Playoff and NFL Draft scenarios are hard enough to keep track of when your team has one set of picks, let alone three 1st-round picks to keep track up. And, as is only appropriate, the well being of Miami’s two later 1st-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft are going to have their fates clash. The Dolphins saw the Houston Texans clinch a playoff spot on Saturday afternoon, guaranteeing Miami’s third 1st-round pick will be in the 20s.
That may well be the best case scenario for the Dolphins. Why? Because there is one scenario left in which the Tennessee Titans bump the Pittsburgh Steelers (the team whose 1st-round pick also own) out of the postseason — but it requires a Tennessee win against the Titans in Week 17.
So with Houston clinching a playoff berth via division title in Week 16 ahead of the Titans game, a hungry Tennessee team looking to punch their playoff ticket will probably get an unfocused Houston ball club, or potentially even a Houston team that is less than 100% strength.
Should the Titans win Week 17 against the Texans, a single Pittsburgh loss would knock the Steelers from the playoffs and boost Miami’s second of their three 1st-round picks into the top-20 overall selections. Every little bit counts as the Dolphins look to set forth the optimal NFL Draft plan and plot their way into finding the key difference makers early in the draft that can help to turn this Dolphins team around for good.
Someone was going to make the playoffs between Pittsburgh and Houston, unfortunately. But now that it is Houston, perhaps that will turn out playing to Miami’s advantage. It should, at least.
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