There is no way of knowing with any certainty if the Miami Dolphins would have drafted Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields. It's unlikely that Jon-Eric Sullivan will admit to having him above Caleb Douglas.
In the early part of round three, the Dolphins were nearly on the clock. They had passed on a receiver with their first three picks, making their next selection almost a guarantee for the position. It may have been the catalyst for the Giants to make a huge move.
With the Dolphins watching the Browns one pick ahead of them, it was the Giants who jumped up from round four to swipe the WR. New York gave the Browns picks 105 and 145, along with a 4th round pick next year. When the dust settled, a potential WR target was off the board, and Caleb Douglas was being announced as their pick.
Malachi Fields is already proving his value over Miami Dolphins draft pick Caleb Douglas
The Giants were applauded for their move for Fields, and the Dolphins were panned for their choice of Douglas. So far, the Giants haven't been disappointed.
Miami's Douglas has struggled with his timing, his route running, and, worst of all, dropping passes to start his NFL career. That isn't the same for Fields, who has been considered a standout during the Giants' offseason work.
Fields has reportedly been lining up with the number one offense and is developing a great relationship with QB Jaxson Dart. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are watching their own quarterback struggle with his WR rapport.
The Dolphins can't be too upset given the fact that the Giants came out of nowhere to swipe the young WR. Miami clearly had WR on the board for their next pick, but again, we will never know if the intent was Fields. It would be nice to think that is who they were targeting.
Douglas has a large hill to climb to be ready to win over fans. Considered a reach by almost every draft expert, Douglas' struggles in camp only add to the concerns about his future development. The Dolphins rolled the dice with Douglas, but at least they kept taking shots at the position with Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. later in the draft.
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