Alabama Athletics

How to build the 2020 Miami Dolphins: NFL Draft

/0 Comments/in /by

If you’ve just clicked on this because you’re curious as to my draft plans, welcome. If you’re joining me from my lengthy free agency plan, welcome back. The 2020 Miami Dolphins will be a blank slate in many regards. After a spending spree for the ages, Miami is recharged and ready for action in 2020. However, are they ready to compete for a Super Bowl? Stephen Ross wants Super Bowls, lots of them.

“What you want and what I want, is really sustained winning seasons and having an organization that is used to winning, because that’s what people in Miami expect.” Ross said back in December. “That’s what the fans want and the fans deserve. Basically, the thought is we’re going to look to really build this organization based on our needs and if it takes a year or so – two years, three years – we’re going to be there and we’re going to be an organization.”

That’s all well and good, but one free agency is not enough to build a contender. This team is going to be built through the draft. It will succeed or fail based on how the draft picks of the next two seasons and beyond develop. So with the abundance of draft picks at their disposal, who do the 2020 Miami Dolphins select?

This mock draft is from Fanspeak and is based on the difficult algorithm with Fanspeak’s most up to date draft board and draft positions as of September 25, 2019. Of course, things will change as the season progresses, but that’s the fun of it all, isn’t it? So as of Week 3 of the 2019 season, this is what I managed to come up with. If you feel a certain player won’t be available at the position they’re taken in, then blame the algorithm.

2020 Miami Dolphins Draft

Round 1, 1st overall  – Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

There are some of you reading this now and thinking to yourself, “but this guy hates Tua! Why would he pick him?”

First of all, as I’ve made it clear already, I don’t hate Tua Tagovailoa. I hate the hype that is surrounding him through no fault of his own. More on that here. It would be foolish to pretend that Tua doesn’t bring something special to the table, otherwise fans of several QB needy teams wouldn’t be fighting over him. In just four games this year, Tua has completed 87 passes on 112 attempts, amounting to a stunning 77.7 completion percentage.

His other stats? 1,300 yards, 17 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Zero. Interceptions. And, to make that 17 touchdown stat even more impressive, he only has a total of 25 incomplete passes so far. That’s unheard of.

Tua isn’t the consensus top QB of 2020 yet. There are some holding out hope for the likes of Justin Herbert, Jake Fromm or Jordan Love. Perhaps, the Dolphins will draft one of them when the time comes. There’s no way to know their plans until they come to fruition. But based on hype and the production on the field, there’s no question who would fill the most seats in 2020. Tua is scarily accurate, can anticipate throws, has a terrific arm, and he even makes highlight runs from time to time (which led to my erroneous assumption that Tua was a running QB).

There are only two real question marks regarding Tua at this point: What will he do when he goes from Alabama to a more depleted team in Miami, and can he stay healthy? The latter is a more pressing concern than the former. Tua’s been banged up throughout his collegiate career, and the Dolphins are notorious for putting sub-par offensive lines on the field. However, should they follow my offseason plan, that will not be an issue. Tua has a very good chance of becoming the best QB in Miami since Dan Marino.

Maybe he’ll even surpass him someday.

So after drafting Tua, the QB room looks like this:

  1. Tua Tagovailoa
  2. Josh Rosen
  3. Jake Rudock

If that’s how Miami’s room is going to look, then there’s no reason not to be optimistic. Rosen still has something to be developed, and at worst he’s a top level backup QB. As our own Chris Kouffman once said, QBs are like gold. If you have two good ones, it’s like money in the bank. That’s Miami.

Round 1, 11th overall – EDGE Chase Young

Somehow, the consensus top pass rusher in the draft fell all the way to 11, right into the hands of the Dolphins. Once again, bear in mind, Miami’s draft position changes every week. This is what came about based on what was available at the time on Fanspeak.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected EDGE A.J. Epenesa first, leaving Young for the taking as the other teams ahead of Miami shored up their OL, WR corps, and secondary. Paired with Yannick Ngakoue, Young turns Miami’s pass rush situation from desperate to dangerous. His production is amazing, and respected evaluators like Matt Miller go as far as to say he would have been the best pass rusher in last year’s draft class too. Keep in mind, that draft featured amazingly talented pass rushers like Nick Bosa, Josh Allen, Brian Burns, and Clelin Ferrell. So saying Young would be the best of them all is a remarkable statement.

