Currently, the Dolphins hold the 4th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft behind the Cincinnati Bengals (0-10), the Washington Redskins (1-9) and the New York Giants (2-8). Miami fans have felt some discomfort with that positioning — considering the entire objective of the team’s rebuilding efforts were to acquire a top quarterback prospect. Could Miami really do that with the 4th pick?
It’s more likely, now. The Dolphins could probably land Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, who was injured with a hip dislocation this past weekend against Mississippi State, with their number four overall pick. But such a significant injury introduces some questions and so since Tagovailoa suffered a major injury, there is a possibility that the Dolphins decide to go in another direction.
The scenarios could be endless, however, there are some quality options this year.
Option A: Joe Burrow (LSU) – How? Some will say he is the consensus number one and the Dolphins do not have the number one overall pick. Consider this: The Bengals still have to play the Dolphins, which could go either way. Add in the Bengals schedule elsewhere with the Jets, Cleveland Browns twice and the Steelers once. The Bengals could easily beat the Dolphins and win two more games. Miami still has a shot at the number one overall pick in that scenario, provided Miami flops. Should that fail, if Cincinnati at least fails to acquire the top pick, the Dolphins have picks to move up in front of Cincinnati.
Regardless, Burrow has the intelligence, fire and passion teams covet in a franchise quarterback. If the Dolphins are going to be bold, the time to do so is now.
Option B: Justin Herbert (Oregon) – Herbert has all of the tools teams look for in a franchise quarterback. He has the athleticism, size (6-foot-6 and 240 pounds), and a big arm. Last season, Herbert decided to stay in school and forego what many believed was the opportunity to be the first quarterback drafted in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Herbert has quietly done everything he can do to improve his draft stock. In 2018, Herbert completed just 59.4 percent of his passes and 29 touchdowns in 13 games. This season (through 10 games) Herbert has improved to 69.6 percent of his passes completed and 28 touchdowns. He has improved in two of the more important areas. The best part? The Dolphins should be able to stay put at 4th-overall and draft Herbert.
Option C: Jordan Love (Utah State) and a veteran – Love possibly has the highest ceiling out of all the draft-eligible quarterbacks. If everything goes well, Love can be the best quarterback from this draft. Unfortunately for him, Love has not exactly helped his stock — he’s had a tough year. Love lost some talent off of his offense this past offseason and isn’t on a team littered with talent like Burrow and Tagovailoa. The projection of Love in the NFL can be very high and typically teams draft players based on how they project them at the next level.
The Utah State star has all of the tools teams look for and makes way throws on a regular basis. Some of his completions defy the odds, similar to what we saw at Texas Tech from Patrick Mahomes. That’s not to say Love is as good of a prospect but he does have similar traits. Love could be worth drafting in the 1st-round with the Pittsburgh or Houston pick. If they do that, it would be wise for the Dolphins to keep both Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick, which would allow Love to sit and learn.
Option D: Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) and an insurance backup plan – As mentioned before, there are concerns over Tagovailoa’s injuries — he’s now had three surgeries since last year. He is expected to make a full recovery from this latest one, but anyone drafting him should have a contingency plan in place. It would be mighty difficult for Miami to draft Tagovailoa and just assume the durability questions will go away, especially when he cannot throw until the spring in the very best case scenario.
That is where “insurance” comes in. The Dolphins could look to add a veteran quarterback such as Teddy Bridgewater or Cam Newton to play for a year in front of him.
They could also stay the course with Ryan Fitzpatrick and/or Josh Rosen, too. Miami could have one of them start in front of Tagovailoa until he is ready to take over. Should there be concern that the former Crimson Tide quarterback cannot recover, they could draft a quarterback in mid-rounds, too. Regardless, the Dolphins need to make sure they have a backup plan if they choose Option D.
Option E: Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) – Toughness should be the first word that comes to mind when describing Hurts. Not only is he physically tough but mentally tough. Hurts has shown his mental toughness and class dating back to the 2018 National Championship game, when he led Alabama to a National Championship game against Clemson but was pulled at halftime, leading to Tagovailoa stepping in and leading a comeback to win the national title.
Instead of transferring, Hurts decided to stay and battle for his job. He lost out to Tagovailoa but did receive playing time in the SEC Championship Game and 2019 National Championship game. Afterwards, he wisely transferred to recent quarterback factory, Oklahoma. Since transferring, he has shown what he can do at a new level. This season, Hurts has completed a career high 73% of his passes and thrown for 28 touchdowns. After he led his Sooners to a comeback win against Big 12 rival Baylor, he could very well be considered as a day one pick for the Dolphins.
Option F: Josh Rosen – Should the Dolphins decide they do not want to risk drafting these quarterbacks because they missed on their guy and do not want to settle, they could keep Rosen and Fitzpatrick while building the core of the team. The idea would be to build the offensive and defensive line, while Rosen commands the offense as their quarterback on a rookie deal.
The Dolphins five picks in the first two rounds can infuse the team full of talent and let Rosen grow into his own. Regardless of how Rosen does, the Dolphins could then utilize their four picks in the first two rounds (two first-round picks and two second-round picks) in 2021 to land a quarterback like Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) or Justin Fields (Ohio State).
