The College Football Playoff committee will announce their final decisions on the 2019/2020 Playoff field this afternoon, but all indications are clear: the Dolphins will have a watchful eye on what this year’s championship showcase has to offer — mainly because the forecast calls for a lot of potential 1st-round picks at the quarterback position. It is safe to assume that LSU, Ohio State and Clemson will be in the field, as each one was already inside the committee’s top four teams before winning their conference championships last night.
The fourth spot seems destined for a one-loss Oklahoma team, led by former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts is the lone quarterback of the bunch that isn’t currently projected to be a future top-10 pick, he’s much more likely to hear his name called on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. But Hurts has a clutch gene that’s difficult to ignore and would be a good mid-round gamble. LSU’s Joe Burrow will be positioned will to become the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Should Miami want to pursue him, the Playoff stands to serve as his exclamation point on a tremendous senior season in Baton Rouge.
Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence aren’t eligible for the 2020 Draft, watching them will serve as a glimpse into what a more patient timeline and future could look like for the Dolphins. Miami’s quarterback timeline may well be skewed based on the decision making of injured Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — or the Dolphins may feel reluctant to draft the injured passer at all.
Many fans seem to want to endorse the idea of punting on quarterback in 2020 and targeting Lawrence or Fields in 2021. Will their play in the College Football Playoff sell the Dolphins that the real value lies in waiting a year to attack the quarterback position? Possibly. But one thing we do know is that this year’s playoff field is going to have a lot of Dolphins fans fantasizing about what the future may hold with one of these four quarterback prospects behind center in South Florida.
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