Chase Young or Andrew Thomas should headline Miami Dolphins plans

The Miami Dolphins are now 2-7 and no longer the favorite for the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Instead of going quarterback, the Dolphins should now turn its focus on Ohio State EDGE Chase Young or Georgia OT Andrew Thomas.

The Miami Dolphins have seemingly turned their season around winning their last two games of the season. While the belief is still that the Dolphins take a QB in the 2020 draft, I believe the best course of action is taking players who play between the trenches.

Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa has been the hot name since he came onto the scene in the College Football Playoffs in 2017, but recently LSU QB Joe Burrow has taken the torch by force after his strong play. This was apparent after LSU’s victory over Bama this past Saturday, a game in which Dolphins general manager Chris Grier personally attended.

While Burrow seems to be the hot name now, Miami might not be in a position to draft him, and with Tagovailoa’s stock somewhat fallen his flaws are becoming more apparent.

The most important part of this equation? Miami is winning with a mediocre QB and a below-average team. The solution? Building and improving the roster as a whole and then drafting or signing a QB the following year.

With the most cap space in the league next offseason and three first-round selections in the 2020 draft, the Phins could make a splash by taking a player heralded by many as being the best defensive player to come out in a long time.

Ohio State’s Chase Young would make this team front-seven as explosive as any. Former first-round picks Taco Charlton and Christian Wilkins have been impressive this year and LB Jerome Baker’s leadership qualities have grown every week.

Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy says he views Young as a better professional prospect than both Bosa brothers and Cleveland Brown DE Myles Garrett.

Adding an elite edge rusher could lessen the pressure on the secondary and give the Dolphins a sack masters the likes we haven’t seen in South Florida since Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.

If Young is gone by the time the Dolphins pick there is another physical beast that could headline the Phins’ off-season pickups. Georgia OT Andrew Thomas.

While the offensive line is never a “sexy” pick, Thomas has been one of the best in his time in Athens, Georgia and could become a better-left tackle than former Dolphins and current Houston Texan Larmey Tunsil.

Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner views the Georgia offensive lineman as elite an O-line prospect as any in the 2020 NFL draft class.

"God only made so many 6-foot-5+, 300+ pounders with 33+ inch arms who can move at the requisite level for an NFL tackle, and they’re pretty easy to identify. When those players then grade out at an elite level the way Thomas has in his three years starting at Georgia, you feel pretty confident about them going high in the NFL draft. We love that both Thomas’ run- and pass-blocking grades have improved every single season of his career. On 270 pass-blocking snaps this season, he’s allowed no sacks, no hits and only six hurries. At 92.9 overall, Thomas is currently the highest-graded draft-eligible Power 5 offensive tackle in the country."

Thomas could become the anchor of an improved O-line for years to come if the Dolphins choose to go that way.

While it is still uncertain what the Dolphins brass will do, these two players could have an instant impact and will decide how Miami views its near future. If the Dolphins do indeed go Young or Thomas or anyone other than a QB, they could turn their attention towards the 2021 draft and selected one of either Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State QB Justin Fields.