The Miami Dolphins should not trade up in this years draft
By George Keim
The Miami Dolphins currently posses the number five overall pick. It would be prudent of them to stay there and not trade up.
April 23, 2020, will be here before we know it. It’s the day Miami Dolphins fans have had circled on their calendars since late August 2019.
The Miami Dolphins will be a major player in this year’s draft, especially when it comes to the first round. The Dolphins own three first-round picks in the upcoming draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are the only other teams who have multiple picks in the first round this year (2 each). The Dolphins have the fire power, not only in this draft but next year’s as well to do whatever they wish, assuming they can find a dance partner. I’m not against trading picks, especially if it nets the team more draft capital. But the one thing I don’t want them to do though is trade up.
We all expected our first pick to be in the top three, but thanks to an over-performing roster and coaching staff, that’s not the case. Many fans think the Dolphins should trade up to make sure they get their quarterback. Presumably Tua Tagovailoa. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Cincinnati Bengals will make LSU Quarterback Joe Burrow the first overall pick. After that is when the real draft starts.
Many feel that the three teams between the Bengals and Dolphins picks will not draft a quarterback. Both Washington and the NY Giants drafted quarterbacks in the first round last year. It’s also a strong belief that the Lions are not in the market for a quarterback as Matthew Stafford is still just 31 years old and is signed through the 2022 season. The question becomes, would the Lions trade the third overall pick to another quarterback-needy team? I’m sure they will be making and taking phone calls.
Both the Chargers (sixth overall pick) and Panthers (seventh overall pick) could be in the market for a quarterback. Unfortunately for them though, neither team possesses any extra draft capital. They both own their own picks in this year’s draft, no extras. So, the thought of either team trading multiple years first-round picks to jump the Dolphins seems highly unlikely.
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As previously stated both the Jaguars and Raiders have two first-round picks in this draft and an argument can be made that they both could use a quarterback. Again though, they both have recently signed/extended quarterbacks who are signed through the 2022 season at hefty price tags. Would it make sense for them to give up the picks needed to move from where they currently sit, ninth and twelfth overall, to get to third as well as deal with the cap ramifications that come with moving on from their current quarterbacks over the next year or two? Seems unlikely.
The Lions will call the Dolphins, there’s no doubt about it, and they will ask for a lot. They will even say they’ve been offered a lot, but I wouldn’t believe it. The Lions are in line to draft an elite player at number three. Whether it be Chase Young, or Jeffrey Okudah, or Derrick Brown, or Andrew Thomas or Isaiah Simmons they will get a plug and play potential Pro Bowler.
That brings me back to the Dolphins. They need a quarterback, no two ways around it, but they also have needs at many other positions. Anyone they draft at number five, whether it be Tua or someone else, will be looked upon to make an impact on this team. I believe they should stand pat at the fifth position and let the draft fall to them. If it’s Tua they want, I fully believe he will be there when the Dolphins approach the podium with the card for the fifth pick. If he’s gone, then you draft one of the aforementioned players. This team was stripped to the bones last year and the roster needs to be rebuilt, trading away multiple draft picks is not the way to do that. No matter what the Dolphins do though, April 23rd through the 25th will be an exciting few days for Dolphin fans.