All reports lead us to believe that the Miami Dolphins will wait until the 2020 NFL Draft to grab their future quarterback.
It makes sense for a ton of reasons. In their not-so-subtle way, the Dolphins have made it pretty clear that they are in rebuilding mode. Some would go as far as to call it “tanking”.
Miami has been stuck in mediocre purgatory for nearly two full decades, and owner Stephen Ross finally decided it was time to blow it up. No longer will the Dolphins be looking at short-term solutions in hopes to make the playoffs. Ross wants a winner, and more importantly, he wants a contender.
Ross understands now that in order to reach potential contention it's going to mean that the Dolphins will need to lose a lot in the short-term.
That is why there is no rush from this franchise to draft a quarterback in the first round. The 2019 class is not an exciting one when it comes to quarterbacks. It's a smart play for Miami to bottom out in 2019 in hopes to land a high draft pick come 2020. The 2020 class will be much more stacked with quarterbacks than this class.
With the 13th pick this year, it's very unlikely that a Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins falls to the Dolphins. One could even make the argument that Miami would pass on Haskins if he were there, and would instead look to trade down if possible. A trade up for either player would not be a wise move for a team in rebuilding mode.
So the general consensus is that the Dolphins will pass on a quarterback in round one. That's not to say, however, that they won't come out of this draft without a quarterback. On the contrary, it's very likely that Miami will look to add a QB from the mid-to-late rounds. It's not a strong group this year, but there are a number of development players that will be available.
The Dolphins can afford to be patient with whoever they select. That player could become Miami's premium backup. Or who knows? Maybe they develop well enough to become the starter, and they don't have to draft somebody in 2020.
It's an idea that's far-fetched, but they'll still need to find someone this year to develop behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Let's take a look at a few of the names they could consider, in no particular order.
5. Jarrett Stidham – Auburn
Stidham started his career at Baylor, but when the sexual assault scandal surrounding the school that ultimately led to the firing of head coach Art Briles, he moved on.
He began playing at Auburn in 2017, and he had a terrific season by completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,158 yards, 18 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He dropped off, however, in a disappointing 2018 season for the Tigers.
It does not take long to look at Stidham's film to understand that a lot of it was not his fault. His receivers dropped a number of passes, and the offensive line simply wasn't very good. Stidham did not benefit from playing in a college-style system, although many people believe that he will be ready to run a pro-style system.
The consensus on Stidham is that he probably needs a year to develop.
That's a perfect scenario for him should he get drafted by Miami.
Projection: 3rd – 4th round
4. Easton Stick – North Dakota State
Some people believe that Easton Stick is the hidden gem of this class.
Maybe it has something to do with his 41 career rushing touchdowns. Or maybe because in 2015 when Carson Wentz was out with an injury, Stick came in and went undefeated in eight games for the Bison, and the team would go on to win the FCS National Championship.
Stick would win two more national championships with North Dakota State, including this past season. The obvious knock on him is the lack of competition at the FCS level. Wentz played against the same level of competition, and we've seen what he can do at the next level when healthy.
Of course, Stick is no Wentz but he played four years on a pro-style offense and that matters. His natural leadership is something that the Dolphins organization may greatly appreciate.
Not to mention, his mobility would be highly valued as he would likely be forced out of the pocket often behind Miami's front line.
Projection: 5th – 7th round
3. Brett Rypien – Boise State
A number of the new Dolphins coaching staff, including head coach Brian Flores, have come from New England. If in their evaluation of players they are going to be looking for players similar to the Patriots style then they might have Brett Rypien on their radar.
It's easy to compare Rypien to Tom Brady when looking at his film. Like Brady, Rypien is primarily good at timely throws in the short-to-medium range. His accuracy is top-notch as well.
In 2018, he set the Mountain West Conference career records with 13,581 yards and 1,036 completions. A majority of scouts are enamored with Rypien's ability, and are optimistic of his potential at the next level. It's sort of puzzling as to why Rypien is not projected higher.
The primary explanation would be the level of competition in the MWC.
There are definitely areas for improvement, but this is definitely a guy that offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea could work with.
Projection: 5th – 6th round
2. Tyree Jackson – Buffalo
Jackson is one of the more exciting players to watch from this class. His massive frame at 6'7″ and 249 pounds makes him the biggest quarterback by a wide margin.
Despite his size, Jackson still had an impressive NFL Combine performance. In addition to running a 4.59 time in the 40-yard dash, Jackson completed the 3 cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle in 7.09 and 4.28 seconds, respectively.
Even for a big guy, Jackson is very mobile. He ran 55 times in his final year at Buffalo, scoring on seven of those. One of Jackson's greatest strengths is his arm. Jackson can throw it a mile it seems like, but he must work on his accuracy. He only completed 55.8 percent of his career passes.
Jackson is definitely a project, but the things that he needs to work on are indeed fixable. His athleticism gives him an incredibly high ceiling. There are some who believe that he could become the best quarterback from this class. Others already think he is.
If that is true, Jackson could become the Dolphins starter for the next several years.
Projection: 3rd – 5th round
1. Ryan Finley – North Carolina State
Of this group of guys, Ryan Finley has the best shot at becoming an NFL starter. In fact, following the 2018 NFL Draft, Finley was considered a first-round talent in the ridiculously too early 2019 mock drafts. Ironically, Finley originally started his career at Boise State. After graduating early and Brett Rypien taking the starting job, Finley decided to transfer and eventually wound up at NC State.
Finley has the mechanics to succeed in the NFL. Unfortunately, he lacks the athleticism and consistency to show for it. While he has improved in some areas of his game, he's overall unimpressive in his deliverance. Dolphins fans might see a resemblance to Ryan Tannehill in the way he manages a game.
Finley has a much better pocket presence than Tannehill, however. It would not be an exciting selection for Dolphins fans, but this coaching staff could develop Finley into a franchise talent.
He certainly has the will and the experience from a pro-style system to make it work.
Projection: 3rd round
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