3 reasons why the Miami Dolphins should consider drafting Michael Penix Jr.

You have to think Michael Penix Jr. would be made into a very good player if not even better than that with Mike McDaniel molding him.

There is a lot you can say about Mike McDaniel's tenure as a head coach. You can absolutely say that McDaniel has shown some warts that he needs to figure out how to get rid of.

One thing you can't say is that he needs to get better at building quarterbacks. The #1 thing Mike McDaniel had to do if he was going to be successful in Miami, which he has been, was to morph Tua into something close to the #5 pick taken in 2020. McDaniel has done that and then some.

Tua is in the top three in many passing statistics and although stats don't win big games, those stats still happened and there was a time when Tua was seriously in the running for MVP.

Imagine what a bigger version of Tua can do under Mike McDaniel's tutelage. Make no mistake, Michael Penix Jr. can make all the throws Tua is asked to make. The in-breaking routes with timing, are some that Michael Penix Jr. excels at.

You also will not find a prettier deep ball in college football and possibly the whole Earth. Penix Jr. has this ability to lead his man perfectly and always gets the ball on the correct shoulder. Tua can make those throws as well but not at the distance that Penix Jr. can. Those underthrows that Tua has sometimes when he's off-platform or a hair late, Penix Jr. can be a bit more off-platform and a half second late and it still gets to his receiver.

As I said, I think Tua will be signed to a long-term deal so most of this is probably moot. If this is what happens, then I hope Tua elevates his game by being more willing to run and gets more comfortable when the play that is called breaks down. Those things need to happen if he is going to take this team to the next level while life gets harder brining in free agents.

But I think Michael Penix Jr. needs to be at the very least considered by the Dolphins. And who knows, maybe he does drop in the draft because so many teams are afraid of the injuries and the lack of mobility. Crazier things have happened. Maybe we live in a world where Michael Penix Jr. is Tua's backup for a year or so. Wouldn't that be something?

Follow me @2ndSatSports