Young can rush with his hand in the dirt or standing up, and he still has room to improve even as talented as he is. He’s explosive off the ball, can force turnovers, and can even provide some shallow spying if necessary. He can do more than just run towards the quarterback. Some more coaching and development on his pass rush moves, practice on using his moves rather than trying to use brute strength when engaged with blockers, and Young will be the perfect specimen.

On a lesser note, he would finally break Miami’s curse of drafting bust pass rushers. No more Charles Harris or Dion Jordan debacles. Even if Young doesn’t turn into Cameron Wake in his rookie season, there’s a good chance he becomes top tier as time goes on. That’s enough to pull the trigger.

So here’s the DE/EDGE lineup if the plan goes as projected:

  1. Yannick Ngakoue
  2. Chase Young
  3. Charles Harris
  4. Taco Charlton
  5. Robert Nkemdiche
  6. Jonathan Ledbetter
  7. Dewayne Hendrix

Obviously they can’t all be kept, but that’s an impressive lineup of names. If even one or two of them pan out or revive themselves, the Dolphins pass rush is in good hands. Then it’ll be even better when Cameron Wake returns for his farewell tour.

A man can dream.

Round 1, 24th overall – Alabama WR Henry Ruggs III

This season is all about giving Miami’s new franchise QB all the help he can get. Familiarity and chemistry go a long way for young QBs, and drafting Ruggs is the perfect way to give Tua a security blanket he can count on early in his career. Ruggs is a ridiculously fast player. Like, 4.2 40-yard dash type fast. To put it in perspective, he would outrun Jakeem Grant without even breaking a sweat.

But speed isn’t all he’s about. He has the ability to leap up and make contested catches, is solid catching the football, and has elite level body control in the air. He’s everything a team could want in a wide receiver.

If there’s only one knock on Ruggs at this point, it’s that his route running sometimes leaves something to be desired. Back when Jakeem Grant was just starting out, coaches told him to slow down because his speed was throwing him off. The same goes for Ruggs. If a coach can sit him down and teach him to realize when full speed is and isn’t to his benefit so he can run his routes properly, there’s no telling what kind of ceiling he could reach.

With the addition of Ruggs, and the signing of Amari Cooper to go with Albert Wilson, Preston Williams and Jakeem Grant, Miami’s WR corps is deadly. Tua could throw it anywhere on the field, and the potential of a big play would be there. However, there is a downside.

Recall the level of investment I put into free agent signings on the offensive line. Anthony Castanzo isn’t there just because. He’s there because with this draft plan, the 2020 Miami Dolphins don’t invest a top pick into an offensive lineman to replace Laremy Tunsil at left tackle. As a left handed QB, right tackle is more important for Tua anyway, but that’s a different story.

The OL for 2020 would be: Castanzo, a left guard to be named, Michael Deiter, Brandon Scherff, and Jesse Davis. Not bad, but who’s the left guard if Deiter is playing center? We will get to that, stay tuned.

So the WR corps as it stands would be:

  1. Amari Cooper
  2. Henry Ruggs III
  3. Albert Wilson
  4. Preston Williams
  5. Jakeem Grant

The top five spots would be locked in at that point, and there’s no doubt Isaiah Ford will be in the mix to try and earn a sixth slot. He’s on the active roster now after Danny Isidora landed on injured reserve, so this could very well be his best chance to audition.

Round 2, 33rd overall – Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons

Now is the part where you’re probably wondering why an offensive lineman still hasn’t been taken. Simply put, Simmons is too promising to let slide. He can rush the passer, he can cover from the slot, there’s very little he can’t do on the football field. Truly, a Swiss army knife. Sound familiar?

