Miami Dolphins should draft Penei Sewell or trade the 3rd overall pick

After spending the day looking over a bunch of mock drafts and diving into some of the scouting reports, it seems that the Miami Dolphins’ best draft option in April will be to take Penei Sewell or trade the 3rd overall pick.

Miami sits at three overall with needs along the offensive line, linebacker, edge rusher, running back, and yes, wide receiver. Many believe that the Dolphins options at three consist of three players and three players only. Sewell, DeVonta Smith, and Ja’Marr Chase.

Sewell at three makes a ton of sense for the Dolphins and if Miami had to make a selection at three overall, Sewell would be my choice but it would be hard to pass on Chase or Smith. The problem I run into is Miami has to have a trade partner. If they can’t trade the pick they have no choice but to draft the best player on their board whether it is Smith, Chase, Sewell, or maybe even Micah Parsons.

This being said, if the Dolphins don’t see Sewell as a must-draft player, then they need to do whatever they can to trade down. I just can’t see Smith or Chase being worthy of the number three pick. A slide down even a couple of spots for cheap compensation would still land one of those two and Miami could still land one outside of the top 10.

The closer we get to the draft the more I feel that Miami should be drafting in the top 5 to 8 range instead of three because only a handful of players are really worth that pick. Yes, I believe Sewell is but I’m not sold on the receivers. In most mock drafts, quarterbacks rule the top ten. Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance are all likely to be drafted in the top of the draft. That is four of ten spots with Sewell making up the 5th player.

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From there, we see Chase and Smith being taken off the board anywhere between three and six with Parsons being drafted somewhere between 5 and 8. Finally, we add the top two cornerbacks in the draft, Caleb Farley and Patrick Surtain II and we round out or two ten.

All Miami Dolphins trade options will come down to finding a trade partner.

If I am the Dolphins, my ideal trading partners would be Atlanta at four, Philadelphia at six, Detroit at 7, and Carolina at 8 overall. If Miami trades as far as eight, the first eight picks could very well go like this: Lawerence, Fields, Wilson, Lance, Chase, Sewell, and Smith/Parsons at seven leaving Miami at eight taking Smith/Parsons. They would also gain more draft capital as well.

Of course, as I mentioned, finding a trade partner is the key. Another team has to want to move up which means they have a specific player in mind, likely a QB.

While the thought of Miami drafting a WR at three is exciting, it may not be the best move for the Dolphins. Especially if they can get that same player outside of the 3rd pick.