Examining the Dolphins possibilities at 18
So we looked at the Dolphins' options at number 5 on Tuesday, with the idea the Miami would take either a quarterback, offensive tackle or one of two defensive prospects.
When it comes to pick number 18, the possibilities clearly multiply as we move down the draft.
The first possibility is that the Dolphins don't pick at 18, but rather use the pick to move a back into the top 10 after their first selection.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweeted Wednesday that the Arizona Cardinals are interested in trading down from the eighth spot to try to recoup a second-round pick, which they don't have by virtue of their trade with the Houston Texans for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
So maybe the Dolphins talk to the Cardinals about moving up from 18 to 8. What would kind of move up cost the Dolphins?
The Dolphins have the seventh pick of the second round, the 39th overall, and that one is worth 510 points. So 900 plus 510 equals ... more quick math ... 1,410 points.
Voila!
The Dolphins and Cardinals certainly wouldn't be opposed to trading with each other, considering the Kenyan Drake trade of last season.
So what would the Dolphins do at 8 in that scenario?
It's easier to look at it as a tandem situation with the fifth pick.
In any situation, though, it seems almost a lock that one of the two picks would be one of the four top-tier offensive tackles available — Andrew Thomas from Georgia, Tristan Wirfs from Iowa, Jedrick Wills from Alabama or Mekhi Becton from Louisville.
The other pick very well could be a quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert) or one of those two aforementioned defensive studs (Derrick Brown or Isaiah Simmons).
Another potential trade partner is San Francisco.
The 49ers have the 13th and 31st picks in the first round, but no picks after that until the fifth round. They are said to be interested in moving one or both picks to accumulate more draft assets.
So the Dolphins perhaps might talk to them to move up from 18 to 13. Pick 13 is worth 1,150 points, which means the Dolphins would have to make up 250 points, which is the 68th overall pick. The Dolphins have the 70th overall pick.
If they move from 18 to 13, the logical targets would be one of the four aforementioned offensive tackles or perhaps one of the two quarterbacks should they fall to that spot.
The Dolphins also could move back to pick up even more draft capital, though that's clearly a less likely scenario.
If they stay put at 18, the choice obviously would depend on what they did at 5.
If the Dolphins take a tackle at 5, then maybe they consider Utah State quarterback Jordan Love at that spot (assuming Herbert and Tagovailoa are off the board). Or maybe they think about South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to give them a pass-rushing presence inside. Or maybe the look for a safety for more depth in the secondary, with either Xavier McKinney or Antoine Winfield Jr. possibilities here.
If the Dolphins take a quarterback or a defensive player at 5, then the focus at 18 absolutely would have to be on a tackle above the other positions mentioned.
The likelihood of any of the top four tackles being there at 18 is remote, so the Dolphins then would have to choose among the second tier of tackle prospects — Austin Jackson from USC, Ezra Cleveland from Boise State, Josh Jones from Houston.
