Miami Dolphins drafted poorly according to everyone
By Brian Miller
When the Miami Dolphins finished their draft, the universal thought from the majors was that they failed miserably and blew their draft.
From NFL.com to USAToday the Dolphins draft was panned. For one reason and one reason only. They all got it wrong. The media doesn’t like it when they think a team should do one thing and they do another.
The Miami Dolphins did not draft a quarterback despite the fact they duped everyone into believing that they would. The Dolphins are riding Ryan Tannehill and his surgically repaired knee so they drafted poorly.
In the above mentioned USA Today piece, the Dolphins dropped from 23rd to 29th in the post-draft power rankings. Simply because they did not draft a quarterback who by the way would have sat behind Tannehill for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Are the Dolphins taking a risk with Tannehill being the only quality QB on the roster? Yes. No one can deny that. Would trading up and spending future draft picks on a quarterback to back him up make the draft more of a success? Apparently that is the line of thinking.
In reality however the Dolphins drafted two quality players that will make the Dolphins better. Minkah Fitzpatrick is a player that many believe could be the best in this class. Mike Gesicki gives the Dolphins a top tight-end prospect who can open the field and give the team a real red-zone threat on offense.
Both of those players would not have been available if the Dolphins would have traded up for a back-up quarterback. It would have cost them the 11th pick and their second round pick at minimum. For Josh Rosen at best.
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Miami may regret not moving up if Fitzpatrick doesn’t work out. They may regret it if Tannehill goes down with injury again. They may regret it if Rosen becomes a Hall of Fame QB for the Cardinals. That will be hind-sight.
The Miami Dolphins draft may have some growing pains in the middle rounds but the Dolphins stayed true to their board. They stayed put at their draft positions and they took players that are exceptional athletes who will add depth, play special teams, and potentially grow into starters.
In a nutshell, the Dolphins drafted poorly because the mainstream media said they needed to take a quarterback. Maybe if they had drafted some of those mid-round QB’s that everyone hyped before the draft it would be viewed differently. But does it really matter what they believe?
If Tannehill stays healthy he can be a difference maker on the field. With Fitzpatrick and Gesicki on the roster instead of say a back-up quarterback who needs to sit, the Dolphins have two game changing players that they wouldn’t have had if they traded up.