Parting ways with Minkah Fitzpatrick removes a key piece of Miami’s defense. Versatility was what made him so valuable. After he put up a fight about moving around and refused to go along with it, the Dolphins traded him for a first round pick, that turned into Chase Young. Simmons takes Fitzpatrick’s place as the chess piece all over the field.

So what’s the catch? According to evaluators, Simmons’ main problem is that he has a bad habit of launching himself at defenders instead of wrapping them up. In the NFL, that’s not going to fly, especially with how strict referees are about helmet to helmet contact. Simmons also has to learn some extra nuances when it comes to his technique. But make no mistake, Simmons has an insanely high ceiling. If Brian Flores is even half the mastermind everyone assumes he is, Simmons will find a role somewhere. Maybe Christian Wilkins can even offer some insight on what makes him tick.

There’s no position listing for him. Let’s just call him a DW for now. Defensive Weapon. The NFL can’t stop us from calling him that.

Round 2, 47th overall – Georgia OG Solomon Kindley

At last, a guard. Rejoice, trench lovers. Solomon Kindley from Georgia is an absolute mauler at left guard. His size, strength and punch at the snap make him an impressive specimen that should, in theory, be a plug-in starter. Of course, knowing the Dolphins luck, there’s no telling for sure. Until then, we can appreciate Kindley as being a nasty, extremely strong prospect that is a key piece of the Georgia offensive line.

One of the only criticisms of Kindley is more along the lines of nitpicking his frame. Becoming a tiny bit leaner would help his overall athleticism, but it takes something special to challenge Quinnen Williams, which Kindley did in the 2018 SEC Championship Game. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was enough to show he had plenty of potential. If he ends up lasting this long into the NFL draft, the 2020 Miami Dolphins would be very fortunate.

So with Kindley hopefully locking down the left guard position, this is what the offensive line would look like.

LT – Anthony Castanzo
LG – Solomon Kindley
C – Michael Deiter
RG – Brandon Scherff
RT – Jesse Davis/Isaiah Prince

If that isn’t enough to keep Tua protected, what would be?

Round 3, 65th overall – Alabama OL Alex Leatherwood

This is the third Alabama player selected by the 2020 Miami Dolphins so far. Nevertheless, this selection is more of an attempt to hedge bets and make sure that one way or another, the offensive line is taken care of. Leatherwood can play both guard and tackle, which makes him versatile. As has been noted more than once, versatility is incredibly important to Miami. Leatherwood could easily become the backup to Castanzo and perhaps even start after the veteran departs, or he could compete with Kindley for the rights to start at left guard. Either way, the Dolphins have finally solved their guard problem.

Leatherwood is strong, athletic, and has a terrific first step. His familiarity with Tua and how he likes to play quarterback also gives him an inside edge. His technique is not perfect, yet. He’s a little sloppy at times. But make no mistake, Leatherwood can easily step in and make an impact. If either he or Kindley pan out, then Miami’s offensive line is set. There can be no room for error on this line if Tua is to have a bright future.

Round 3, 105th overall – Alabama CB Trevon Diggs

And the third round compensatory pick gifted by the departure of Ja’Wuan James gives the 2020 Miami Dolphins their fourth player this draft from Alabama. Yes, there is a pattern. But one cannot deny that with Alabama routinely being kings of the hill in college football, that elite level of coaching from Nick Saban and company has churned out talent on a regular basis. Cornerback Trevon Diggs is just another of those players.

What makes Diggs interesting is that he started out at Alabama as a wide receiver, just like his older brother Stefon Diggs. However, Trevon Diggs made the transition to defense and became a cornerback as well. He played both positions for a while before settling on defense.

Another former Dolphins parallel, Miami drafted Tony Lippett in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He too started out as a wide receiver, but the Dolphins wanted to use him as a corner. So began the long experiment to transition him from offense to defense. It never panned out for Lippett, who is now a free agent, but Diggs is making a much smoother shift.

