Well, the dust has settled after the Miami Dolphins shook up the 2021 NFL draft order.
And the Dolphins sent several messages with their wheeling and dealing in those two significant deals made a week ago.
The Dolphins moved from No. 3 down to No. 12, and back up to No. 6 with their first pick — getting out of the mix for one of the top quarterbacks available in the draft this month, while furthering their commitment to Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback.
The Dolphins must believe Tagovailoa, Miami’s top pick from a year ago, is better than several of the best quarterbacks in the 2021 draft class.
So, no need for Dolphins coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier to upgrade at quarterback with the No. 3 pick after Tagovailoa went 6-3 in nine games during his rookie season.
Miami also signed Jacoby Brissett to be the team’s new veteran, backup quarterback — filling a hole left behind by Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is now with Washington after two seasons with the Dolphins.
And with only three picks left in the draft after the third round, the Dolphins may not select a quarterback in the draft at all.
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is the presumptive No. 1 pick, owned by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
BYU’s Zach Wilson seems to have the edge on Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance to be the No. 2 pick, with one of those players potentially replacing Sam Darnold on the New York Jets.
The San Francisco 49ers paid the Dolphins two first-round picks to get into the No. 3 slot, where they may already covet either Fields or Lance, if Wilson isn’t taken with the second pick.
The Atlanta Falcons, who have the No. 4 pick, could also draft the next quarterback available to replace Matt Ryan, who turns 36 in May, unless they take the first non-quarterback off the board.
The Dolphins must wait to see what the Cincinnati Bengals do with the No. 5 pick before making their selection at No. 6.
LSU standout Ja’Marr Chase, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and the Alabama duo of DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle are the best four pass catchers available, and the Dolphins will likely use their pick on a player who can help Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense flourish.
As for the Dolphins’ outlook at the quarterback position: Tagovailoa and Brissett sit ahead of second-year quarterback Reid Sinnett and Jake Rudock on the depth chart ahead of the draft.
The Dolphins will likely use their two first-round picks (6 and 18), two second-round picks (36 and 50) and No. 81 in the third round on position players with the quarterback position settled.
Miami’s remaining picks in the draft are in the fifth round, and two in the seventh round — which may be out of range for any of the remaining quarterbacks available.
Alabama’s Mac Jones could be a first-round pick, while Florida’s Kyle Trask, Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Texas standout Sam Ehlinger may have to wait until Day 3 to hear their names called during the draft.
If Miami adds another quarterback, it could add that player sometime down the road this offseason to add depth or create some backup competition before training camp.
Good news for the Dolphins, their quarterback position seems to be set. Now, the draft is about filling other holes on the roster following a 10-6 season where they fell one win short of the playoffs.
