The offseason is rapidly approaching and as the NFL Draft order takes final form, one thing is for sure — Dolphins fans need to expect the unexpected. Miami is facing an outside chance at securing the #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but they’ll need a lot of help. Even if the Dolphins were to lose their final two games, the far more likely scenario for the Dolphins is to be drafting 3rd in the overall order than it is to be drafting 1st.
If Miami were to successfully secure a top-2 selection, the decision is easy. Either draft QB Joe Burrow or draft DE Chase Young. But what happens if Miami picks 3rd? What happens if the Dolphins miss on those two targets and Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to school? Or if Tagovailoa’s medical updates scare the Dolphins away?
From there, Miami sits in something of no man’s land. The team could feasibly take an offensive tackle with the top pick but there are three prospects at that position worthy of top-10 overall status. The Dolphins would almost certainly be reaching for any other quarterback at that juncture and there’s a significant drop off at most positions as well.
Could the Dolphins actually be prompted to trade back if they pick 3rd and aren’t sold on Tagovailoa’s future (or if he’s not in the player pool)? Absolutely. And Dolphins fans should be all-in on the prospect, should it come to that. With the first two picks generally accepted to be Burrow and Young, there will be a lot of jostling or positioning for the players behind them. And Miami, holding the 3rd pick in this scenario, would become quite the pivot point.
The Dolphins, as they look to build out their roster, would likely welcome the chance to add more draft capital — especially at the prospect of trading down into the bottom half of the top-10 overall and adding another future 1st-round pick. The Dolphins will have the chance to move and shake all over the draft board and if the team fails to finish this season with a top-2 selection, Miami is going to have ample opportunity to add to their treasure trove of picks by backing out of a spot where teams will start to get the itch to attack and go target a player of their choosing.
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