The Dolphins have been able to keep their thoughts and plans close to the vest throughout the offseason. No one is sure who their dream quarterback truly is, or what Miami plans to do with their arsenal of picks. Flores and Grier have done a great job of masking their intentions heading toward the draft on April 23.
Dolphins fans should be prepared for the team to be the most active of any during the draft. With 14 selections, Miami will be bouncing all over the board in search of their next cornerstones. However, some expectations should be in place.
- Miami won’t be moving up for Joe Burrow.
The Cincinnati Bengals are going to end up with the LSU Tiger no matter how many dream scenarios are tossed around. Sure, the Dolphins have the necessary ammo to pull off such a deal, but it isn’t going to happen. The Dolphins’ 3 first round picks would be the starting point in a Burrow deal, which is more than Miami should be willing to part with. We’ve heard how ‘in love’ Stephen Ross is with Burrow, but it’s simply a pipe dream. Don’t get your hopes up for this one.
— DolphinsTalk.com (@DolphinsTalk) April 2, 2020
- Tua may not be the pick either.
Many fans, I included, would love to see the lefty out of ‘Bama be Miami’s first pick this year. However, there’s recently been more reports that make it sound as if the Dolphins are not completely sold on the safety of selecting such a high-risk player.
It seems that the Miami brass has quietly covered its tracks in pursuit of the QB that I believe they truly want – Justin Herbert. The Oregon product has been a strong focus for the Dolphins dating back to last season. It feels like Herbert will be the guy, and that’s OK.
As long as the Dolphins do everything in their power to get the QB that they are most sold on, then fans should welcome that pick with open arms regardless of who it is. It might not be the guy you wanted, but Grier/Flores have earned the right to be trusted.
- Miami will land one of the 3 blue-chip running backs.
D’Andre Swift, Jonathan Taylor, and J.K. Dobbins are all first-round talents, and Miami needs a back for the future. My guess is that the Dolphins go QB, OL, and either Safety or D-Line in the first round, but they may be able to snag one of the top-three backs at pick 39. I have a feeling that one of Swift/Taylor/Dobbins will fall to Miami’s advantage.
Pairing a rookie RB with Jordan Howard in the backfield behind a fresh QB would be the perfect blend for the new-look Dolphins. I understand, and agree, that running backs are rather interchangeable to an extent, but Miami is going to want to stack talent around their rookie QB.
- A wide receiver in the first round makes zero sense.
If the Dolphins have one area of their team that you could call a strength, it would have to be the receiving corps. DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Albert Wilson, Allen Hurns, Jakeem Grant, and Isaiah Ford make up a more than formidable group. Spending a first rounder on an absolute luxury is not something the Dolphins can afford at this level of team construction. Keep the guys on the roster, add a WR later if need be, but stay away from the high-priced WR prospects this year.
- The lines will be fortified.
This is a given. Miami needs bodies on both sides of the line, even after addressing parts of them via free agency. Don’t surprised to see Grier come out of this draft with a haul of big men to block for his new QB. Pick 18, if not involved in a trade, is prime territory for Miami to land a lineman.
The Dolphins should be the most active team of any on April 23. They’re loaded, and they have a plan that no one truly knows about. Over the course of the last 20 years or so, the Dolphins have made one mistake after another, so some pessimism is warranted, but remember that this regime is different.
This is Miami’s draft and everyone else is just invited.
