The Miami Dolphins, as anyone who watched the team last year would tell you, have a lot more needs on this roster than just finding a quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, Miami’s stripped down roster is in dire need of help along the trenches, in the secondary and in the backfield. It’s a good thing the Dolphins stocked up on all those picks — right?
But even when the picks are added up in your favor, sometimes the ball bounces the other way. Such was the case when Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa injured his hip, casting his future and eligibility for the 2020 NFL Draft into question. And now the football factory that is the Alabama Crimson Tide is looking to retain their draft-eligible players for another chance to run it back in 2020 and make a run at the National Championship the team missed out on this season.
The first few dominoes have fallen, but none more relevant to the Dolphins than offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood announcing a return to school in 2020. Leatherwood was generally regarded as a top-50 NFL Draft prospect in 2020 by draft pundits and has experience playing both left tackle and right guard — which would have made him an appealing prospect for the Miami Dolphins, given their holes at both spots on the roster.
The underclassmen declaration deadline is still about two weeks out, so there’s going to be more heartbreak on the pro front as potential high picks spurn the league for another chance to play college ball again next season.
Fortunately the offensive line talent is plentiful in 2020 and the Dolphins should have no issue finding a suitable upgrade in the draft — but the loss of Leatherwood in the player pool will slightly increase the urgency of teams atop the draft to land their plug and play starters up front on the line.
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