The Miami Dolphins will draft best players available – as long they meet needs. This according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. After an offseason that saw the Dolphins release Ndamukong Suh and trade Jarvis Landry, the team is still looking for its identity. Danny Amendola was brought into help the receiving corps and Ryan Tannehill is returning from yet another injury. These Dolphins choose 11th in the first round of the NFL Draft and could either make a splash by grabbing a franchise quarterback, or they could fill needs on defense.
The next 48 hours should prove to be nail-biting in south Florida, but as the newspaper columnist points out, this is a franchise that will fill needs as long as the fit it right and the player is available.
“The truth is the Dolphins might pick the best player available when they are on the clock during the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday. But that player will almost definitely meet a need,” Salguero writes.
Quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson has been linked to the Miami Dolphins. So has linebacker Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, Roquon Smith of Georgia and defensive back Derwin James of FSU.
The Miami Dolphins must get an impact player as this will be one of head coach Adam Gase’s most scrutinized seasons.
“Well, when you build your board, you’re always building it for the Miami Dolphins, for your team,” general manager Chris Grier said last week.
“When you build your rosters, when we say best player available, you’re still looking at your roster because we’re building it for the Dolphins.”
Would the Miami Dolphins use their first round pick in a quarterback who will more than likely sit on the bench, barring another Tannehill injury? Is that something Crier and Gase can afford to do? Does a defensive lineman like Vita Vea of Washington make more sense?
These are questions the team must figure out before its name is called in the second hour of the draft Thursday night.
“We’re not just saying ‘Hey, the NFL says this guy is the best player so we’re going to put him up at No. 1.’ There may be … I’m not just saying us but you may have a team that has four quarterbacks and they feel good about their starter and the backup,” Grier said. “The quarterbacks here in this draft are good players but they may not have them ranked that high in the draft because they’re building their board for their team needs.”