Miami Dolphins

Fresh Perspective: Upside defines the 2020 Miami Dolphins draft class

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The 2020 NFL draft has come to a close, and there’s a very distinct theme with the Miami Dolphins draft class.

  • 5. Tua Tagovailoa QB/Alabama
  • 18. Austin Jackson OT/USC
  • 30. Noah Igbinoghene CB/Auburn
  • 39. Robert Hunt OL/Louisiana
  • 56. Raekwon Davis DL/Alabama
  • 70. Brandon Jones S/Texas
  • 111. Solomon Kindley OG/Georgia
  • 154. Jason Strowbridge DE/North Carolina
  • 164. Curtis Weaver OLB/Boise State
  • 185. Blake Ferguson LS/LSU
  • 246. Malcolm Perry WR/Navy

Many people are assuming that this draft class is not good. There are very few instant impact players, clearly Chris Grier and Brian Flores don’t know how to draft. Well, those criticisms are half right. While it’s true that these players aren’t expected to make huge impacts right away, this draft is far from bad. In fact, in many ways, Miami’s 2020 draft was – for lack of a better term – inspired.

Instead of focusing on safe or popular picks, the Dolphins decided to forgo conventional wisdom and picked players who have much greater potential. Potential to become elite players.

Naturally, there is something to be said about finding players who are more guaranteed to work out. Players who are unlikely to bust will actually contribute in some way shape or form, which is important for a team trying to build a foundation on the backs of young players. However, Miami isn’t just trying to build a foundation. They want a strong foundation. Super Bowl caliber foundation.

Hence, the picks the Miami Dolphins made. They are in a very unique position, one that perhaps no team has ever been in. Yes, Miami drafted their franchise quarterback. No one can deny the talent that Tua Tagovailoa brings to the table. If all goes well, he will lead the Dolphins into a new era of greatness they haven’t seen since Dan Marino. But this is not an immediate transition. Certain people feel that the best thing to do would be to throw Tagovailoa into the fire immediately. But Miami has different plans, and it has everything to do with the philosophy Brian Flores brings to the franchise, which GM Chris Grier indicated they would bring to the draft last week.

“We’re going to go with the same process of how we’ve done things.” Grier said. “Our scouts have done a great job, as well as the coaching staff. We always talk about communication and that’s really key because to get those guys on the backend, it’s the coaches and scouts on the same page and everyone on the phone, talking to players and identifying players that can help us or see something that has upside for us to develop.”

There’s the word. “Upside.” The potential ceiling for a given prospect as opposed to how good they are at the moment of being drafted. Each and every player – except for Blake Ferguson, who’s a long snapper – has an incredible amount of raw talent that if properly developed, can turn them into elite level players. The Dolphins are in an extremely unique position where winning is not the main priority for 2020. This means that there’s no rush to get Tagovailoa onto the football field, and it means that Miami gets a free year to develop their new prospects and see what they can get out of them.

2020 is going to be another evaluation year, even more so than 2019. Last season was about stripping down the roster to remove the mistakes by the previous regimes. They released overpaid players, traded as many as they could for draft assets, and replaced them with young, cheap players with upside. The result of the new coaching staff was a revitalized DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, with cornerback Nik Needham going from zero to hero as the season progressed.

That is the impact that a strong coaching staff can have. Players who no one expects to do well, suddenly look much better than they have any business to. This entire draft class matches that mentality.

Austin Jackson was selected 18th overall, a reach no matter who you ask by conventional wisdom. He has all the athletic tools you could ask for to be an amazing left tackle in the NFL, but his technique is subpar and he desperately needs to be coached up. Fortunately, the Dolphins can afford to spend that time tutoring Jackson and tweaking his game until he reaches the point where it’s safe to let him protect Tagovailoa in 2021.

The same goes for Robert Hunt. The offensive lineman out of Louisiana is a mauler who loves to take defenders to the ground and bully them no matter where on the line he plays. That sort of mentality hasn’t been present on the Dolphins offensive line since the days of Richie Incognito. But he sometimes gets too aggressive, and his balance can get thrown off because he focuses too much on overwhelming his assignment rather than simply following through on it. Aggressive is good. Overaggressive is not. Plus, a groin injury he suffered in 2019 hurt his draft stock as well, he’ll need to prove he’s healthy. Which, again, Miami can make sure of by simply monitoring him closely as the season progresses. There’s no pressure to keep him in if they feel they need to let him heal and learn in other ways.

Then there’s Curtis Weaver, who the Dolphins managed to trade up and draft with the 164th pick. Weaver was originally projected as a potential second round pick by some analysts, but he slipped due to his lack of motor and overall explosiveness as a pass rusher. He accumulated 34 sacks in his three years at Boise State, making him the All-Time Mountain West Conference leader in sacks. Production is definitely not an issue for him. There are, however, moments where he looks like he slows down and gives up on a play. That’s something that Brian Flores will need to fix. Again, he’ll have a year to see if he can draw the best out of him.

Rinse and repeat for the rest of Miami’s draft class, and suddenly it all makes sense. If, by some miracle, the majority of these drafted players develop into foundation type players, then the Dolphins will enter 2021 with a quarterback who’s had a year to sit and learn under a wily veteran in Ryan Fitzpatrick, and an offensive line that’s had a chance to play together for a year, ready for the task of protecting the franchise.

When that happens, the sky’s the limit for the Miami Dolphins.

To emphasize, there will be growing pains in 2020. There will be a lot of growing pains in 2020. However, that will actually be an exciting scenario to watch. Instead of being disappointed because expectations are insanely high, fans will get to watch the beauty of players learning and growing under a coaching staff that has shown the ability to get the best out of players. The more talent there is to develop, the better things will be. They will take their lumps with Ryan Fitzpatrick and maybe Josh Rosen for one year.

Then in 2021, there will be another round of free agency, another draft where Miami has two 1st and 2nd round picks, and a team full of players ready to do everything they can to not just make the playoffs, but win a Super Bowl.

And there’s a very good shot that Tua Tagovailoa will lead the Miami Dolphins there with a solid foundation lifting him up.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Guts Check: 5th Overall Pick – The Gift That Keeps on Giving

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Typically, this column is reserved for words about everybody’s favorite basketball team by the bay. Don’t worry Heat Nation, that is not about to change any time soon.

That said, last night’s Miami Dolphins draft is worth deviating from the normal script just this once.

One of the things that I have always loved about Pat Riley and his team building philosophy is the propensity to think big.

However, thinking big doesn’t always have to amount to big risk.

Flashback (get it) to the 2003 NBA Draft, when the Heat were debating the merits of Chris Kaman and Kirk Hinrich as complimentary players to an already existing max contract shooting guard in town, Eddie Jones. Despite positional needs, injury concerns and advanced metrics, the Heat took a player with the 5th pick in the draft and it literally changed everything.

It turned out that they got the transcendent player, the star, the franchise cornerstone. They drafted Dwyane Wade. The rest is NBA history.

I’ve been waiting for the Dolphins to go get that player for decades.

