Tua Tagovailoa said yes to the 2020 NFL Draft and the Miami Dolphins must do everything in their power to get him.
Following their 5-11 record in the 2019 regular season, the Miami Dolphins currently hold the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. When you’re a bad team looking for an elite prospect, sitting at No. 5 isn’t bad — except when you’re the Dolphins when everything pointed to the team “Tanking for Tua.”
Entering the year or early in the season, they rid themselves of numerous key players. General manager Chris Grier agreed with so much of the fan base, he parted ways with Ryan Tannehill (Titans) early in the offseason. He also traded away former No. 13 pick Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills and former No. 11 pick Minkah Fitzpatrick for a bevy of draft picks.
Every week, it seemed like they were bringing in guys off the street and starting them. Grier did everything to ensure this team was depleted of talent to begin a rebuild. Except they didn’t lose, or at least lose enough.
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Rookie head coach Brian Flores, with the help of Ryan Fitzpatrick and a team full of competitors, squeezed out five wins too many. But even at 5-11, the No. 5 pick could be a solid place to land Tua Tagovailoa, who decided to declare for 2020 NFL Draft; the Dolphins shouldn’t settle.
There was a time when Tagovailoa was thought of as the surefire No. 1 overall pick, possibly the best prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. At the start of the season and throughout, he received praise for leadership, pocket mobility, poise, awareness and unparalleled accuracy.
However, a devastating hip injury some initially compared to Bo Jackson’s put his draft stock in question, though it turned out the injury is completely different. Still, the initial perception was Tagovailoa’s career was in jeopardy.
Additionally, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and ascended up draft boards. Despite the cloudy news surrounding his injury, Tagovailoa declared for draft and aficionados believe he can still go anywhere between picks No. 5-10.
There’s no reason why the Dolphins should wait on a guy with elite potential, however, a player who Trent Dilfer referred to as a generational talent. Especially when the Miami Dolphins are not the only quarterback-needy franchise picking inside the top 10. If the Fins aren’t careful, at least two other teams can jump them and nab Tagovailoa.
The Detroit Lions sit comfortably at the No. 3 holding all the cards. It’s not likely but they could decide that Tua Tagovailoa is the quarterback of the future and could draft him to sit early behind Matthew Stafford. At the No. 6 spot, the Los Angeles Chargers could decide to part ways with Phillip Rivers or let the veteran develop the young signal-caller
Another dangerous threat is the soon to be Las Vegas Raiders, who have the draft capital to make a bold move before Tagovailoa’s medical info becomes league-wide. The Carolina Panthers are looking toward a new era and could get aggressive from the No. 7 pick as well.
With that said, the Dolphins can not sit comfortably at No. 5 hoping Tagovailoa will fall to them. They have to get aggressive to make Tagovailoa their quarterback. The answer is simple: Trade up to the No. 2 or No. 3 spots where the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions currently sit.
Teams are all about collecting draft capital and the Fins have a ton of it. They also don’t have to give up much to make it happen, at least according to Pro Football References Draft Value Chart. In order for the Fins to move up a few spots, they’ll only have to give up the No. 18 pick, with maybe a little more in the later rounds to sweeten the deal.
The Redskins are an unlikely trade partner as Chase Young is too good to pass up. But the Lions are in win-now mode and ripe for the picking. There’s no price too high to pay for a franchise quarterback and the rewards outweigh the risk, especially with all the draft capital Miami owns over the next two years.