The Miami Dolphins are currently in a good place with respect to the NFL Draft. Originally holding the third overall pick, the team moved back to six in a series of trades. It’s pretty obvious that at least three quarterbacks are going in the top six, and there are three non-quarterback prospects that stand out above the rest: wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, tight end Kyle Pitts, and Penei Sewell. At least one of those players will be on the board when Miami is on the clock, and all three would be great additions to the roster. However, which player would bring the biggest impact?
What Is the Dream Miami Dolphins Draft Scenario?
The Case For Penei Sewell
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Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not look good as a rookie, but he didn’t have that much help. Despite heavy investments in the unit, the Dolphins had one of the worst offensive lines in football. According to Pro Football Focus, Miami finished the season with the 28th-ranked offensive line in the league. That’s not good!
Penei Sewell is an absolute freak of nature at the tackle position. At 6’-5” and 331 pounds, the Oregon product has the size, strength, and athleticism to lock down Tagovailoa’s blindside for years to come. One could easily argue that providing a strong offensive line is the most important part of developing a young quarterback, and Sewell would go a long way towards accomplishing that goal.
The Case For Ja’Marr Chase
LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase looks like he was built in a lab. The 6-0”, 201-pound wideout tested in the 82nd percentile or better in the 40-yard dash, speed score, burst score, agility score, and catch radius. His 19.5 breakout age was 78th percentile, and his college dominator was 62nd percentile. The metrics are obviously great, and the film backs it all up. When accounting for the fact that he did all of this during his age-19 season, there is a fair case to say that he is the best wide receiver prospect since Julio Jones.
DeVante Parker is a fine starter, and Will Fuller has the ability to take the top off the defense. However, both of them lack the top-10 upside that Chase provides. Giving Tagovailoa a target this dominant is the best way to find out if he truly has what it takes to succeed at the NFL level. If he can’t get the job done with this supporting cast, then Miami should look for their next quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Case For Kyle Pitts
Sewell and Chase are the consensus best players at their respective positions, but there are others with similar talent. Put simply, there is nobody in the draft class quite like Kyle Pitts. An absolute freak of nature, Pitts will probably be a top-five receiving tight end right out of the gate. While his blocking could still use some work, he is simply too big for defensive backs and too fast for linebackers. After dealing with Rob Gronkowski for the better part of a decade, Dolphins fans should be painfully aware of just how hard it is to defend an elite tight end.
Tight ends historically need a season or two before they’re ready to compete, but Pitts could be the exception to the rule. He runs routes better than most receivers in this class, and his massive frame gives Tagovailoa a huge margin for error when throwing the ball. He even has the potential to improve his blocking with time, as he’s currently just 20 years old.
Which One Should the Miami Dolphins Draft
It goes without saying that all three of these players would be welcome additions to Miami’s offense. However, if given the choice between the three, the Dolphins should hope that Kyle Pitts slips to them. Personally, I have him as the best prospect in this draft, regardless of position. Elite tight ends are incredibly hard to find and provide a unique challenge to opposing defenses. Even if Tagovailoa never plays like he did at Alabama, having someone like Pitts should make the offense very dangerous.
Additionally, the dropoff from Pitts to the rest of his class is so much larger than Chase and Sewell. The Dolphins could easily use the 18th overall pick to grab someone like Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and the 36th to grab Alex Leatherwood. While not as good as Chase and Sewell, respectively, both players should be above-average starters at the next level. The same cannot be said for tight end, as Brevin Jordan and Pat Freirmuth both project as unremarkable players.
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