In the NBA it can be argued that wings are more important than bigs, that point guards are more important than power forwards, etc.

The reality is, in the NBA you just need stars, regardless of position.

The NFL is not alike in that regard. Position matters, a lot.

So yes, as Dolphins fans, we have talked ourselves into every big acquisition since Dan Marino was sacked off the field in Jacksonville. Yet, deep down inside we always knew that without a top-notch signal caller, the Dolphins were going to need everything to go perfectly for the team to win a Super Bowl. Hell, even to win a playoff game.

Last night felt different. Almost Tua good to be true. (couldn’t resist)

#TankforTua has been a movement in Miami for almost 2 years. Anybody that knows me, knows that I despise losing on purpose. However when it came to the Dolphins, I was desperate enough to see them try anything at this point.

Tank for Tua was even the name of my office league fantasy football team last season – to which I received messages last night like “Congrats on a well-executed plan”

The Dolphins have a plan? Holy shit. THE DOLPHINS HAVE A PLAN.

See, that’s the thing, for the ups and downs of Riley’s tenure in Miami, even when the future has looked bleakest, the fan-base always could lean on an intuition that among the mess, Riley had a message. Fans can handle pain if they think there is a plan.

Today, it feels like the Miami Dolphins have a process, a plan and a star at the most important position.

The Miami Dolphins finally have a franchise quarterback. One that essentially fell in their laps at the 5th pick overall.

The Heat organization carved out quite a spot in the NBA history books from a similar spot back in 2003.

Tua Tagovailoa, it’s your turn. I think I speak for all of us when I say we are happy as hell it’s Tua time.

 

Morning in Miami

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January 15, 2000: Jacksonville Jaguars 62, Miami Dolphins 7

A team that had, the previous week, gone into Seattle, making the NFL’s longest trip, and won a playoff game (this is so long ago that Seattle was in the AFC), took one of the NFL’s shortest trips and managed to lose by 55 points.

Two Hall of Famers, Dan Marino, and Jimmy Johnson would never play or coach, respectively, again.

In the 20 years since, the Dolphins have played in 5 playoff games, winning 1. And 3 of those 5 were in the 2 years immediately following the Jacksonville debacle, the last gasps of breath from a once model franchise.

And that’s what they were. A model franchise. It’s been 20 years of futility, so it’s tough to remember, but from 1970 to 2002, the Dolphins made the playoffs 21 times and missed it only 11 times. They won 2 Super Bowls and played in 3 others. This was the franchise worth emulating. Since 2002, they’ve missed the playoffs 16 of 18 times and haven’t won a playoff game.

Likewise, the Dolphins spent 30 of their first 34 years as a franchise led by future Hall of Famers. Since then…we know the names: Dave Wannstedt, Nick Saban, Cam Cameron, Tony Sparano, Joe Philbin, Adam Gase. Futility, thy name is Dolphins.

In the 1930s, Winston Churchill said of France:

Thank God for the French Army. France is not only the sole great surviving democracy in Europe; she is also the strongest military power, I am glad to say, and she is the head of a system of States and nations.

That was the Dolphins. The proudest, the best, and then poof…in an instance gone in the same manner that the France fell over the course of a few months in 1940.

Darkness Had Descended on the Dolphins Empire.

Through bad luck, bad decisions, an ownership change, churn in the front office…the Dolphins have been on a hamster wheel to nothingness. Even the right decisions ended up wrong.

  • They hire the right coach in Nick Saban, and he elevates to one of the finest coaches in football history. In college, at Alabama.
  • They medically evaluate two QBs and select the one that seemed healthier. The Dolphins end up snake-bit with Daunte Culpepper while the Saints (previously known as the “Aints” and famous for having fans wear paper bags over their heads) win the Super Bowl with Drew Brees.
  • The Dolphins (finally!) use a Top 10 pick on a QB, Ryan Tannehill, and he somehow ends up not being great AND not busting…walking the tightrope between maybe good enough, perhaps not good enough, resulting in years of mediocrity.

But the context worsened things. Not only were the Dolphins seemingly going nowhere, but the Patriots turned into the best franchise in the NFL. Since the Dolphins last won a playoff game, the Patriots have won SIX Super Bowls.

The combination of the Dolphins’ mediocrity and the Patriots’ excellence over an absurdly long period of time robbed the Dolphins of the one thing that all fan bases have: hope.

South Florida is famous for short, violent thunderstorms intermingled with brilliant sunshine. That’s also how the NFL works. You stink to get a high draft pick (thunderstorm), and then you get the sunshine, which at the very least hopes that the pick will elevate the franchise to championship status.

The Dolphins had none of that. Perpetually overcast. No franchise-changing player to be excited about, and no realistic chance to compete with the menace in Boston. 

And so the Dolphins tried a new strategy.

They hired a coach from the Patriots.

They tanked for the generational player in the form of Tua Tagovailoa.

Everything was going according to plan.

And then it wasn’t. The Dolphins history of making the right decision and having it blow up in their face seemed to be repeating itself. Hiring a good coach and attempting to hand him the number one pick should be a good thing. But it’s the Dolphins, so of course that coach does TOO good of a job, and the Dolphins somehow win 5 games.

Fire up the hamster wheel!

Except a funny thing happened on the way to the mediocrity jamboree. It turns out that one of those 5 wins ruined the Patriots season, sent them into the Wild Card Round, and was the death knell of the Patriots empire. Tom Brady has resorted to walking into the wrong people’s houses as a member of the Buccaneers.

Okay, so a silver lining. The Patriots are (FINALLY!) going to rebuild but the Dolphins still blew Tua.

But wait, there’s more. Tua’s injury caused him to fall to Miami.

Had the Dolphins gone 0-16, they likely still would have coveted and taken Tua, but Brady might still be in New England. Maybe the Patriots would have a 7th Super Bowl. We’ll never know. Had the Dolphins won any more games (the Chargers took a QB right after them), they would have lost out on Tua.

But this time, that didn’t happen.

Somehow, the franchise that had been cursed for 20 years, that did things correctly and watched them fail so many times, managed to hit that sweet spot where they won just the exact right number of games, and the specific games, to hasten the end of the Brady Era in New England and still get the player they were tanking for, while also not having to eradicate a culture of intentionally losing from their locker room.

After 20 years of everything going wrong, of suffering, not under the stench of poor play, but under the weight of hopelessness, the Dolphins had it break their way. At this moment, the Miami Dolphins have the brightest future in the AFC East.

For the first time in 20 years, the clouds are breaking, and the sun is shining through. Back to Churchill, as he addressed a defeated, hopeless French nation in 1940:

Good night then: Sleep to gather strength for the morning. For the morning will come. brightly it will shine on the brave and true, kindly upon all who suffer for the cause, glorious upon the tombs of heroes. Thus will shine the dawn.

It took more than 20 years, from that fateful capitulation in Jacksonville to Roger Goodell announcing that the Dolphins had selected Tua, but morning has come for the Dolphins. Brightly does it shine on the brave and true fans who suffered through decades of hopelessness. Hope has returned to Miami.

