Pre-Draft Dolphins Mailbag: Trade Scenarios, Five Prospects, Must-Haves, and More

Special pre-draft SI Fan Nation All Dolphins mailbag:

From Big Ern McDolphin (@dana_buice):

Hey my friend, this is kinda an indirect Dolphins question. Hope you don’t mind answering it. Rodgers had an off year last year by his standards. Do you think the Jets are getting last year’s Rodgers or a guy closer to the MVP QB he’s been before?

Hey Dana, yes, Rodgers had an off year last year, but also understand he wasn’t necessarily totally invested (not attending offseason program) and he did play through a thumb injury for about a month or so. I think going to the Jets is going to motivate Rodgers to stick it to the Packers (so to speak), so I definitely would expect something more to MVP Rodgers than 2022 Rodgers.

From Ken Dasher (@kdash65):

OK Alain here's a 3-shot. 1. What do you think is holding up a Wilkins extension? 2. What veteran Dolphin should be most worried about keeping their job? 3. What 1 position do you think the Dolphins can LEAST afford to neglect in the upcoming draft?

Hey Ken, rapid-fire answers: 1. Combination of offers vs. demands and wanting to see exactly how well Wilkins fits into the new defense; 2. Kind of early for that, but if it’s starting job, then Austin Jackson would seem like a logical answer here; 3. This would be my answer almost every year, and that’s the offensive and defensive lines.

From Jeff Horst (@JeffHorst4):

Alain, if you could change one playing rule in the game what would it be? Also one change for video replay?

Hey Jeff, for playing rule, I’d get rid of the spot of the foul for DPI and make it 15 yards regardless. The video replay question is easy, and that’s setting a hard — and I mean hard — deadline of 30 seconds to reverse the call. If you can’t spot a clear mistake in 30 seconds, then it’s not flagrant, so stick with the original call.

From Dolfan72 (@JDolfan72):

Is that tight end from Georgia a consideration in round 2, and who are your top five choices for that pick in an ideal situation?

The Georgia tight end (Darnell Washington) definitely would be in play at 51, though I’m not convinced he’ll be there. Top five choices for 51 (keeping it realistic, of course, with players who at least have a shot to be there) would be LB Jack Campbell, QB Hendon Hooker (don’t think he’ll be there, though), DT Mazi Smith, IOL Steve Avila, OT Matthew Bergeron.

From Chris Bustin (@ChrisBustin13):

Hey, Alain, here’s what has me jealous about the Jets’ acquisition of Aaron Rodgers: The Dolphins never, ever seem to allow competition at the QB position and, heck, they never criticize their starting QBs (can’t hurt anyone’s feelings). Do you think I’m way off base? Thanks!

Hey Chris, here’s where I could make the argument that the Jets don’t have competition at quarterback after adding Rodgers, but I get your point. And you’re right. Once the Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill, it was all about Tannehill. And now it’s all about Tua. Having said that, there’s merit if focusing on your starter if you’ve invested, say, a top 10 pick on him. It’s just that once it’s clear that starter has major limitations, then you have to bring in competition. It’s a mistake the Dolphins made with Tannehill, but I don’t think we’re there yet with Tua, especially after the season he had in 2022.

From Mad doggo (@Dogadoodle72):

Should the Dolphins trade up for a RT?

If you guarantee me the guy is going to be a standout 10-year starter, you absolutely trade up (if it means giving up the 2024 No. 1) and you do it with a smile.

From David Roland (@DavidRo22864683):

From Bob Curvelo (@curvelo13):

Hi Alain, easy one for you, but fans, at least me, are curious. With pick #51, what do you think, TE or OL? Thank You!

What position do feel like take at 51?

Hey David and Bob, I wrote a story about that just yesterday where I ranked every position by what I feel should be the priority and I’ll give you just this one spoiler, offensive line was number 1.

From Jesse (@JesseBlattstein):

Are they moving up...?

Hey Jesse, if I were to make that prediction, I would say it’s clearly on the negative side of 50-50. I just don’t know that there’s a prospect for whom they’ll want to move up while keeping the price to make that move reasonable.

From Benjamin Martin (@shrimpspurs):

Not drafting what position would mean the Dolphins failed in the draft in your opinion?

Hey Benjamin, I’m not sure it’s quite that clear-cut because you have to remember there’s the rookie free agent market and the second wave of free agency to address needs. But putting all those avenues together, the Dolphins absolutely need a tight end, and offensive and defensive line reinforcements.

From mikethewreck (@mgcroteau):

What would be the most surprising thing that you think the Dolphins could do in this year's draft? Also, who do you think will be joining the team after the draft and the June 1 money becomes available?

Hey Mike, the most surprising thing to me would be for the Dolphins to draft or, even better trade up to draft a quarterback in Round 1. As for who will join the team post-June 1, gotta believe it’ll be an offensive tackle, whether it’s Brandon Shell, Billy Turner or whoever.

From Ken Davidson (@Kenneth731239340):

Right now, the Jets have arguably the best defense in the AFC East, who in the draft and free agency do the Dolphins need to get to be on par with the Jets defense? Because TEs take longer to develop, do you think it’s better to go with Durham Smythe as TE 1 this season and do you think he can break out 2nd year in the offense or do you think Smythe has peaked and we NEED to get someone in the draft?

