Dolphins: 3 options with 3rd overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft
The Miami Dolphins season ended just short of the playoffs. To some, that’s a disappointing end to the season. For others, the culmination of an incredible season that exceeded expectations. No matter which side you fall on, one thing is clear: This roster is far from complete. Luckily, the Miami Dolphins draft options should be plentiful at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Year two of the rebuild for the Miami Dolphins brought some surprising success. But the season wasn’t without its hardships — and controversies — too. Miami opened the season with Ryan Fitzpatrick, not number 5 overall selection Tua Tagovailoa, at the helm. Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins began the season with two straight losses to division foes New England and Buffalo. Then the winning started.
Starting in Week 3, the Dolphins reeled off three wins in four games, with the lone loss coming to the eventual NFC West champions Seattle. Miami entered their bye week with a 3-3 record. Then, it was Tua Time.
Everyone — including Fitzpatrick — knew that Tua was going to see the field at some point during the 2020 season, it was just a matter of when, and how successful was he going to be when he got the chance. Tua’s first start came in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams. Miami would win that game, along with Tua’s next two starts.
All-in-all, the Dolphins went 6-3 with Tua at the helm, and if you judge strictly by that, the future seems bright. However, it’s clear that Tua still has a long way to go in his development. Development that can be helped greatly by what the Dolphins do in the upcoming draft. What Miami chooses to do with their first round picks will set the tone for the 2021 season, and possibly the future of the franchise.
Dolphins Team Needs
Thanks in part to last year’s trade with the Houston Texans, the Miami Dolphins sit with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and there are a number of different directions the team could go. One option would be to bolster their offensive line. The offensive line in Miami has been the bane of fans’ existence for many years now. Miami’s front office made a concerted effort last season to address the issue.
Those efforts paid off. While the Dolphins offensive line wasn’t great in 2020, they were much better than the 2019 squad. That said, there is still a long way to go with the unit before they’re one of the better groups in the NFL. Would the Dolphins choose to expend such a premium resource up front to really bolster the squad in an effort to give Tua a brick wall in front of him?
The Dolphins could also choose to address what is arguably the most glaring hole on the roster: the lack of explosive play-makers. Miami has a couple of good-not-great options at wide receiver with Devante Parker and Preston Williams. Neither of them are the explosive, downfield threat that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep at night. If Miami is going to take the next step as an offense, they need to be more dynamic. Would that mean a wide receiver would be in play at 3?
Most assume that the Dolphins will address their needs on offense with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They have glaring needs on that side of the ball, and are in a premium spot to address them. But what about the other side of the ball? Miami’s defense could use some work as well, and there are a number of defenders who could be worthy of the selection as well.
Let’s explore all of the Miami Dolphins draft options with the third pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.