The dawn is shining.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports and generally covers the Miami Hurricanes. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

The odds favor Tua Tagovailoa being selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Pressure Point: Tua Tagovailoa the right pick for Dolphins

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Finally, the day that everyone invested in the Miami Dolphins has been obsessing over for a year.

All the agonizing and analyzing, hand-wringing and hoping through a lost season has led to the most important draft in Dolphins franchise history.

Remember, everyone thought they were “Tanking for Tua.”

Now Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is within reach and there are plenty of NFL experts, followers and, yes, some Miami fans too, saying the Dolphins should resist the temptation of a very talented player with a troublesome injury history.

Five Reasons complete NFL Draft guide

So what do the Dolphins do with the No. 5 pick in the draft?

They take Tua, of course.

Not as simple a call as it would have seemed months ago, before Tagovailoa’s college career ended with a serious hip injury.

Still, it’s the one Dolphins chiefs —GM Chris Grier, coach Brian Flores and owner Steve Ross — should make with their first of three picks in the first round. Even if they have to deal some of their ample draft capital to the Detroit Lions to move up to No. 3.

Alfredo Arteaga for Five Reasons: Final Mock Draft

Injury concern has merit

No question, there are legitimate concerns about Tua’s durability.

The Dolphins were dealt a problematic hand in this pursuit. It’s like being told, you can have your dream house, but it’s not constructed to South Florida hurricane codes and could blow away at any time.

But if not for those questions, Tagovailoa would be the No. 1 pick in the draft and out of Miami’s reach.

Fate has given the Dolphins a side door to the caliber of quarterback that has eluded them since Dan Marino retired. They have let too many others slip past them while shuffling through 21 imposters over two decades.

Time to roll the dice. Gotta take Tua.

This beleaguered franchise can’t afford another Drew Brees debacle.

Ethan Skolnick: Hey Dolphins, be smart like Heat in building team

Saban made wrong call

Ironically, it was Alabama coach Nick Saban saying this week it would be a mistake to pass on Tagovailoa over injury concerns. Saban, of course, doomed his tenure as Dolphins coach in 2006 when he opted for Daunte Culpepper after team doctors failed Brees over concerns about his shoulder.

Brees is still padding his Hall of Fame stats in New Orleans.

Dolphins fans haven’t forgiven Saban, and they will run this regime out of town if Tagovailoa goes on to have a brilliant career as a Los Angeles Charger.

Sure Tua is a risk. It’s why this draft holds more intrigue for the Dolphins than any in memory.

It’s also a risk to pick the wrong QB.

Five Reasons Sports live draft coverage

Herbert not the answer

In the days leading to the draft there has been a rising chorus of voices in the industry saying the Dolphins should pick Oregon’s Justin Herbert at No. 5.

Herbert may go on to a solid NFL career. He could also prove to be Ryan Tannehill II.

There is no evidence to suggest he’s the next Marino.

Herbert is not a player you tank for. He has size and athleticism, but he is not a passer that excites like Tagovailoa. Not even close.

Tua has that magic touch you crave at quarterback. It’s been evident since he came off the bench to lead ‘Bama from 13 down to the national title as a freshman.

The only legitimate safer pick would be Joe Burrow, who is a lock to go No. 1 to the Bengals.

There’s no guarantee of longevity in the NFL with any pick. The Dolphins chose Jake Long over Matt Ryan in 2008, and the big tackle broke down prematurely. Ryan, who went to the Falcons, remains another reminder of a franchise quarterback that the Dolphins let get away (thank you, Bill Parcells).

Dolphins could pull surprise move

Dolphins officials have played an impeccable poker hand throughout this process, carefully shielding their intentions. That is why there are so many differing claims about what they will do.

With 14 picks in the draft, including three in the first round (Nos. 5, 18 and 26), anything is possible.

Numerous trade scenarios have been floated. The most audacious I’ve seen was a suggestion of the Dolphins dealing their latter two first-round picks and No. 39 in the second round to the Lions for No. 3. Then use it to take the top offensive tackle and still make their No. 5 pick for the quarterback of their choice.

The unknown is what another team, notably the Chargers at No. 6, would be willing to give to move up to 3, and what the Lions would demand.

The Grier-Flores leadership is also difficult to read. Personnel moves through the first year of the collaboration have been unconventional, often eyebrow-raising.

Don’t be surprised if they completely surprise in their approach to this draft.

Offensive tackle a must in draft

The Dolphins have a lot of needs and objectives. Regardless of which quarterback is targeted, they must come out of this draft with a cornerstone tackle to protect him.

They also must give him more playmakers to work with. There is depth at running back and receiver, which can be obtained beyond the first round.

Defense is always a priority for Flores. He can’t get enough secondary help and he desperately needs to upgrade the pass rush, even though free agency brought some help.

But it all starts with quarterback. There is a potential transcendent talent there for the taking, albeit with a concerning caveat.

Don’t over-think it, Dolphins.

Gotta take Tua.

Rodger Sherman, in a statistical analysis for TheRinger.com, showed that Tagovailoa has the highest passer efficiency rating (199.4) in college football history by a considerable margin, as well as the most adjusted yards per passing attempt and highest touchdown rate.

Tua also has that intangible quality that only the best possess.

Nobody better understands the need for self-preservation in moving to the pros than Tagovailoa, after what he’s been through.

He’s been working with former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer on adjustments he must make, as well as with NFL coach Ken Whisenhunt on the  mental and technical side of playing the position in the pros.

Mistake to pass on Tua

Kirk Herstreit, one of the most respected observers in college football, says it would be a mistake to pass on Tua.

I agree — and horror of horrors, I agree with Saban as well — at least when it comes to Tua.

The Dolphins should take Tagovailoa, then spend the rest of the draft putting as many useful pieces around him as they can with the barrel full of picks at their disposal.

When all that is done, let’s hope there is a 2020 NFL season so we can begin to see how it all plays out.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and its teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

This is the Most Important Dolphins Draft. Ever.

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Miami Dolphins, if you want my money after we come out of this Coronavirus Crisis then you need to do the right thing and make this pick count.

 

I am the father of an 11-year-old boy whose exposure to Dolphins highlights has been limited to the Miami Miracle against the Patriots and—well, both of the wins against the Patriots. I could be selfish and say that I want more, but in all honesty, I want more for him. Like any parent, I am in love with my kids no matter what. With my daughter, it’s about doing things she wants to do and that’s weekly Hallmark Channel movies with me wondering what happened to Winnie Cooper, DJ Tanner, and Gretchen Wieners. With my son it’s about what I want to do and living vicariously through him.. And yes it’s selfish, but I temper that by knowing that he wants to do it too. Youth basketball? Check. Toss the football around the yard? Check. Watch games all day Saturday and Sunday? Check. Get crushed in NBA 2K even though I have the Warriors and he’s got the Knicks? Check. Have debates over how the Dolphins are mediocre or a dumpster fire instead of the great player impacting winning? Mmm, no thanks. Please, Miami, make the right pick.