Diggs is what one would describe as a “long” cornerback. He’s confident in press coverage, and his wide receiver instincts means going up for the football to make interceptions should be easy as pie for him. He can also handle off man coverage as well. Many consider off man coverage to be one of the most difficult things for an NFL corner to do, so for Diggs to have potential in that regard bodes well for him.

With the proper coaching, Diggs could easily become a solid NFL cornerback. Durability is something to watch for, however, as he’s returning from a broken foot injury that ended his 2018 season. With Diggs, that gives Miami a cornerback stable that looks like this:

  1. Xavien Howard
  2. Byron Jones
  3. Bobby McCain
  4. Eric Rowe
  5. Cordrea Tankersley
  6. Trevon Diggs
  7. Jomal Wiltz
  8. Chris Lammons
  9. Ken Webster

Not a bad lineup if this is how it looks. Diggs will have time to develop while Howard and Jones keep the boundary spots on lockdown. Perhaps, he can eventually take over for Bobby McCain in the slot.

Round 5, 156th overall – South Florida TE Mitchell Wilcox

The Dolphins gave up their last fourth round pick when they made the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. So Miami takes a break for a round and waits until the fifth round to get another shot at making a selection. With this pick, the Dolphins select a tight end out of South Florida in Mitchell Wilcox. They already have Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe, and they brought back Nick O’Leary. However, they could use another player at that position, and Wilcox brings some promising traits to the table.

Standing in at 6’5″, 245 pounds, Wilcox is a versatile player (there’s that word again) who can line up in the slot, the backfield, pretty much wherever he’s needed. Much like Gesicki, however, Wilcox isn’t much of a blocker as a tight end. Wilcox is best suited to act as competition for Gesicki as a seam threat. As it stands, Wilcox is now the USF record holder for touchdowns in a career with seven. That number could still go up too.

There are a couple of red flags with Wilcox. Number one, his route running isn’t as crisp as a pass-catching tight end should have. Number two, he sometimes makes mental errors that result in drops rather than easy catches. Players have to remember to catch the ball before they turn to run up the field. Wilcox struggles with that at times.

All things considered, as a fifth round pick, the 2020 Miami Dolphins aren’t investing too much into Wilcox. Best case scenario, he somehow beats out Gesicki and becomes Miami’s primary seam threat. Worst case scenario? Well, he can’t be any more disappointing than Gesicki has been so far.

Tight end lineup:

  1. Mike Gesicki
  2. Durham Smythe
  3. Nick O’Leary
  4. Mitchell Wilcox

Surely some camp bodies will be thrown into the mix. Chris Myarick is still sitting pretty on the Dolphins practice squad, and he was fairly impressive with the third string units. Wilcox may not be the answer at tight end, but he has the potential to provide an overall upgrade, however small.

Round 5, 178th overall – Ohio State CB Damon Arnette

This is one of those best player available situations. Damon Arnette isn’t an elite athlete. In fact, he isn’t even impressive by any physical standards. What he does have going for him, however, is his cerebral ability. He can play in the slot or on the boundary, and he uses his technique and excellent ability to be in the right place at the right time to make up for his lack of supreme athletic ability.

So why should the 2020 Miami Dolphins bother drafting someone who isn’t all that fast or strong? Again, his cerebral capability and versatility makes him a valuable asset. Consider what the New England Patriots pride themselves on: Fundamentals, execution, knowing where to be at any given moment. That fits Arnette to a tee.

With the secondary being a point of emphasis for the Dolphins defense, finding the best players possible to fill out that group for when they go into dime and even quarters formations should be a priority. Worst case scenario, Arnette could be a key special teams player for Miami.

Lineup now:

  1. Xavien Howard
  2. Byron Jones
  3. Bobby McCain
  4. Eric Rowe
  5. Cordrea Tankersley
  6. Trevon Diggs
  7. Jomal Wiltz
  8. Chris Lammons
  9. Ken Webster
  10. Damon Arnette

Cordrea Tankersley may not make it onto the 2020 roster due to injury concerns and perhaps talent deficiency. Webster, Lammons and Wiltz will all be on the bubble with a blank slate. This is a position that needs any and all investment possible.

