How Dolphins Should Maximize Trove of Draft Picks

Over the past year, the Miami Dolphins have amassed an unprecedented treasure trove of first and second-round draft picks. By trading multiple core pieces including LT Laremy Tunsil and DB Minkah Fitzpatrick, the final tally is now nine draft picks in the first two rounds of consecutive NFL Drafts – five first-rounders, two second-rounders. The list of Miami’s picks in the 2020-2021 drafts are as follows:

• 2020 NFL Draft: Three first-round picks – their own, plus the Steelers’ and Texans’ selections. Two second-round picks – their own, plus the Saints’ selection.
• 2021 NFL Draft: Two first-round picks – their own, plus the Texans’ selection. Two second-round picks – their own, plus the Texans’ selection.

It’s a bounty of picks that most GM’s would kill for if it wasn’t a sign that the state of your football team is currently in the gutter. However, if the Dolphins play their cards correctly, they could set themselves up for a lengthy influx of high-end talent, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Let’s begin with their 2020 picks.

The overall strategy here for Miami should be this: Patience, patience, patience. In order to gain the maximum value on the most amount of these picks, the Dolphins should only be picking players they are damn sure about. Yes, you have nine shots, but each miss is a loss of potentially exponential value. Here’s why.

It’s always good to lean on your faith. That’s why in situations like this, it’s a great idea to stop and ask: WWBD? (What Would Belichick Do?) How would Patriots’ Coach Bill Belichick, the greatest mind – living or dead – in the history of football, manage this many high-round picks? Would he spend all of the picks in their original spots? No, no – that’s putting all your eggs into one or two baskets (drafts). What if those draft classes end up not being particularly special?

No, history tells us Belichick would do one simple thing, over and over till he squeezed every last drop of value out of these picks. He would trade down. Then he would trade down again. Then he would trade down some more. The Belichickian way of life says spread the capital out over several drafts to ensure a higher probability of long-term success. Instead of having five first-round picks over the next two drafts, the Dolphins could have multiple first-round picks for the next five NFL Drafts. Think about that. Let’s start with the 2020 first-round picks.

Three first-round picks including what could be the first overall selection – if the Dolphins fail to win a game this year. Not unlikely from a personnel standpoint, not to mention there have been accusations even before the season started of Miami planning to tank this season. It is plausible that the Dolphins could turn the first overall pick into multiple first/second-round picks, by trading down to a quarterback-starved franchise desperate to take the top guy that year. Let’s give GMs the benefit of the doubt and say they’re not desperate enough to make a Robert Griffin III-type of trade (three first-round, plus a second-round). But two first and two second-round? Definitely possible, and would be a reasonable trade for both sides depending on the draft position of the team trading up.

What would their trove look like now? Six first-round, and six second-round picks in the 2020-2021 drafts. An unreal haul. Without getting too deep into hypotheticals, if the Dolphins continued this strategy trading down their first-round picks, and maybe even combine a few of their second-rounders to trade up, they could potentially have two first-round picks for every draft until 2024-2025, or more.

Dolphins fans, it’s going to be a tough few years. But keep your head up. If your front office has any clue about what they’re doing, your team has a good chance to become one of the youngest, deepest, most talented squads for years to come. No pain, no gain, right?