 

My son is of the age, like many others, who are not just aware of sports but are fans of it. He’s the even rarer breed for a kid his age to know key players in college football and to be steadfast in his opinion of who is great and who is—in his words—trash. He eats up stats because he loves math. He even got excited with my fumbling explanation of how the salary cap, free agency and trades work. God knows what will happen if I decide to let him do fantasy football. Miami Dolphins, don’t you want someone like my son to be so excited about this team that he will pore over every box score after every game? If so, Miami Dolphins, make the right pick.

 

He has Heat jerseys, shirts, hats and basketballs. He wore his DWade jersey as we watched replays of the championship runs during this quarantine. Don’t you want someone whose name can excite a fan base? Don’t you want someone who’s name can move that kind of product? Hell, I still have an old Marino jersey that I gave to him just so he could be somehow associated with greatness. Make the right pick and I’ll be the schmuck who overpays for the merch!

 

We’ve been to Miami Heat games and I am happy to say that we are undefeated in all four that we’ve attended. I took him to a Miami Hurricanes game that ended in a win. I take him to his first Miami Dolphins game and it’s a big fat L! And it was against the winnable Detroit Lions! And I aged considerably just trying to get out of the parking lot. But you know what? I would go again with my son because there is a feeling that comes with being at a live game in person that cannot be replicated at home watching on the TV. Sure the bathrooms are cleaner but that’s neither here nor there. Ultimately, my son enjoys the experience as well. But know this: make the right pick and I will go because we all want to ride the wave of excitement!

 

Listen Miami. I’ll admit that I was a spoiled Dolphins fan who loved Marino and took him for granted, even towards the end. I would like for my son to be excited for this team like I was in the 80s up until Saban left. Yes, even the Saban years. That period of fandom—my period of fandom—at least had promise. Other than the strike year and Marino’s Achilles injury, I always felt like there was hope. And you know what a pick this high brings? Hope. Miami, make the right pick.

 

Let me say now that this is the most important draft ever. Ever. This has the potential to really change the course of a franchise.

 

Do it for my son, Miami Dolphins. I want him to be as die hard a fan as I was when I was his age. When he goes out in his Dolphins gear, I don’t want him to be looked at strangely because young kids wearing Dolphins gear after years of irrelevance is such an oddity. Make the right pick and my son, I promise, will bleed aqua and orange like his old man. And if you’re worried, I can assuage your fears. My son already knows how to pronounce and spell TAGOVAILOA.

 

Dallas, Quarterman lead group of possible UM draftees

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The 2020 NFL Draft, barring any unforeseen changes, is expected to take place on April 23rd through the 25th. It’s going to be a little bit different this year as the draft is going to be held via phone and internet with every GM in the league basically having their IT setup within their own homes. In addition, Roger Goodell will be making all of the 1st-round picks announcements from his basement. 

 

Despite limited bowl success within the last 15 years or so, the University of Miami has been notoriously known for consistently pumping quality talent into the NFL in that same timespan and this year should be no different. Miami has eight players in the draft, although fans will be disappointed to hear that none of them will probably hear their names called within the first 4 rounds. Without further ado, here’s some info on which Canes could be selected, 

 

RB Deejay Dallas

 

Measurables: 5’10”, 217 lbs., 4.58 40-yard dash

Projected: 7th round 

 

Dallas decided to forego his senior year to enter the draft and he’s had a fairly productive career in Coral Gables. He finally earned the starting job in 2019 and finished with 265 carries for 1,527 rushing yards for 5.8 yards/carry. He’s been very reliable for the team and a very hard worker so it would not surprise me to hear his name called towards the latter end of the draft in a backup role. 

 

https://twitter.com/ACContent__/status/1248809459469688834?s=20

 

WR Jeff Thomas

 

Measurables: 5’9”, 170 lbs., 4.45 40-yard dash, 36.5” vertical jump 

Projected: UDFA

 

Like Dallas, the electrifying Thomas is also entering the draft early. Thomas finished his UM career with 83 catches for 1,316 yards and 8 touchdowns along with one touchdown off a punt return. He showed flashes of his speed and game-changing ability but was unable to develop consistency. In addition, off-the-field incidents still haunt him, marred by his decision to transfer in 2018 (he later off backtracked and returned to Miami) and a short suspension in 2019. Nevertheless, if things work out, Thomas could be productive in the slot and on special teams as a kick/punt returner.

 

https://twitter.com/RyderM25/status/1252316118556921857?s=20

 

WR KJ Osborn

 

Measurables: 5’11”, 203 lbs., 4.48 40-yard dash, 37.5” vertical, 123” broad jump

Projected: UDFA

 

Osborn was Miami’s best wideout in 2019 in terms of overall performance and consistency and joined the Canes as a grad transfer from Buffalo, immediately establishing his veteran presence once he entered the weight room. 2019 saw 50 catches for 547 yards and 5 touchdowns for KJ and proved to be the addition that coach Manny Diaz hoped he would become. He even served as Miami’s primary kick and punt returner. However, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com doesn’t expect him to get drafted but will most likely be picked up by a team afterwards.

 

https://twitter.com/KJ_Osborn/status/1213987843934175233?s=20

 

DE Jonathan Garvin

 

Measurables: 6’4”, 263 lbs., 4.82 40-yard dash, 36” vertical jump, 34” wingspan

Projected: 5th round

 

There’s a strong likelihood that “Spider” will be the first Cane off the board. Garvin was known for being very disruptive in the backfield and his biggest season came in 2018 when he finished with 60 total tackles, 17 tackles-for-loss, and 5.5 sacks. According to Zierlein, one big factor in determining Garvin’s longevity in the league will be his consistency, as his numbers did dip in 2019 (37 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks) but he can be tenacious and carries a great, long frame. Garvin will likely be the first Cane off the board. 

 

https://twitter.com/theACCDN/status/1252284645074493441?s=20

 

DE Trevon Hill

 

Measurables: 6’3”, 248 lbs., 4.89 40-yard dash, 32 ⅜” wingspan 

Projected: UDFA

 

Hill joined the Canes as a grad transfer from Virginia Tech and was known as a terror for the Hokies. He only started one game this past season but was still very productive off the edge, compiling 27 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss, and 4.5 sacks. Off-the-field concerns stemming from his dismissal at Virginia Tech along with his poor 40 time at the combine may ultimately prevent him from hearing his name called.

 

https://twitter.com/StatsGuyDaniel/status/1245146094499254273?s=20

 

LB Shaq Quarterman

 

Measurables: 6’0”, 234lbs., 4.74 40-yard dash, 31” vertical

Projected: 5th-6th round 

 

You can call Quarterman an “ironman” of sorts, as he played and started every game while at Miami. He’s always been a very consistent tackler and leader for the defense. His senior season happened to be his best season with the Canes, totaling 107 tackles with 15 tackles-for-loss. Quarterman has never had less than 82 tackles in a season so he is used to a high-volume workload. Zierlein predicts that he could be selected as early as the 5th round. 

