3 Bold Dolphins predictions as 2020 NFL draft looms
The 2020 NFL draft is just days away, and the Miami Dolphins control every single round. With 14 picks, Miami can manipulate the board however they want.
The 2020 NFL draft stands alone at the center of the sports world. With a nation craving sports so desperately, this draft will have a whole different type of viewer. What it really means is that there will be even more people watching as the Miami Dolphins take part in their most important draft in franchise history. They’ve put everything they have into this extensive rebuild, and by the end of the weekend, they hope to have addressed many significant needs.
The Dolphins have 14 picks in 2020, more than anyone else in the NFL. What this means is that Miami has the ability to complement their very busy free agency period with a sensational rookie class. With six top 100 picks, the Dolphins can add multiple starters on days one and two. The Dolphins have somewhat tipped their hand with their moves in free agency.
The Dolphins have shown how they like their players in the trenches to look. Miami loves power and versatility on both the offensive and defensive lines. Christian Wilkins, a powerful player who lined up all over the defensive line for Clemson, was a first round pick in 2019. In 2020, the Dolphins brought in pass rushers Shaq Lawson and Emmanuel Ogbah, who are both versatile power rushers who can line up in multiple spots. On the offensive line, Ereck Flowers came over from Washington to be a battering ram at left guard.
Miami made the secondary a priority over the last two off-seasons. In 2019, the Dolphins re-signed star cornerback Xavien Howard, signed and converted Eric Rowe to safety, and signed undrafted free agent Nik Needham to play cornerback. In 2020, Byron Jones was made the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. That move was unexpected because of Howard’s massive contract. The Dolphins also decided to keep defensive back Bobby McCain. Most new regimes would have cut bait, given he was drafted and extended by the previous regime, but head coach Brian Flores values defensive backs more than most football coaches.