The NFL has axed any future top-30 visits for 2020 NFL Draft prospects as a precaution to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak across the country. But the Miami Dolphins, to their credit, were able to fast track a few visits right before the buzzer — getting some valuable face time just before the NFL’s mandate on visits was passed down.
One of Miami’s critical visits came yesterday by a running back that has been commonly linked to the Dolphins over the course of the last few weeks: Ohio State’s JK Dobbins.
Per source, Dolphins are so high on Ohio State RB JK Dobbins that they moved up his "30" visit from mid April to today in case league eliminates 30 visits as part of coronavirus response. Teams can bring in 30 non-local players for predraft visits.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) March 13, 2020
Dobbins is a 2020 standout and holds a legitimate claim to the title of the top running back in this year’s NFL Draft. Depending on team preference, the pecking order is likely to be some combination of Dobbins, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor and Georgia’s D’Andre Swift. For Miami, this marks just the latest link between the parties.
The dilemma with drafting Dobbins comes back to positional value for the Dolphins. For a team with so many needs on their roster, would it really be beneficial to add on a running back inside the first three or four selections? A back in the first round would be a hard pill to swallow — not because Dobbins isn’t a blue chip prospect, he is. But rather because the comparable return the Dolphins could get if they were investing the 56th or 70th overall pick to a runner in the backfield.
That is, in part, the beauty of Miami’s upcoming offseason. There’s no shortage of combinations — and only the Dolphins will know what the perfect puzzle look like until the time comes to make the picks. For now, keep an eye on Dobbins, Dolphins fans. Fast-tracking his top-30 meeting in addition to all of the other smoke that exists between Dobbins and Miami is a hard signal to ignore.
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