 

https://twitter.com/anthonypupo_94/status/1252317648857292801?s=20

 

LB Mike Pinckney

 

Measurables: 5’11”, 235 lbs., 32 ⅜” wingspan 

Projected: 6th-7th round

 

Pinckney is in the same category as Quarterman in terms of his durability, just a slightly different position as he plays inside. His stats have been fairly consistent throughout his four years in Coral Gables, as his last three years saw him go from 11 to 12.5 tackles-for-loss while compiling at least 64 tackles in each season. However, Zierlein believes that scouts feel the same way but in a sense that he has not shown steady improvement since his freshman year. Pinckney could still hear his name called towards the end of the draft. 

 

https://twitter.com/canescutups/status/1195083709927452674?s=20

 

CB Trajan Bandy

 

Measurables: 5’8”, 180lbs., 4.5 40-yard dash, 29 ⅞” wingspan 

Projected: UDFA

 

You would probably won’t see that many cornerbacks played with as much grit, toughness, and energy as Mr. Bandy. Despite standing at only 5’9”, he’s been a very productive corner for Manny Diaz in his three years and became a starter by his sophomore year, where he earned 3rd-team All-ACC honors. Bandy’s career totaled 90 total tackles and four interceptions. Canes fans can’t forget when his lone pick-6 came during his freshman year against 3rd-ranked Notre Dame that probably made Hard Rock Stadium the loudest place on the planet for a minute. I can definitely see Bandy help a team in a nickel role but it would have been ideal if he had stayed at Miami for another season.

 

https://twitter.com/theACCDN/status/929780843110809600?s=20

 

Season Ticket: Hey Dolphins… Be the Heat

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So much noise. So much smoke. So much fluff.

So much guessing. So much reaching. So much lying.

So many questions.

And yet there are only two questions that truly matter, as the Miami Dolphins embark upon the three-day stretch that will likely define the next three years, if not decades. There are only two questions, to which the answers will determine whether the franchise continues to cling to stale memories that pre-date Richard Nixon’s resignation, or will finally rise above its own wreckage to something resembling relevance in a market. Relevance in a market that has mostly abandoned aqua and orange for White Hot and Back in Black. That has stashed No. 13 in its collective closet behind No. 3. That has flocked with greater consistency to a building where the home team actually, more than occasionally, wins — because it has created a culture of continuity, of stability and mostly, of never settling.

The first question?

Are they different — from the Dolphins we’ve known and grown to loathe? 

 

Dolphins fans are hoping Hawaiian born Tua Tagovailoa will be their quarterback next season. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Dolphins fans are hoping Hawaiian born Tua Tagovailoa will be their quarterback next season. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

It appears so.

They accomplished more in a 5-win season than in all the prior 7-9s combined.

They elevated and further empowered a man (Chris Grier) who was here for all the recent failures, though his role in many remains somewhat unclear. They conceived a plan, unpopular with many — including this writer, at times — to shed salaries and personalities who didn’t fit, either because their position and performance didn’t warrant a looming payday (Kenyan Drake), or didn’t buy into the process (Minkah Fitzpatrick), or simply because another team offered them too much to turn down (Laremy Tunsil), or because they simply weren’t at an age to offer what they had prior (Reshad Jones, Kiko Alonso). They stubbornly started a quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) ahead of a guy they spent a second-round pick (Josh Rosen) to acquire, even though they were criticized on both sides — by those who believed Fitzpatrick was worse in preseason (he was) and those who believed he was better and would cost draft slots (he did). They trusted a coach (Brian Flores) with no managerial experience, one who seemed to make missteps in his first preseason (Kenny Stills, Jay-Z playlist), and whose Takes No Talent approach could have struck his players as a wee bit offensive.

Dolphins

And it worked.

Just about all of it.

They started as one of the most embarrassing entries in NFL history, and somehow earned wins while shedding supposedly irreplaceable talent. They won 5 of their final 9, including handling a motivated Patriots squad in the season finale, while only dropping four draft spots from the best case scenario. They created a semblance of a, dare we say, culture that attracted a bevy of useful free agents, including an elite cornerback (Byron Jones), a linebacking leader (Kyle Van Noy) and a pass-rusher (Shaq Lawson) at market or below-market prices, the truest sign that players want to play for a coach and an organization — which, again, is something we typically say about the Miami Heat, not their struggling northern neighbors. And they stacked more chips to fill the cupboard and all the storage bins too — 14 picks, 5 in the first three rounds, plus enough additional selections the next two springs to allow for more than a couple mulligans.

So they answered the first question affirmatively.

They are different — or so it appears.

And that’s good.

Now here’s the second question, as it applies to the organization with which they sort of share the South Florida stage:

Can they be something closer to the same?

If you have spent any time around American Airlines Arena, or Miami Arena before that, there’s a phrase you hear more than any other, more than “winning or misery,” more than “adapt or die,” more than “we have enough,” more than “don’t let go of the rope,” more than “keep the main thing the main thing,” more than “the hardest-working, best conditioned, most professional, unselfish, toughest team in the NBA.”

“This is a championship organization.”

So how did it get that way?

Because that’s what it believes it is.

Because that’s what it knows matters.

Because Pat Riley made it that way.

“Pat never settles,” Erik Spoelstra often says.

Big, bold.

Boom, bust.

Usually boom, of course.

It wasn’t enough to inherit Glen Rice, already emerging as one of the sport’s elite shooters. Not when Alonzo Mourning, a sneering, shot-blocking centerpiece was sick of Charlotte. It wasn’t sufficient to supplement young exciting wings Lamar Odom and Caron Butler after they teamed with rookie Dwyane Wade for a surprising, exhilarating 2003-04 season. Not when a motivated Shaquille O’Neal could storm into town with his 18-wheeler, water gun and paint-filling presence. It wasn’t OK to hold on to Josh Richardson, a franchise find who became more than anyone anticipated, when Jimmy Butler declared his desire to follow Wade.

 

Safe doesn’t soar. Weak won’t win. Scared becomes scarred.Hoarders rarely prosper.

 

The Dolphins have, for what seems centuries, tried to find their Riley, the guy with the balls and the brains to set the agenda and tempo, to take the risks and the heat, to create a culture of accountability and consistency and mostly, certainty, that could survive more than a second or third season. Two owners, the late H. Wayne Huizenga and the snakebit Steve Ross, hired what many believed were the best and the brightest in the shadow of the Dolphins’ Riley, that icon Don Shula, whose legacy becomes greater with every laughable, aborted rebuild.

Jimmy Johnson, the man who shoved Shula aside, may have actually worked. He had the brains, balls , a little orange box… and a proven plan. But he left his heart in Texas, at his mother’s funeral and — after losing the public relations battle with Dan Marino — seemed to lose his spirit too. He brilliantly established the foundation, stacking up picks and mining later-round finds such as Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, but, after years of taking shots on troubled talents time after, acted out of timidity. He avoided the otherworldly Randy Moss. Johnson went to the Keys. Moss went to the Hall of Fame.

