Miami Dolphins move into third overall draft spot in tight race
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins are currently holding on to the third overall draft pick but the race for the top three is still wide-open.
After spending the last several weeks in the fourth overall slot, the Miami Dolphins moved up to number three after losing to the previously 2-12 New York Giants on Sunday. While they sit there now, two weeks can change a lot.
Miami is tied with the Giants and Redskins with three wins each but head to head match-ups do not play a role in draft order. If it did, the Dolphins who have lost to both of the NFC East teams would be sitting pretty in the number two spot.
The NFL uses strength of schedule to break ties and Miami currently is tied with Washington with an SOS of .491. The Giants SOS is .471. The team with lower SOS picks before the others.
Miami could jump up if they lose to the Bengals next weekend. The Bengals have only one win on the season. The Giants and Redskins play each other next week and the loser of that game will presumably hold the 2nd overall pick heading into the final weekend of football.
The Dolphins won’t get any luck in week 17 as they play the Patriots so their SOS will go up, not down. The Bengals finish the season against the Browns while the Giants and Redskins wrap their season with the Eagles and Cowboys respectively. Both games will be tough for each team.
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Should the Dolphins win out or split the final two weeks, they should still land in the top-five of the draft order. As of now only the Lions are immediately behind Miami and Washington holding the 5th spot. They have four wins on the season and one tie. The rest of the NFL has at least five wins. The Falcons who could have moved up in the draft order upset the 49’ers in San Francisco on Sunday.
The Dolphins hold on that third spot will be determined by next Sunday’s outcome against the Bengals and how the Redskins and Giants game concludes. Still, even though they hold it now, a tie-breaker will still be based on SOS and currently that belongs to the Giants in this three-way tie.