The Miami Dolphins will want to make sure to send the Cincinnati Bengals a late holiday card this week. Because after some ill will and bad blood appeared earlier this month, when these two teams met, the Cincinnati Bengals gave the Dolphins one of the biggest gifts this holiday season – a frustrating victory over Houston in Week 16 to push Miami Dolphins’ first highest scheduled draft choice in the 2021 NFL Draft order.
With a week to play, the Houston Dolphins’ choice is currently the 3rd overall selection in the NFL’s 2021 Draft, positioning them to recruit an elite talent or later exchange and collect another treasure of picks courtesy of an exchange like a hungry QB team tries to make noise.
But there is still a week to play – and here are the possibilities for choosing.
The roof
We provoked the possibility that this choice would reach the top three last week with the following criteria:
A Bengals win over Houston in Week 16
A Texans defeat in week 17 to Tennessee
Carolina’s victory in the last two weeks (@ Washington and vs. New Orleans)
A Falcons victory in the last two weeks (@ Kansas City and @ Tampa Bay)
But it turns out that the strength of the Houston-Atlanta schedule tiebreaker shifted in favor of Houston in Week 16, so Miami already has the leadership position based on the preliminary order’s tiebreaker criteria. That margin is very narrow, however – and the league’s results, in addition to just Houston’s game next weekend, can influence if it stays on the roof. But that choice will not exceed 3 when all is said and done.
The floor
Good news, Miami! When we conducted this exercise last week, the floor for this draft choice was a general selection of the top 15. That was reduced to a general selection in the top ten thanks to Houston’s last loss to Cincinnati. We saw all the potential teams that can overtake Houston in order on the basis of wins and losses and by predicting a Houston victory against the Titans next Sunday with defeats elsewhere on the board, the Texans’ choice reached 9th overall, courtesy from PlayoffPredictors.com.
Miami will have a choice in the top 10 as part of its return to Laremy Tunsil.
Expected result
The Texans have a tough draw next weekend – they face the Tennessee Titans, who are 10-5 and play for the division title in the middle of the race against the Indianapolis Colts. There is a lot to lose and after delivering 40 in the snow to Green Bay, the Titans are probably looking for blood. They will catch Houston in a demoralizing defeat for the Bengals and we expect a victory for the Titans as a result. And with that defeat in hand, the Texans will not only guarantee Miami a choice among the top 10, but will also finish as high mathematically as possible:
General number 3.