 

Then, after the Dolphins declined over time during the better-to-punt Dave Wannstedt era, even with onerisky play (the Ricky Williams trade) briefly, brilliantly paying off, they turned to the most coveted college coach in the land, to run everything. Problem was, Nick Saban was used to running college locker rooms, and college media contingents, and college recruiting rules, and not when something or the system pushed back, so he didn’t have total control. Then, in 2006, he and the Dolphins were presented the chance to go big and bold, but they were told that Drew Brees had a 25 percent chance of recovering from a traumatic shoulder injury, compared to 75 percent for Daunte Culpepper getting back to form from knee surgery. They chose safer, and wrong. Saban chose Alabama.

 

Cam Cameron? We’ll turn our thumbs that way on that one. But in 2008, Huizenga though he had his Riley facsimile, in Bill Parcells, a franchise tone-setter in three earlier stops, though some of that was overstated. But Parcells, unlike Riley, didn’t really want to get his hands dirty, other than nonsensically squabbling with Jason Taylor over, of all things, Dancing with the Stars. He was saving those hands for his golf clubs and filling out the daily racing form. Tough. Smart. Disciplined. That’s what was promised. Tony Sparano provided it for a while. But Parcells, given a parachute in that contract, high-tailed it out of town rather than tough it out.

 

That was 2011.

 

Since? We don’t like to talk about since. Well, the Heat do. The Dolphins don’t. What is there to say? The Dolphins have made some expensive moves (Ndamukong Suh comes to mind) but never the ones at the proper positions that made any sense. They settled at coach. Joe Philbin? Seriously?  They settled at quarterback… for seven years. They settled, settled, settled — as Riley’s Heat stole a generation, of young fans, of license plates, of the spotlight. And they seethed, or at least Ross did, taking not-so-subtle shots at the Heat after LeBron left.

 

Now, the Heat’s season, a resurgent, exciting one at that, is suspended.

 

Now, for a weekend, the Dolphins are the only game in town.

 

But the Heat should still be in their heads. In Ross’s head. In Grier’s head. And, though he’s not responsible for any of the slippage, in Flores’ head.

 

Go big.

 

Or go home.

 

Get your guy, the quarterback who can be your LeBron, your Wade, your Zo, your Shaq, your Jimmy, instead of being jealous that they all have played on Biscayne. Figure out the rest later.

Tua Tagovailoa announces that he will enter the NFL Draft.

Stop clutching extra picks like precious pearls. They are a means to an end, not the end. And if you need all of them in the future, even with so many already coming your way, that means you probably shouldn’t be in charge. You found Preston Williams without a draft pick, the way the Heat found Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson and so many others. Find some more.

 

But quarterback? Those are not easy to find. For that, you do whatever is necessary. And more. Always. That’s the lesson since Marino declined and retired.

 

Don’t wait for the quarterback you want most — whether Joe Burrow or preferably Tua Tagovailoa — to drop to you.

 

Go get him.

 

Whatever it requires.

 

Stop stressing about what happens if you take Tagovailoa — and his special feel, touch and leadership attributes – and his body breaks down as it did for the Crimson Tide.

 

Instead, consider what happens if you don’t.

 

The guy who wants to be here, and has made that abundantly clear, when so many players haven’t prioritized this franchise. The guy who was put in the most pressurized situation possible, by Saban of all people, the second half of a national championship game, and delivered the perfect passes to take the title. The guy who played Burrow, in the midst of one of the great statistical seasons in college football history, even while significantly hobbled. The guy who has the charisma to light this place on fire. The guy who can wait behind the ideal bridge, the intellectual and professional Fitzpatrick, unless his body and brain are totally ready. The guy who, over time, could be the Brees, the Russell Wilson for Miami, or maybe for the Patriots, perhaps ushering in another two decades of Dolphins depression.

 

The guy who could be Wade — whom the Heat drafted at No. 5 even though he had little cartilage left in his knees.

Yes, those knees ached and balked. Maybe even during the parades.

The guy who makes everything right.

 

Unless there’s a chronic problem with a particular body part, there’s little historical correlation between quarterback availability in college and in the pros. Quarterbacks get hurt. Randomly. Even the strongest. Carson Wentz didn’t have an injury history. He does now. Ryan Tannehill didn’t. Until he did. Brett Favre and Dan Marino struggled at times to stay healthy in college. They were two of the most durable quarterbacks in NFL history. So if the hip checks out, the risk is not to do this.  The opportunity cost would be worth more than the price of the pick. Or multiple picks.

 

And if it’s Burrow about whom you have the most conviction, so be it. Even if it costs even more. Whatever it costs. The alternative is always irrelevance.

 

So, stop saving assets for rainy days.

 

You’ve had 20 years of rainy days. Rainy, gloomy, nondescript days.

 

Time, at last, for some Heat.

 

******

Ethan J. Skolnick, the CEO of Five Reasons Sports, has covered the Heat, Dolphins and other South Florida teams since 1996. Nearly all of the playoff games he’s covered have been Heat games. 

Larry Blustein on Jeudy, other South Florida NFL Draft Prospects

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It would be tough to duplicate the 2019 NFL Draft for south Florida – when five players from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties showcased why this area of the country is like no other.

 

When Nick Bosa (Ohio State-St. Thomas Aquinas) went second to the 49ers, Devin Bush (Michigan-Flanagan) was the 10th selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brian Burns (FSU-Plantation American Heritage) was the 16th pick of the Carolina Panthers, receiver Marquise Brown (Oklahoma-Chaminade-Madonna) went 25th to the Baltimore Ravens and cornerback Deondre Baker (Georgia-Miami Northwestern) was the 30th selection of the Giants, it set a record for anywhere in the nation. One that will be hard to break.

 

As we were now just days away from the NFL Draft, area prospects are starting to surface, and while the early indication has maybe two players from the #305 and #954 going in the first round, there are several impressive football players that are expected to be drafted – or perhaps considered as coveted free agent signings.

 

With the next few college classes loaded with south Florida talent, here is a look at some of the players you could see in this year’s draft:

 

C.J. Henderson, DB (Florida – Christopher Columbus). Leaving a year early, here is one of those impressive football players who will go in the middle of Day 1.

 

It seems like it was only yesterday when he won the fastest man contest at Coach Al Golden’s University of Miami Camp as a sophomore receiver/defensive back.

 

Jerry Jeudy, WR (Alabama – Deerfield Beach). Perhaps the first local player who will land in the NFL, joining so many other local players from south Florida, who made an impact at the University of Alabama.

 

Wasn’t it just yesterday that he was in 8th grade and played a huge role in the 7-on-7 season, quickly turning heads and showing the nation that another star was indeed born.

 

In addition, there are some other prospects that figure to be in the mix this year as well – with many of them still turning heads at the combine and then during pro workout days at their colleges:

 

Damon Arnette, DB (Ohio State – St. Thomas Aquinas). Quality talent who truly made a major impression for the Buckeyes this season.

 

Trajan Bandy, DB (Miami – Christopher Columbus). Leaving school early, this is someone who may land on some roster on Day 3 – or perhaps as a free agent.

