If the Miami Dolphins were to orchestrate a trade in the 2020 NFL Draft, where would be the best place to do it?
There’s been much talk about trading up for a quarterback these last few months, with much of the conversation geared towards Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa but rumblings of LSU’s Joe Burrow and the top spot are are becoming more popular, too. But ideally, the Dolphins would be willing to call the bluff of the Detroit Lions and sit tight with the 5th overall pick and get their choice of Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert or even opt to draft Jordan Love a bit later in the round. Jumping into the top three will be a costly move.
But if the Dolphins were to sit tight at 5, where would the “sweet spot” be to strike a trade? You don’t have to look much further than the team’s very next selection. Miami currently picks 18th in the 1st-round with their second pick, which is something of a “no man’s land” as it relates to offensive tackles and pass rushers. If the Dolphins want to come away with a chess piece pass rusher like LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson or a mauling blocker like Georgia’s Andrew Thomas, jumping up from 18 is probably going to be a necessary decision.
How high would the Dolphins need to go? The Chargers, Panthers, Cardinals and Browns all pick in the top-10 and need blockers. You could feasibly see the big four tackles gone by 10 to Cleveland or 11 to the New York Jets. The Jets are a big pivot point, as they’re likely to either take a receiver, a tackle or possibly even Chaisson. With linebacker and wide receiver as the primary needs for the Raiders at 12, San Francisco at 13 becomes a prime trade candidate for the Dolphins. The 49ers currently own no picks in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th rounds of this year’s draft. By leaping to 13, the Dolphins could get in front of two offensive tackle hungry teams in Denver and Tampa Bay and also get in front of teams in Dallas and Atlanta that may be interested in a pass rusher like Chaisson.
That’s the sweet spot in a trade up for the Dolphins. Ideally not a move made inside the top-10, but instead working up a few spots inside the teens to better position for a tackle or difference maker in the pass rush.