Are the Miami Dolphins going to draft a quarterback this year or not?
By Shawn Digity
The pre-draft whirlwind is still spinning. Are the Miami Dolphins actually interested in any of the quarterbacks this year?
The 2019 NFL Draft is almost here, and the smoke and lies will only get worse for the next several days. So, when that’s the case, is there any truth to the notion of the Dolphins addressing the quarterback position in this year’s draft?
It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t during the pre-draft season. The Miami Dolphins have brought in several players for pre-draft visits or hosted private workouts, but I’m not 100% sure if that means they’re interested or not.
For example, the Dolphins brought in QB Daniel Jones from Duke in for a visit. Jones is one of the more polarizing names at the position this year. Fans and analysts either love him or hate him. From what I’ve seen of the Dolphins fans on twitter, many of them are adverse to the idea of Jones donning the orange and aqua.
The Jones visit might have been the Miami Dolphins brass showing a legitimate interest in him as their potential QB of the future or it could’ve been a smokescreen. It could’ve just been a meet-up to gather more information. Only the front office’s inside circle knows at this point.
If that’s the case, when we don’t know the nature of each individual visit, then it’s hard to discern if the Dolphins are really intrigued by any of the quarterback prospects. It’s just noise until the draft dominoes start falling on April 25th.
I do, however, think it’s likely that the Miami Dolphins eventually take a quarterback this year, though. But if I flesh out that concept more, then it becomes more muddied. There’s some uncertainty that comes with trying to figure out what the Dolphins are thinking in regard to the 2019 quarterbacks.
I don’t know if the Dolphins are looking for a starter in this draft. I’m not sure if they’re looking for the eventual backup. I don’t know how they view any of the quarterbacks in this class.
While it seems that the 2020 draft class will have better quarterbacks, there are still some in 2019’s group that could become good players, and I could definitely see some of them being on the Fins’ radar as the backup to the eventual 2020 draftee QB or maybe even the face of the franchise moving forward.
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Maybe they draft a guy with their last pick (seventh round, 236), maybe they trade down and gain more lower-level picks that could be gambled on a quarterback on Day 2, or maybe they trade up into the top 10 to nab someone.
There are too many variables at play at the moment to really hazard a decent guess of who it will be and when a quarterback selection will materialize.
If the Miami Dolphins do decide to address quarterback in some form during the 2019 Draft, then there are some guys I would prefer more than others. I like Kyler Murray, but that’s a pipe dream.
I would be happy with Dwayne Haskins if he became the pick at 13, but that might be unlikely. He would surely be drafted with the intention of him becoming the quarterback of the future…unless the Dolphins are the worst team in 2019, then all bets are off.
I wouldn’t be bent out of shape if the Dolphins took Drew Lock, but I’d be surprised if he dropped to 13.
On Day 2, I’d be good with taking a chance on Will Grier. On Day 3, I’d be alright with taking Gardner Minshew, Taryn Christion, Manny Wilkins, Justice Hansen, or Marcus McMaryion in the seventh round and letting them work behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and giving them a chance to see the field. I could be talked into liking Jarrett Stidham in the fifth round.
I think the Miami Dolphins will end their draft with a new quarterback on the roster–maybe one of the guys I mentioned above– AND I think that whoever they do select will see some starts at some point during the 2019 season to see what they can muster.