Tua Time over in Miami? Mock draft has Dolphins taking QB with No. 3 pick
By Jake Rill
Published:
There have been rumors about the Miami Dolphins potentially moving on from Tua Tagovailoa after one season. They used the No. 5 overall pick on the former Alabama quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he had some struggles during his rookie year once he got onto the field midseason.
Here’s an interesting scenario: What if the Dolphins traded Tagovailoa and used the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on selecting another quarterback?
That’s how Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus has the first round unfolding in his latest mock draft, which he notes represents what he would do if he was “in charge of making the picks for all 32 NFL teams.” And if Miami made these moves, it would certainly be noteworthy.
In this mock, the Dolphins select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the No. 3 pick (which they acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans). Then, they ship Tagovailoa to the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 12 selection, which they then use to bolster their defense with the addition of Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.
“It’s not that I don’t have faith in Tua Tagovailoa becoming a great franchise quarterback; I just think that Justin Fields has a better chance of becoming one,” Treash wrote.
Tagovailoa passed for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 games (nine starts) for the Dolphins this past season. However, he was twice pulled midgame in favor of veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who began the season as the starter.
Fields passed for 2,100 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games this past season while leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. It’s expected that he’ll be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, perhaps even second behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
