Dolphins are ready to shake the draft up by moving up to take Tua at No. 3

The NFL Draft smokescreens are finally starting to clear. The Dolphins are ready to send teams scrambling by moving up to No. 3 for Tua Tagovailoa.

After months of speculation the top of the 2020 NFL Draft is finally starting to take shape. Joe Burrow and Chase Young look like locks to become the first two selections. It’s also increasingly likely that the Dolphins will trade up to No. 3 to take Tua Tagovailoa.

ESPN pundit Mel Kiper, Jr. is calling all of the talk about the Dolphins being concerned with the quarterback’s medicals as a “smokescreen.” He has Miami staying put at No. 5 to nab the former Alabama star, but the Lions are pushing the Dolphins to move up to No. 3. If that deal ultimately gets done, it’s going to cause some serious ripple effects for other teams in the top 10.

The most obvious effect will be putting other teams looking to take a quarterback on notice. Justin Herbert automatically becomes a hot name for teams that might have been interested in taking advantage of a potential slide by Tagovailoa.

Teams interested in the former Oregon star will likely need to move ahead of the Chargers at No. 6 to get a deal done. They’ve been strongly linked with interest in him for months. Tyrod Taylor is the teams’ starter in 2020, but anything after that is firmly up in the air.

Getting both Tagovailoa and Herbert off the board in the top 10 could also have positive effects on the draft stock of Jordan Love. He’s flawed as a prospect but his long-term potential has a lot of teams intrigued. He could be in line to go in the middle of Round 1 as opposed to the back-end of Day One as a result of a Dolphins deal for Tua.

Quarterback isn’t the only position that could be impacted. If the Dolphins do take Tagovailoa at No. 3 it might push the potential run on wide receivers down a few spots. Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Henry Ruggs III have scouts excited, but they aren’t going to displace the run on offensive tackles in the top 10. Expect four tackles to still go off the board before the first wideout hears his name called.

A deal for Tua Tagovailoa will be a big chance for the Dolphins’ future as a franchise, but it won’t turn this year’s draft on its ear. That could still happen, but it will take a different transaction.