Hey Ken, the Jets have the best defense in the division in large part because they have studs at all three levels with DL Quinnen Williams, LB C.J. Mosley and CB Sauce Gardner. I’m not the Dolphins need any player as much as they need their front-line guys to perform to maximum capacity. I would expect Durham Smythe to get most of the snaps at tight end in 2023, but would caution against expecting big receiving numbers because that’s just not who he is as a tight end.

From The Ogre (@theogre89):

Alain, we always hear about how a QB is best served by playing in the same system that he's familiar with from the prior year. Teams will begin to "get them help" in the draft. What about the O-line? Will they progress? What help will be most impactful for this group to jell?

Yes, playing in the same system year after year helps not only the quarterbacks but everybody else on offense, though I’m not a fan of changing systems being used as an excuse for not performing. As for the offensive line, that group actually was pretty good for the most part last year when Terron Armstead was in the lineup, and what’s needed is him playing as many games as possible and Liam Eichenberg and Austin Jackson taking a step forward.

From Hebert Gutierrez Morales (via email):

Hi Alain, thank you for all your pre-draft work, it’s very informative and entertaining. I have some questions and I hope you can answer them. About the draft, I know there are a lot of people who would love players like Igbinoghene or Cedrick Wilson to be traded and get anything back for them. But are there other players with more realistic chances to be traded? I know they are still raw, and maybe with future high potential, but I think Tindall or Ezukanma would be more appealing to get something back. And the inverse question with this same idea. Is there any player from other teams the Dolphins can get almost free (by a 7th)? Maybe a good fit for McDaniel’s system? And a music question (if there’s enough room), do you like Toad the wet sprocket? I think it’s a wonderful band but so underrated.

Hey Hebert, thanks as always. I’ll start with the easy one. Yes, I do like toad the wet sprocket (particularly “All I Want," "Something's Always Wrong" and “Fly From Heaven”). As for the trade questions, I haven’t studied other teams’ rosters, so I can’t tell you who could be had for a late-round pick (because I don’t think the Vikings or Titans would give away Dalvin Cook or Derrick Henry for that). And with Tindall and Ezukanma, I get where you’re coming from, but the Dolphins already have paid their signing bonus and that’s going to stay on the cap no matter what and it would be just very bad business to dump them after one year.

From Daniel Kucera (via email):

I don't understand how two young, OL--guys. Eichenberg and Jackson can be one step away from the scrap heap when they came from quality college programs, they have healthy knees and shoulders, were high draft picks and weigh in at 6'5 and 300+ lbs. How are these guys not one decent OL coach away from being a quality starting lineman? The nature side didn't work because they didn't live up to the pedigree as day one starters. How 'bout some nurturing to bring out the best in them as well as the other young guys, Hunt and Robert Jones?

Hey Daniel, I understand your point and your frustration, but having size and playing at a big-time program aren’t enough to make it in the NFL. I just don’t think it’s as simple as saying they’ve been poorly coached. Maybe they were overrated in the first place precisely because they played at elite programs.

From Mike (via email):

Hi Alain. A reader in the Saturday mailbag discussed the worst day in Dolphin's history. My vote is for the day Cam Cameron and his Fail Forward Fast philosophy was hired. He certainly got the Fail and Fast correct. Not so sure about the Forward. Your thoughts?

Hey Mike, there is some validity to your point considering Cameron was done after one 1-15 season, and it was particular painful because one of the candidates the Dolphins interviewed for the job was Mike Tomlin — who, no duh, would have been a better choice.

From Larry Perl (via email):

Here’s my question: If we draft a starting right tackle, or at least a back-up for Austin Jackson, should it be someone who played RT all through college, or someone who played mostly LT, and assume that he can make the transition to RT? I ask because Tua’s blind side is his right side and we seem to be committed to Tua for the long haul, so I’m thinking that shouldn’t we get an experienced right tackle to protect his blind side for years to come, rather than a LT who will bide his time at right tackle until he succeeds Terron Armstead? There's some good OTs we might be able to get in this draft, who have been mostly RTs, as far as I can tell, like Dawand Jones and Darnell Wright, if we trade up, or Warren McClendon and Wanya Morris. But obviously, there are strong LTs, too, like Cody Mauch, Matthew Bergeron and Jaelyn Duncan. Armstead is injury-prone, so we could use a good backup LT. Also, which is the higher priority in your opinion, tight end or right tackle/guard? Anyway, sorry to be long-winded. Thanks for reading. Keep up the good work!

Hey Larry, it’s a very interesting point you raise, but I’m for getting the best player, period. Also understand that Armstead has missed games every single year of his NFL career, so it would behoove the Dolphins to have a high-caliber left tackle ready to step in. As for the second question, since I think the Dolphins can get by at tight end with Durham Smythe, Eric Saubert and whoever is brought in before training camp, I’ll go with an offensive lineman as a bigger priority. And I think it almost always should be a bigger priority.