Miami Dolphins should draft Tua Tagovailoa and give him weapons

If the Miami Dolphins draft Tua Tagovailoa and surround him with weapons, things could turn around quickly in South Florida. 

Drafting Tua Tagovailoa and surrounding him with weapons through the draft seems like the right move for the Miami Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins currently hold 14 draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft including three first round picks (5th, 18th, and 26th) and two in the second round (39th and 56th overall). While they can use their picks as capital to trade up, what they should do is retain all of their picks. First draft Tagovailoa, second draft pieces to compliment him.

It is possible a team could trade up, ahead of the Dolphins, to draft Tagovailoa. However, it seems improbable. Projections are showing Tagovailoa will more than likely be on the board when it comes time for the Dolphins to take their pick.  Retaining their picks would be crucial as there are options at the skills position for the Dolphins to bolster their offense.

Miami Dolphins need backfield threats

In order for the Tagovailoa to be successful, the Dolphins will need a running back. This squad finished dead last in the NFL in rushing in 2019. This team will need a guy who can jolt their rushing attack to relieve pressure off their young quarterback. They did go out and sign running back Jordan Howard. He’s a versatile back who had success early in his career. But it doesn’t hurt to add another option.

D’Andre Swift out of the University of Georgia could be that guy. He possess lateral quickness, the ability to catch out of the backfield and he’s proved to be a playmaker in the tough SEC division in college.

While Swift is currently projected as the top running back, he is not projected to be drafted high in this draft. It is very realistic to retain Swift with the 26th pick or possibly in the second round.

For insurance, the Dolphins should look into another running back this draft. One they can obtain much later in the draft. This back is J.K. Dobbins out of the Ohio State University. There, he served as a feature back rushing for over 2,000 yards the 2019 season. While Dobbins probably won’t turn out like former Buckeye Ezekiel Elliot, he is a prospect the Dolphins should keep their eye on.

Miami Dolphins draft some inside receiving options

The Dolphins do have a solid primary receiver in DeVante Parker. Adding a piece at the receiver position and a tight end could strengthen the receiving core. This should be a priority.

An inside threat is who the Dolphins should target. Assuming they take Tagovailoa as the 5th pick and Swift at 26 or later, they should look at a receiver with that 18th pick. Specifically, LSU’s wideout Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson has the potential to be second option right out of the gate. He can turn his body mid air to catch the fade routes well. Also, he’s not afraid to get open over the middle to make the catch in traffic. It seems that he would be a middle first round pick, so it is possible he can fall right to the Dolphins at pick 18.

In the sleeper rounds, the Dolphins can capitalize on receiving tight ends. Adding a guy like Bryce Hopkins from Purdue would be valuable if he can translate his college performance to NFL success. He is someone who can make things happen after the catch as well as be a reliable target over the middle. If he can continue this, he would be a secret weapon for the Dolphins offense. Someone who can come up big on third downs to get the chains moving.

The Dolphins have an opportunity to do something special. They should maintain their picks and build a young, solid core. If they acquire players that turn out to be studs, this is could be a solid young team led by Tagovailoa. One that could make a run at winning the AFC East in the near future.