draft.
Miami’s pick that they traded away to Philadelphia is currently set to be the 12th pick in the draft, meaning the Dolphins only moved down seven spots if everything holds.
In Week 14, the 49ers play the Cincinnati Bengals who are currently a playoff team as well, so if Jimmy Garoppolo and company can’t defeat Zac Taylor’s team, the pick could end up being even better.
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