Miami Dolphins: 7-round mock draft to build around Tua Tagovailoa
By Jeremy Klump
The Miami Dolphins trade Pick 3 to the Detroit Lions for Pick 7, Pick 39, Pick 71, Pick 111, and a 2022 2nd round pick.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I feel the Dolphins would be smart to trade back from the 3rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions have not made it a secret that they are trading quarterback Matthew Stafford and looking for their new future early in the draft. With that thought, the Dolphins should use their No. 3 pick as bait to try and get a great deal from the Lions. The Dolphins would only have to move back 4 spots to Pick 7, but also pick up another 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round pick in the process, as well as a 2022 2nd-round pick too.
After making this deal, the Dolphins should sprint to the podium, as in this mock draft, Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith is on the board at No. 7. Imagine the Dolphins moving back, getting all those picks, and then still getting the best wide receiver in the draft. It would be insane, but it is entirely possible.
Smith has been under the microscope the last few days at the Senior Bowl due to his size concerns. Luckily for the Dolphins and their fans, Flores said this (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald):
Flores on DeVonta Smith: "This guy is a very, very good player." Asked if size is a hinderance, Flores said: "You can nitpick all you want about a guy's size. Good players are good players. This guy is a very good player. Made a lot of plays in college.. [in] biggest games."
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) January 26, 2021
And guess what? Smith isn’t a good player, he is a GREAT player! Giving Tagovailoa his old college teammate back would be awesome, but giving Tagovailoa an elite wide receiver would be even better. It just so happens that both of those things can happen when you draft Smith.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide star would plug in Day 1 as the Dolphins No. 1 receiver and he is going to be a star in the NFL!