The Miami Dolphins were a pleasant surprise in 2020 and missed making the playoffs out of the AFC East by a narrow margin. The Dolphins were a breath of fresh air on defense and its offense has a chance to keep improving because of its promising, young talent. The Buffalo Bills are building a powerhouse and the New England Patriots are looking to bounce back from a down year, so Miami could have to make some big moves to remain competitive in 2021.
The Dolphins made waves by benching Ryan Fitzpatrick for Tua Tagovailoa early last season, and he dealt with plenty of first-year jitters as a starter. He showed flashes of promise, but also crashed and burned on multiple occasions. Another year of camp will do the Alabama product good, but adding more capable pass catchers and protection could help the Dolphins make the most of his talents.
Round 1: No. 6, WR Jaylen Waddle; No. 18, DE Jaelan Phillips
Round 2: No. 36, S Jevon Holland; No. 42, OT Liam Eichenberg
Round 3: No. 81, TE Hunter Long
Round 7: No. 231, OT Larnel Coleman; No. 244 RB Gerrid Doaks
Miami aimed to make major improvements up through the 2020 NFL Draft, and its young unit took its fair share of lumps. The Dolphins rolled out three rookies consistently and they all played at least 700 snaps apiece. Miami didn’t give up a ton of sacks, but Tagovailoa was hardly given enough time to make plays down the field. That has to change if Miami wants to become a contender in the coming years.
The Dolphins were a middle-of-the-pack team when it came to getting sacks last season, but needs a young player on the edge to pair with its up-and-coming playmakers. The veteran edge rushers Miami brought on board last season didn’t live up to expectations. Miami’s secondary has evolved into one of the NFL’s best, and adding a consistent pass rush will only make its overall defense better.
Ja’Marr Chase - WR, LSU
Chase opted out of his junior year at LSU but is still considered the best wideout prospect in the draft by some. He was so dominant as a sophomore that analysts questioned the legitimacy of Justin Jefferson for playing in his shadow. Tagovailoa needs weapons to thrive, and the oft-injured DeVante Parker isn’t enough talent for him to work out wide. Chase has the potential to become a top-notch WR2 and could surpass Parker in time.