The own six of the first 70 picks in the 2020 , including three first-rounders. After a solid start to free agency that saw the league's worst defense add defensive ends and , linebacker and cornerback , the Dolphins can addre s their most important needs with the No. 5, No. 18 and No. 26 selections. At the top of the to-do list: A franchise quarterback though that doesn't nece sarily mean Miami to take one at No. 5. Then there's the offensive line, running back and wide receiver, as well as safety and pa s rusher.So how will the Dolphins go about addre sing these holes in the roster? Below are three draft scenarios that best utilize these first-round picks and give second-year coach Brian Flores a real chance to compete for an AFC East title in a Tom Brady-le s division. Scenario 1Pick No. 5: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama:If Tagovailoa's healthy, this is a no-brainer. So much so, in fact, that the Dolphins may have to trade up to get him. For Scenario 1, however, we'll a sume, because of the coronavirus epidemic, that don't get the chance to give Tagovailoa an in-person physical. There's some level of risk in taking him at No. 5 but even if Tagovailoa ends up being 95 percent the player he was before his hip injury last November it'
Matt Harvey Jersey s worth the flier. In March, Tua posted this video: Practicing social distancing with the long ball today. Feels good to spin it again. Tua. T (@Tuaamann) Our first thought was, "My heavens, he looks great!" Our second thought: "Now what happens when he gets laid out by a 300-pound defensive tackle? Does he pop right back up or will that surgically repaired hip be a chronic problem?" He
Amed Rosario Jersey then followed up with a virtual pro day for teams on Friday: Here's Tua's Pro Day footage obtained from an NFL team. Enjoy the thread. (1/7) Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) Again, these are the unknowns but for the Dolphins, who have been unofficially #TankingforTua since last September, the immediately solves their franchise-QB problem. Pick No. 18: , OT, Houston:As evidenced , we know this isn't a popular pick with some Dolphins fans. But here's the deal: Jones had a really good 2019 season and that's underselling it. And he followed it up with an even better showing at the 2020 Senior Bowl. He's insanely athletic, moves well in space, is a monster in the run game -- and he was one of Pro Football Focus' highest-rated offensive linemen last season. The Dolphins need to protect their new franchise quarterback and Jones would be a solid option midway through the first round. Pick No. 26: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama: This was exactly how our latest mock draft unfolded ( !); Tagovailoa, Jones and then the Dolphins beef up an already-improved secondary. McKinney is listed as a safety but in addition to playing deep centerfield he can also play closer to the line of scrimmage, in the slot, at cornerback, and even blitz off the edge. He's not quite as versatile as , another Alabama defensive back who was a first-round pick of the Fins, but he's young, athletic and physical -- and fits in with what Flores wants this defense to look like. Scenario 2 Trade up to No. 3: Tagovailoa:Let's a sume Tagovailoa gets a clean bill of health and he's expected to be the same player he was prior to the hip injury. The price of poker, as they say, just went up. Which means the Dolphins will almost certainly have to trade up to get him. So what will it cost? According to the draft value chart created by CBSSports.com's R.J. White, Miami would have to give up the No. 5 and No. 56 pick to move up two spots. But because the , who are currently set to select third, know that the Dolphins are moving up for Tua, they could require more than the going rate, especially if there's competition for the pick. Knowing that, the Dolphins could sweeten the deal; in addition to No. 5 they could include their first second-round pick, No. 39, even if that's overpaying, according to the draft value chart.
Adrian Gonzalez Jersey Miami has 14 draft picks, including those six picks on the first two days of the draft; giving up a second-rounder for who they believe is the future of their franchise seems like a pretty easy decision. Pick No. 18: K'Lavon Chai son, EDGE, LSU. Yes, the Dolphins signed Shaq Lawson to a three-year deal but he had just 6.5 sacks last season for the and there's still a real need for pa s rushers in Miami. Chai son could fall to No. 18 and if he's there Miami should seriously consider drafting him. He's explosive off the edge and he's only going to get better as he grows into his body. And with the Dolphins still having the No. 56 pick, they can circle back in Round 2 to get an offensive tackle (this OT cla s is much deeper than the EDGE cla s), and in Round 3 they can grab an interior offensive lineman. Pick No. 26: D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia. You could also go offensive tackle here and get a running back at No. 56 but since we're only looking at the Dolphins first-rounders, we're going with Swift, our No. 1 back in this cla s. As it stands, the Dolphins have just-signed and . Put another way: There's definitely room to add a versatile back like Swift, who is a terror in the run game but is also
Jacob DeGrom Jersey a weapon catching pa ses out of the backfield. Scenario 3 Pick No. 5: Isaiah Simmons, LB/S, Clemson. Simmons might end up being the best player in this draft cla s. He lines up virtually everywhere -- linebacker, deep safety, strong safety, in the slot, at cornerback and even at edge rusher -- and he can do virtually anything. There are plenty of great defensive talents in this draft cla s -- Chase Young, Jeff Okudah, Derrick Brown, CJ Henderson -- but after Young, Simmons may provide the most immediate impact on the field. We talked above how the Dolphins need to get better defensively and Simmons would go a long way in achieving that. Trade up to No. 8: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State. (Before you ask, here's the cost, via the trade value chart created by CBSSports.com's R.J. White: The Dolphins get the No. 8 pick, the get the No. 18 and No. 39 picks. Alternatively, the Dolphins could give up picks No. 18, No. 56 and a 2021 third-rounder.) The Dolphins got a chance to visit with Love before the coronavirus pandemic so clearly there is interest there. And if there are any concerns about Tagovailoa's healthy, Miami could choose to go in another direction. Love has all the physical tools NFL teams look for but the biggest hurdle that has to be cleared is his abysmal 2019 campaign. , and there's reason to believe
Neil Walker Jersey that in the right system he could be very succe sful. And in Miami, he wouldn't have to start immediately; he could sit behind , learn the offense, and be brought along slowly -- just like during the 2017 season. Pick No. 26: Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan. Ruiz is the best center in this draft cla s (he also played some g