With just over 24 hours until the 2020 NFL Draft begins, the Miami Dolphins are considering a move up the draft board, but not for the reason you might expect.
Miami has called teams in front of them for a trade up from the No. 5 pick, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday afternoon. The Dolphins, who own three first-round selections (Nos. 5, 18, 26) and a league-high 14 overall, are also gauging the cost of moving up to No. 3 to select an offensive tackle, not a quarterback, as has been mocked by most every draft analyst.
The Dolphins' interest in shooting up the draft board likely stems from the strength of the top of the offensive line class. Four offensive tackles (Mekhi Becton, Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs, listed alphabetically) are expected to go in the top half of the first round and all could potentially go in the top 11, due to high demand.
After Miami got off to a miserable start early in the 2019 season, rotating Josh Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick under center and trading star players (cough, star tackle Laremy Tunsil, cough) for first-round picks, it was presumed that the Fins were focused on securing a franchise quarterback early in the 2020 draft. That narrative has persisted throughout draft season. Most draft analysts have the Dolphins selecting either Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert with the fifth overall selection on Thursday night, with top prospect Joe Burrow going No. 1 to the Bengals.
Wednesday's report throws a wrench into months of speculation in that direction.
For Miami to move up, it would need to find an amenable trade partner in either the Lions (No. 3) or the Giants (No. 4); Cincy is expected to take Burrow, and Washington is slated to reject trade offers to take Chase Young. Both Detroit and New York have expressed through proxies the openness tomove back in the draft for the right offer; of the two teams, the Giants are more likely to take an offensive lineman.
Will the Dolphins jump Big Blue and prove millions of mocks wrong? We'll find out Thursday evening.