 

Buckshot Calvert, QB – (Liberty University – Carol City). The all-time leading passer in school history may not get drafted, but has the ability to turn heads in camps and stick somewhere.

 

Nevelle Clarke, CB (UCF – Coral Springs Taravella). Solid football players who has been under the radar since high school. Keep your eye on this amazing talent. He will end up on someone’s roster.

 

Jeremiah Dinson, S (Auburn – Hialeah American). Big time football talent who showcased plenty of skills in college.

 

Tyler Huntley, QB (Utah – Hallandale). If anyone knows anything about the game and how to evaluate, this young man ends up on some roster and will make a difference.

 

Sage Lewis, OLB (FIU – Monsignor Pace). All he’s done over the past three years is make plays – and there is no getting around the fact that he is a draftable prospect.

 

Josh Metellus, S (Michigan – Flanagan). Talk about someone who has been hidden, go ahead and put his film in and you will see what everyone has been missing.

 

Zack Moss, RB (Utah – Hallandale). If you are looking for a durable back who could be the best coming out in this draft, here is who you take. Only the all-time leading rusher in the storied history of Utah.

 

James Pierre, DB (FAU – Deerfield Beach). When he was in high school he was underrated, and as he comes into the draft, he is still a talent that is flying way beneath the radar.

 

Stanford Samuels III, DB (FSU – Flanagan). From the time anyone can remember, he was making a difference, and while he left early from school, he has a chance to prove a lot of people wrong. Great ball skills.

 

Demari Simpkins, WR (Utah – Hallandale). One of the many playmakers who has been slept on way too long – and for that reason – if he is given a chance, watch out!

 

Darnell Solomon, WR (USF – Miami Central). If he can get it all together, this is someone who showed flashes early on at Hollywood Hills, made a major impact at Champagnat Catholic and finished things off at Central. Needs to make football a priority.

 

Jason Strowbridge, DE (North Carolina – Deerfield Beach). From the time he left high school, this is someone who has been making a major impact at the college level, and no doubt he will be playing this game for a long time.

 

Josh Uche, LB (Michigan – Christopher Columbus). Smart, productive and a big time player, who has the chance to be very special for a long time in the NFL. Many teams should be on him – fast!

 

Binjimin Victor, WR (Ohio State – Coconut Creek). May not have been the overall difference maker that many felt he would be, but leave no doubt, the talent is there and he can be very effective at the next level.

 

There are other prospects from south Florida who also have the chance to turn heads – in the NFL, , CFL or in any of the arena leagues.

 

Have anything to add to this or would like to ask Larry Blustein a question about prospects – this year or in the future – send him a message at: Floridakids1@aol.com. Follow on Twitter or Facebook: @larryblustein, Instagram: OurBoyBlu or checkout out his website: www.larryblustein.com.

 

Tua Tagovailoa Quarterback Tracker

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Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, there is no player more polarizing than Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. And after a season that saw many fans screaming Tank For Tua!  The Dolphins are now in prime position to land the talented QB prospect. Yes, there are plenty of other potential QBs Miami could target at #5, #18, or #26–but Tua Tagovailoa is the one. 

Here’s everything you need to know about the future QB of the Miami Dolphins.

Biography

Born: March 2nd, 1998

Height: 6’0

Weight: 217 lbs.

Hometown: Ewa Beach, Hawaii

Nickname: The Left Arm of God

College Statistics

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If you have any information that you think would be useful for this tracker, please reach out to me at @houtz.

And if you would like to purchase the official 5 Reasons Sports Tankovailoa shirt, click HERE

In Tagovailoa We Trust

Alabama Athletics

THE EXTRA YARD: FINAL MOCK DRAFT

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Here is the Final Mock Draft of the series, (Not allowing for trades) as the Miami Dolphins set out to dominate the 2020 NFL Draft by shear volume of picks. Trade up to #3? Trade up from #18 to get that much needed Tackle? All distinct possibilities. For now, we are beginning to settle on some truths, and the likely needs they will fill in round 1. It’s all about the Quarterback, Offensive Line, and the Ball carrier to help both, or could they wait till #39 to take their Back and go get the Safety in the first round?

Here is the view of the 1st round from one third of the Trio that makes up the Three Yards per Carry Podcast:

1. BENGALS – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

There has been rumors and innuendo of Burrow not wanting to go to Cincinnati, but all of that got put to rest at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Bengals get a “local” boy to lead the franchise for the foreseeable future.

2. REDSKINS – Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

New Head Coach Ron Rivera gets his Julius Peppers. The clear cut best defensive prospect goes to a team in desperate need of a reset, and all the rumors of a QB being taken at #2 to compete with Dwayne Haskins prove to be head fakes designed to entice a team into unloading a haul of assets to get up to #2.

3. LIONS – Jeff Okudah, CB,Ohio State

I originally had Isaiah Simmons going here, but with the trade of Darius Slay, drafting the best CB prospect of the last 3 drafts is elementary. Okudah plays right away and excels. Matt Patricia’s defense is much improved this offseason already, and gets a further boost here at #3.

4. GIANTS – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

I was tempted to put any one of three Tackles in Wirfs, Becton or Thomas here, so I went with Andrew Thomas who was for the better part of the last 18 months the near consensus top Left Tackle prospect for the 2020 draft. Nate Solder’s stint as the LT for Big Blue comes to an end soon, due to price tag and age (he is 32 years old), and Andrew Thomas steps right in.

5. DOLPHINS – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

The worst kept secret anywhere. For the better part of two years, the Miami Dolphins have committed considerable resources to the pacific northwest contingent at QB (Herbert, Love) but with a keen eye on what is going on in Alabama. No secret they like him, and would take him here. Had it not been for Tua’s hip injury, he was a serious consideration at #1. Tagovailoa is not particularly athletic, and does nto posses a rocket arm. What he does have is uncanny anticipation, football smarts, and great intangibles that have traditionally translated well to the NFL.

6. CHARGERS – Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

Jordan Love here made a little sense due to rumor, and all the takes coming out of #DraftTwitter, but I’ll just go with the older consensus that Herbert was a top 3 QB prospect and the Chargers get theirs here at #6.

7. PANTHERS – Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

This team is essentially starting over and Matt Rhule needs a leader on his defense. I can make an argument for Simmons being the best defensive player in this draft, and getting him at #7 is a gift. Newly minted at #7, this is a great beginning on the big rebuilding job being undertaken in Carolina.

8. CARDINALS – Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama

The Cardinals just finished locking up their young LT, D.J. Humphries to a 3 year $45 Million extension, and now they get a versatile tackle (capable of spot duty as the LT) for the right side. Wills would theoretically complete a solid pass blocking book end tandem for 2nd year starter Kyler Murray.

9. JAGUARS – Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

The complete makeover of the Jags defense continues. This time with a mammoth Defensive Tackle to compliment edge standout from the 2019 Draft, Josh Allen. This is a pretty good 2 year start on a makeover of what was once a talent laden defense.

