The Miami Dolphins heads towards the offseason of 2021 with clear needs in attack. The team, having built the defense in a league-caliber unit, must spend free agency and the NFL’s 2021 Draft looking to place weapons around second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. According to the first 2021 NFL Mock Draft by Nucky.com’s Bucky Brooks, this is exactly what the team will do.
Miami has two choices in this year’s first round, giving them the opportunity to add some of the most dynamic candidates in this year’s selection process. Their first choice, the third overall selection, comes as part of the team’s exchange with the Houston Texans in 2019, a deal that sent left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to Texas for several choices.
With that choice, Brooks sees Miami adding the LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. About the choice, he wrote: “Dolphins need more firepower around the perimeter to help Tua Tagovailoa make an important leap in Year 2.“ Chase is an interesting case for the NFL offices this year as he chose to leave from the first year, focusing on preparations for the league instead of risking an injury playing for LSU. Will the teams still see you as worthy of being the first recipient of the board? Did Jalen Waddle (seventh for Detroit Lions in Brooks’ simulation) or DeVonta Smith (16th for Arizona Cardinals), both from Alabama, overtake him?
With a first-rate wide receiver added to the list, Brooks then took a look at another weapon to choose Miami’s second round, the 18th overall selection. Here, he designs Miami to add running back Najee Harris from Alabama. He explains: “After taking a receiver with the third choice, the Dolphins add a great return with dynamic skills like runner and receiver to provide more help to Your Tagovailoa. Harris is an ace like Matt Forte. “
Harris is a player often predicted to be the target of the Miami draft. The team needs to update the top end of the position group, and Harris makes sense to do so. If Miami leaves the first night of the 2021 NFL draft with Chase and Harris, they immediately updated their attack and put Tagovailoa in a position to succeed.
They would also put themselves in a position for the second round, where they would have two more choices, to add another weapon, both in attack and defense, and potentially reinforce the offensive line.