The Tua Tagovailoa led Miami Dolphins were one of the more impressive teams to watch this season, as they finally seem to be over the hump.
Finishing with a record of 10-6, the Dolphins still didn’t do enough to make the playoffs. Although that may be true, Brian Flores has been able to get this team turned around in just two years. Additionally, this Dolphins defense was top-notch (sixth in scoring defense) and still has room to improve.
Heading into the offseason, the Miami Dolphins are in a fantastic position to put this roster over the top (Specifically on the offensive side of the ball). Rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa has had his ups and downs this year but having a full offseason to build chemistry with the offense will be crucial in his development.
The Dolphins will be entering this year’s draft with four picks within the first two rounds. Thanks to a trade with the Houston Texans, Miami will have the third overall pick in the draft. There are a few different directions this team can go with that selection, but at the end of the day, they should be looking to acquire help for their young QB. With that said, here are my top three options the Dolphins have with the third pick in the NFL draft.
Draft Ja’Marr Chase
The first two selections of the NFL draft will likely be quarterbacks (unless the Jets decide to stick with Sam Darnold). Either way, the Dolphins are going to be in a position to draft Ja’Marr Chase, who is the best available wide receiver in this draft class. Considering the Dolphins already have a young offensive line and a subpar WR group, the front office could use their first pick to draft the former LSU Tiger.
Chase was one of the top players that decided to opt out this season due to COVID-19. Some consider him the best WR in this draft class, even after sitting out an entire season. 2019 was Chase’s breakout year after he recorded 1,780 yards through the air along with 20 touchdowns. What’s more impressive, is Chase acquired these numbers off of 84 receptions, which means he averaged an insane 21.2 yards per catch!
Not only does Chase have the talent, but he also has the size of an elite WR. Standing six feet tall and weighing 208 pounds, it’s easy to see why the former Tiger is high on everybody’s list this year. Miami would be selecting a dynamic player to play alongside DeVante Parker, Preston Williams (once he’s healthy), Mike Gesicki, and Myles Gaskins. This could be an offensive squad that causes problems in the NFL next year.
Draft Penei Sewell
Another option the Dolphins could go is to beef up the offensive line even more. During the 2020 season, Miami had three rookie offensive lineman playing important minutes. This could be a huge reason as to why the protection just wasn’t there for most of the year. The best-case scenario for this group is to continue building chemistry to become an even better O-line next year.
With that said, taking another rookie O-lineman wouldn’t be a bad idea. Winning the trenches goes a long way in the NFL, and it could give the Dolphins the potential to have the best offensive front in the NFL within the next few years. Even after opting out of the 2020 season, Penei Sewell is the absolute best OL in this draft and would provide a huge boost to the Dolphins’ offense. The run game would be better, the pass protection would improve, and the QB play would enhance tremendously.
During his two-year career at Oregon, Sewell only allowed one single sack off of 1,376 snaps in that period. Furthermore, during his sophomore season, Sewell became the first player at Oregon to ever win the Outland Trophy, and be recognized as the nation’s top offensive lineman. He has the size, speed, strength, and durability to become a top O-lineman in the NFL, and the Dolphins should highly consider drafting this kid third overall.
Trade Back For More Picks
Finally, the last option the Dolphins have with the third overall pick is to trade it back for even more draft picks. Sure, Miami already has an abundance of picks, but it never hurts to have too many with a modest team. Having the third and 18th picks in the draft will only bring glory to this franchise, but trading back the third overall selection could set this team up with success for multiple years down the road.
Considering there are a few teams in the league who may be looking to move up for Sewell, or a QB means the Dolphins will have plenty of suitors to choose from if they do decide to go this route. A few teams that may be looking to move up this year are the San Francisco 49ers, the New England Patriots, and the Carolina Panthers. Each of these franchises has some holes to fill and could be searching for a new QB, or OL to help improve their rosters.
I believe this is the last option the Dolphins front office will consider, as they have a legitimate chance to put this roster over the top with the third overall pick. For any team wanting to make a trade with Miami here, they will likely need to be giving up quite a bit for the Dolphins to consider accepting. Either way, Miami is in a win-win-win situation here and should be one of the better teams in the NFL next season.
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