10. BROWNS -Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

Browns have been rumored to be in on any of about 4 different Tackle prospects, and this is as good a fit as any. With their previous LT Greg Robinson facing Free Agency and possible jail time, Becton falls nicely to the Browns at #10 to play LT while Jack Conklin slides right in at RT. Nice book ends.

11. JETS – Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

The Jets are in desperate need of Offensive line help, and get what many consider the best Right Tackle prospect in this draft. Wirfs can be a catalyst in the run game with Leveon Bell still being there for 2nd year HC Adam Gase.

12. RAIDERS – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

The Raiders were much improved in 2019, but the disaster that was the WR corp. after the Antonio Brown debacle gets remedied by a guy that can do it all. Lamb will be a welcome addition for Derek Carr, or..Marcus Mariota?

13. 49ERS (via COLTS) -CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

How do you keep a position of strength from deteriorating due to age, departures? You inject new talent. The talent injections into San Francisco continue this year with a physical, athletic corner adept at man coverage, with good playmaking ability in zone.

14. BUCCANEERS – Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina

The Bucs have a lot of the elements for a successful offense already in house, and I believe Arians just added Tom Brady to run the entire show. On defense, Devin White, Shaquil Barrett (he is a FA), Vita Vea and now Kinlaw to pair with Vea up front is a helluva start on improving what is an underrated defense.

15. BRONCOS – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

Broncos continue their hot streak of finding offensive talent after unearthing undrafted Free Agent Phillip Lindsay, and drafting WR Courtland Sutton, OT Dalton Risner and TE Noah Fant. 2nd year QB Drew Lock gets even more help in Jeudy. Good looking and young offense, being built in Denver.

16. FALCONS – K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

The Falcons need a lot of help on defense, and after taking two offensive linemen in Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary in the 2019 draft, they turn their attention and resources to the defense with their 2020 1st round pick. An Edge player like Chaisson fits the bill.

17. COWBOYS – Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

The Cowboys are in dire salary cap straits this offseason as all world CB Byron Jones leaves for Miami, Robert Quinn is gone to Chicago, and Randall Cobb goes to the Texans. This team suddenly has holes, and none bigger than at corner back. In Kristian Fulton, the cowboys get a highly intelligent, twitchy, speedy corner, adept at man to man coverage. In Fulton, the Cowboys soften the blow of losing Byron Jones.

18. DOLPHINS – Josh Jones, OT, Houston

The Dolphins brought in edge players, an all world CB in Byron Jones, and sprinkled in interior line help. They are severly lacking at Tackle and the run on tackles makes them a bit nervous, and they snap up Josh Jones out of fear, here at #18. Yes, the blind side is the RT. But free rushers right into your face as a left handed QB can be a bit distracting. Jones is a skilled, sleek, “Tunsil like” Lineman. He can be your left tackle for 10 years. You gotta do it.

19. RAIDERS – Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

The first WOW moment of the draft. The rumblings surrounding the Raiders and Tom Brady were loud enough where you gotta think that Derek Carr’s job isn’t all that safe. The upside for Love is immense and a QB guru (or somebody that fancies himself a QB guru) like Jon Gruden would love to work with a prospect such as this.

20. JAGUARS – Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

Justin Jefferson joins DJ Chark to form a “all LSU” WR Tandem, and Chris Conley to form a pretty good WR group. Gardner Minshew gets more help with the trade of Nick Foles clearing the deck for the 2nd year QB.

21. EAGLES – Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

The Eagles have serious issues in the secondary due to possible defections and injury, so it makes sense that they take what most consider, the best safety on the board. Many options for the Eagles here, but they save corner for later rounds and make sure their safety group is squared away with McKinney, and maybe…Rodney McLeod? (with the exodus of Malcolm Jenkins).

22. VIKINGS (via BILLS) – Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

With the trade of Stefon Diggs, the Vikings have weakened what was a position of strength last year. They replenish the position with the Clemson standout to go with All Pro Adam Thielen. Kirk Cousins returns, and he returns to a healthier offensive line, and little turnover on his skill guys save for the trade of Diggs. This pick softens that blow.

23. PATRIOTS – Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia

With Tom Brady gone, do the Patriots package a bunch of picks to move up and take one of the top prospects at Qb? No. Not enough assets. The Patriots and Belichick are arrogant enough to think that they can just get a highly intelligent QB, adapt him to their system and move on. They may be right. They could be galactically wrong. But they are gonna try. Fromm is the perfect, consummate game manager with some sneaky arm talent that shows up from time to time. Patriots target, and land their QB of the foreseeable future.

24. SAINTS – Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

The new breed of Hybrid, do everything, sideline to sideline, linebacker makes his way right down the road to New Orleans, at a desperate position of need for a team that still has an open Super Bowl window.

25. VIKINGS – Antoine Winfield, S, Minnesota

How much sense does this make? A Winfield and Harrison Smith Safety tandem is pretty attractive. He played at Minnesota. His father was a 3x Pro Bowler at Corner for these very Vikings. What a match.

26. DOLPHINS – Grant Delpit, S, LSU

The Dolphins, for months, have been tied to a running back (Dobbins, Taylor, Swift, Edwards-Helaire) late in the first round, but further examination sees another position of need (Safety) thinning out, and a top prospect falling to them in Delpit. They go get their RB at #39.

27. SEAHAWKS – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

The Seahawks have tried a lot of different things to “solve” the RB position, including using a 1st round pick on Rashaad Penny a couple years back. Taylor is a very nice addition to a pretty stacked skill position group.

28. RAVENS – D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

What do you give the team that has everything? How bout shore up that RB position on the best running team (mostly Lamar Jackson) in pro football? As time goes by, Lamar will run less out of self preservation, so it would be nice to have aback like Swift to take the reigns from an aging Mark Ingram.

29. TITANS – Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Titans already have a sledgehammer run game, (Henry is a FA however), and a superstar in the making at WR in A.J. Brown. Ruggs would compliment this group perfectly, especially since good deep ball thrower (never thought you would hear that right?) Ryan Tannehill returns.

30. PACKERS – Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado

So many ways you can go here. Packers have aging Tackles, and can use interior linebacker /Safety help. But we are in Aaron Rodgers last stand and run at another Super Bowl, and this is a tempting pairing. Shenault, to go with Davante Adams gives Rodgers an imposing pair of pass catchers. Super Bowl or bust for the Packers. This pick reflects that.

31. 49ERS – Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

The run on WR’s hurts what would likely be a target for the 49ers in this spot. So they go BPA, and double up at cornerback. Bryce Hall as late as a year ago, was considered the #2 ranked CB prospect according to many. This is not overkill in the sense that Hall could redshirt a year, and be ready for 2021 as some, including Richard Sherman (he is a UFA in 21′) leave. An ankle injury clouded Hall’s future and drops him to #31 to a very lucky defending NFC Champions.

32. CHIEFS – Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

The defending champs are a bit thin in the secondary, but thinner yet at linebacker. Having Murray drop to them at the bottom of the first round is rather fortunate. Immediate day 1 starter at #32 for the Chiefs.

 

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.