Round 6, 179th overall – Washington RB Salvon Ahmed

The Dolphins drafted running back Myles Gaskin in 2019. Now, Miami revisits Washington to get their hands on Gaskin’s former teammate Salvon Ahmed, who sat behind Gaskin for two years. The reasoning behind this pick is very simple. He’s a speedy, dangerous player who can weave through crowded fields with the ball in his hands. In essence, he’s here to try and replace the departing Kenyan Drake.

On top of that, Ahmed has some returning capability. That gives Jakeem Grant some competition in that department. Given Grant’s struggles to hang onto the football so far in 2019, it may not be a bad idea to give him some legitimate competition.

With the addition of Ahmed, the 2020 Miami Dolphins running back lineup is as follows:

  1. Kalen Ballage
  2. Mark Walton
  3. Patrick Laird
  4. Myles Gaskin
  5. Salvon Ahmed

Ahmed doesn’t project to be able to break as many tackles as Drake does, but he has the same speed and agility as Drake. It won’t be a one-to-one replacement, but Ahmed can fill most of the void left by Drake as a gimmick player.

Round 6, 209th overall – Oklahoma QB Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts handled his uprooting at Alabama with class, but he ultimately transferred to Oklahoma so he could keep playing after Tua Tagovailoa transformed into a superstar. Hurts isn’t earning as much national spotlight, but he’s in the running for the 2019 Heisman Trophy.

Unlike Tua, however, Hurts truly is a running quarterback. While he made some big throws at Alabama and now in Oklahoma, his best trait is his ability to run with the ball. Miami drafts him to compete for the QB job. If he shows enough to be a good backup, the 2020 Miami Dolphins could trade Josh Rosen for further draft capital for the 2021 season. If he shows potential but struggles, he gets stashed on the practice squad.

Once again, quarterbacks are as good as gold in the NFL. Hurts being in the running for the Heisman means there must be something there to develop. With all the picks Miami has, doubling down on quarterback is a no-brainer. Tua is the future of the franchise, but teams that have an abundance of quarterbacks can easily accumulate draft picks. This sets them up to do just that as Hurts battles it out with Rosen and Rudock.

Round 7, 245th overall – Clemson DT Nyles Pinckney

The final pick of the 2020 Miami Dolphins incredibly eventful draft. Best player available, another Clemson defensive lineman who essentially was stuck sitting behind Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence last season. He has excellent hustle, he can stand his ground when double-teamed, he’s a very strong man.


He lacks some length, but the biggest knock against him is that there’s limited tape on him. He was a key role player when Wilkins, Lawrence and Clelin Ferrell were at Clemson, but being a backup to star players like that doesn’t offer many chances to show off. Perhaps there’s more to him than anyone realizes, perhaps there isn’t. If he rises up draft boards as the season progresses, that will be telling.

So with all that said, the lineup at defensive tackle would be as follows:

  1. Davon Godchaux
  2. Christian Wilkins
  3. Danny Shelton
  4. Nyles Pinckney
  5. Jamiyus Pittman
  6. Gerald Willis

Not everyone will stick around, obviously. But this is more than sufficient competition.

That brings us to the end of this incredibly lengthy offseason two-parter. If you’ve managed to read through all of this, then I once again applaud you for your commitment. This plan gives the Dolphins a fighting chance to win in 2020 and beyond, if they’re willing to be this aggressive. The offensive line is fixed, the WR corps is bolstered, the defense is replenished; on paper this team is far beyond anything they’ve fielded in the past few years.

But until it happens, it’s all speculative. Just like Madden, however, that doesn’t stop it from being fun. With any luck, the Dolphins have a plan similar to the one that’s been laid out, and 2019 will be the only year that fans will have to sit through a miserable tanking season like this. Winning will come, if they can execute.

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

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *