The long-anticipated 2021 NFL Draft is less than a week away. There’s one word that best describes the Miami Dolphins off-season: flexibility. General Manager Chris Grier has set the Dolphins up to “do whatever they want” regarding free agency and the draft, and it’s been this way the past two years. Grier has finagled his way around draft boards and is sitting on a gold-mine of selections, which still could be growing. In the general manager’s pre-draft press conference this week, Grier hinted at the possibility of trading down with the #6 pick the Dolphins currently own. As we know, Miami moved from #3 to #12 and back up to #6, all within an hour. Staying inside the top-10 was a big deal for the front office, and I don’t see them moving back any further than the Denver Broncos slot at #9. If another trade were to happen, it would likely come on draft night while the Dolphins are on the clock. Denver could be eyeing a quarterback that begins to slide and pounce on the opportunity to secure them. By trading out of the third overall selection, the consensus is that Miami is content with a handful of draft prospects, and why wouldn’t they?

There are four tremendous pass catchers that would transform Miami’s offense the second their name is called. Florida’s Kyle Pitts might be the top prize, but LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and the pair of Alabama receivers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle don’t rank too far behind. Each player presents a different set of skills that make the decision hard for Chris Grier. Pitts is a matchup nightmare and deemed the greatest tight end prospect of all time. Chase was the best player at his position as a 19-year-old but did not play in 2020 after opting out. Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy in 30 years and might be the best route runner in the class. And Waddle is a blur with run-away speed and is a threat to score every time he touches the football.

No matter who the Dolphins choose, they’ll be getting a game-changer to help their young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Fans should be excited for draft weekend and the overall future of the Miami Dolphins. There is no possible way they can mess this draft up, right? Well, the only way I see that happening is if they opt to bypass a pass-catcher with their first selection. While the position might have the most depth on the team, it’s the most unreliable. Newly signed Will Fuller headlines the group but has never completed a full season in his entire career due to injuries and suspensions. DeVante Parker has been more available in the past two seasons but is still projected to miss a few games per year. Preston Williams has suffered season-ending injuries mid-way through his first two NFL seasons. Albert Wilson opted out of the 2020 season and hasn’t played much football in the last three years. Jakeem Grant should not be viewed as anything more than a return specialist or gadget player, and Allen Hurns might not be on the 2021 roster week one. For all these reasons, the Dolphins must bring in a young play-making receiver early Thursday night.

In this article, I’ll explain the three most important things Miami must do in this year’s draft and provide one bold move I’d love to see the team make.

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The most important:

 The Miami Dolphins must address the running back position properly. Another season with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed won’t cut it. The signing of Jordan Howard and trade for Matt Breida were huge failures last off-season and offensively put the team in a tough spot. Miami signed running back Malcolm Brown from the Rams this off-season, but he is nothing more than a goal-line or short-distance back. The 2020 Draft provided some incredible talent in Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathan Taylor, Cam Akers, JK Dobbins and were all available for Chris Grier to select. He decided not to. Whether you agree with his decisions or not, there should not be any form of déjà vu once again.

Quality running backs can be found in the middle of the draft process, but Miami has lost all rights to put it off that long. In laments terms, if the Dolphins miss out on the top three running backs in this class in Najee Harris, Travis Ettiene, and Javonte Williams, Chris Grier has failed to address the position yet again. I categorize this as the most important because the Dolphins have every opportunity to pick the running back of the future within the first 36-50 picks.

Last year, the roster was gutted and had glaring holes everywhere you looked. This year, however, is a different story. It’s time to give Tua a featured back he can grow with and take some weight off his shoulders. The Miami Dolphins have lacked a true running game since Ricky Williams. To me, Najee Harris is well worth the Dolphins pick at #18 and could be the player that helps Tua take the next step more than anyone else. Since 2010, the Dolphins have only taken two running backs in the first three rounds. Furthermore, Miami’s running backs only broke a combined 19 tackles the entire 2020 season. In 252 rushing attempts, Najee Harris broke 71 tackles in 2020. Travis Ettiene broke 44 tackles in 166 rushing attempts. And Javonte Williams broke a whopping 76 tackles in only 157 rushing attempts. THAT is the type of production Miami is missing and why addressing it as early as Chris Grier and company choose to is necessary.

Necessity #2

Pick #6 is critical in many ways. The Miami Dolphins have done a masterful job in their rebuild and will likely be the new blueprint on how to rebuild an NFL franchise in the future properly. Trade-off pricey veterans, stockpile draft ammunition, save up spending money, flush the roster with young talent, and hit on a new head coach. So far, so good for Chris Grier, and if things continue to go according to plan, Miami won’t have the luxury of making a pick this high for quite some time (barring another Laremy Tunsil type trade).

With the number of resources the Dolphins put into their offensive line last off-season, making a top-10 selection for another would be disheartening. The front office trusts Brian Flores and the entire coaching staff to develop players, so that is what they must do with guys like Austin Jackson, Solomon Kindley, Robert Hunt, and even Michael Deiter. Tua Tagovailoa isn’t the only Miami Dolphin in need of a big year two jump. A large portion of the team’s offensive success relies on the development of the young offensive line. I still do believe the team needs line help, just not at pick 6.

Edge rusher is one glaring need for this team, but there isn’t a Chase Young kind of talent this year, and no defensive ends are worthy of the sixth overall pick. It’s time to draft an impactful, explosive pass catcher. As stated earlier, one of Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith, or Jaylen Waddle should be wearing aqua and orange very soon. You have all read and seen the insane stats each one of these playmakers produced at the highest level in college. One quote from Chris Grier’s pre-draft press conference stood out to me:

“You are always looking at what does your quarterback do best and weigh that vs. the best player available and what does your team need. We’re looking for the right player, right person, right fit for your team, as well as mesh with the quarterback.”

The biggest question will be, who will be on the board when the Dolphins are on the clock? It is safe to assume quarterbacks get selected with the top three picks. The Draft will really start at pick #4 with the Atlanta Falcons. As Dolphins fans, you hope Atlanta either selects Matt Ryan’s successor or trades with a quarterback-needy team, and the Cincinnati Bengals draft Penei Sewell with the 5th pick. Worst case scenario is that Atlanta selects Kyle Pitts and the Bengals to reunite Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, leaving Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle as Miami’s last two options, which brings us back to that Chris Grier quote above.

“The right fit for your team, as well as mesh with the quarterback.” If that does not scream Alabama receiver, I don’t know what does. Miami’s receiving corps consists of Devante Parker and Will Fuller as the starting outside receivers, with Preston Williams first off the bench. Miami is missing an explosive slot-WR that does the dirty work over the middle or will take a slant route to the house. Albert Wilson was that player pre-injury and pre-COVID, and the jury is out on if he’ll get back to that form. Lynn Bowden flashed big-play ability late in the season, but I wouldn’t say he’s irreplaceable. The “fit” that Grier is talking about might be at the slot position, and the “mesh” might be the built-in chemistry Tua has with both Waddle and Smith. Either option is homerun picks, and we could see Tua’s weapons go from one of the worst in the league to one of the best.

Don’t repeat 2020…

Our last order of business for Chris Grier is not to repeat the 2020 draft approach. Last year, the Dolphins had more draft picks than any other team but decided to hoard them. Miami was reportedly interested in drafting JK Dobbins before the Baltimore Ravens swooped in and took him right before Miami was on the clock. It’s time for Chris Grier to be aggressive in 2021. The Dolphins need more talent on both sides of the ball and have the draft capital to address every single one of their needs their way.

Miami desperately needs a top-notch wide receiver and running back, as mentioned earlier, but they also need a defensive end, center, safety, and help on the offensive line. With 4 picks in the top 50, Miami should be aggressive to move up to get multiple players they love. Draft picks are nice to have, but at some point, if you’re Chris Grier, you have to start hitting on these picks.

Everything depends on how the board plays out, but this organization should not be left standing at the alter in regards to players Miami has intentions to draft. This team does not necessarily need 11 new rookies; they need 6-7 impactful rookies. Quality over quantity should be the approach for the front office, but knowing Chris Grier’s personality is unlikely to happen this way. Grier has gained the trust of many Dolphin fans, and whichever way he decides to go this year, it is most likely the correct one.

Being aggressive leads me to my bold take…

Bold take:

On April 29th, the Miami Dolphins will make THREE first-round picks for the second straight year. When I meant aggressive, I meant it. Could you imagine night one of the draft ending with any one of Pitts, Chase, Smith, or Waddle with the 6th pick, Micah Parsons, Zaven Collins, or a stud offensive linemen with the 18th pick, and then sliding into the end of the 1st-round to select Najee Harris, Travis Ettiene, or Javonte Williams?! The crazy part about that is that it could be done.

All of our questions will be answered in just a few short days. The 2021 NFL Draft is set to be exciting and hopefully game-changing for the Miami Dolphins. Enjoy the draft!