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The Miami Dolphins rebounded from a 5-11 to a 10-6 finish in 2020. However, the double digit win total still wasn’t enough to make the playoffs in a stacked AFC, but the expectations in 2021 are high. It’s time for the new-look Dolphins to contend for a deep playoff run. The defense still looks like it will be above average, with Brian Flores designing exotic blitzes and Xavien Howard and Byron Jones in the secondary, the defense should be above average.
The Offense Still Needs Work
There are concerns about the offense, though. Tua Tagovailoa had a rocky rookie season. Tua was billed as safe, as being polished and NFL-ready right away. The opposite of Justin Herbert, who was the “talented project.” It was Tua, however, who didn’t look ready. He was timid and refused to take risks. This was highlighted at the end of the Raiders game. When the Dolphins really needed a win to keep the season alive, Tua was pulled and replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Obviously, Tua’s career is far from over, but it’s clear he needs help. The good news is he's been putting in some serious work this offseason, including this insane workout.
Tua Tagovailoa is LOCKING IN this offseason 🔒 @Tua (via @PER4ORM) pic.twitter.com/K5q3NHVovV
— Overtime (@overtime) March 30, 2021
Most Dolphins fans point to the receiving core as the main reason why Tua didn’t look good, but to me the weapons look like a unit of strength on that team right now. Mike Gesicki is a top five tight end. Will Fuller is one of the league’s better deep threats, Devonte Parker is more than solid with great hands. Outside of the cornerback room, I feel better about the Dolphins receivers than any other unit on the team.
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Why They Need Offensive Linemen.
What they could really use is help on the offensive line. The Miami line currently doesn't have a single top 30 player at their position according to PFF data. That being said, they still ranked in the top half of the league in pressure allowed. But that's because Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa were two of the top seven fastest quarterbacks when it comes to time to throw. They were considerably less stellar in run blocking stats (24th in adjusted line yards.)
It might be wise to spend both of their first round picks on the line. However, it doesn't seem like Tua is a dynamic threat that can put together any kind of high quality season behind a bad offensive line. A strong running game would also help him out a lot. If he has time to make decisions, he can keep the team in games, but he’s not going to elevate a team behind a bad offensive line the way hyper-talented guys like Herbert or Mahomes can.
So unless they want to replace Tua, they need to come out of the first round with an offensive lineman. Penei Sewell is a possibility at six, but he’ll need to get past another team with a dire need for offensive linemen, Cincinnati. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Falcons take him at four, either. If Sewell is there, they should take him. If not, things start to get interesting.
Who did they trade up for?
The big question is why they traded up again after swapping picks with the 49ers? There is no point in moving back up months before the draft unless they really have a guy in mind that they think will be gone by the time they picked at twelve.
Perhaps they moved up because they’ll have a chance at Sewell, and if he's gone they will almost certainly have a chance to draft Rashawn Slater, which might be the pick there assuming Sewell is gone. Slater is versatile, athletic, he's a stellar run blocker, and has great technique. They could also use defensive line, a running back, or a linebacker. Some scouts have Slater and Sewell at the same level. It’s certainly not a stretch to think the Dolphins could as well, and traded up with a sure shot to land one of them.
Either way, the Dolphins have some needs left to address.
