The Miami Dolphins have raised themselves from being playoff contenders in 2020. Now they’re trying to take it to the next level in 2021. Let’s see how the 2021 NFL Draft has improved their situation.

The Dolphins made several deals ahead of the NFL Draft to ultimately secure the No. 6 pick in the first round. Miami’s standings are based mostly on that top pick, but the Dolphins have made other selections that might suit them.

Dolphins NFL Draft Chess moves:

3. Jevon Holland, Security, Oregon

Many NFL Draft analysts felt the Dolphins had exceeded their limits here, and that could be true, but a team in an AFC East with Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs certainly needed free security that could cover a lot. off the pitch and protect yourself from the deep ball above. . Certainly in terms of team need, this choice made sense. The objection would be less to write a security at the start of the second round, and more to choose Holland in particular.

It was the No.36 pick in the NFL Draft. Many Pac-12 analysts believed Oregon’s safety would be taken in the 1940s or 1950s, hence fears the Dolphins might not get the best bang for their buck. It must be said that the Pac-12’s truncated 2020 college football season (only six games played instead of 10 or 11, as other conferences have done) could be of concern. However, if Holland can narrow the Miami defense field, that choice should improve the roster … and fortify the defense against the Bills’ powerful passing attack.

2. Liam Eichenberg, offensive lineman, Notre-Dame

The Dolphins absolutely had to give quarterback Tua Tagovailoa more pass protection. The choice of Eichenberg at n ° 42 in the second round meets this need. Eichenberg protected Ian Book at Notre Dame in 2020, helping the Fighting Irish reach the semifinals of the college football playoffs.

Eichenberg isn’t a towering lineman with the same high cap as Penei Sewell or Rashawn Slater – two of the top linemen in the 2021 NFL Draft – but he has given up very little pressure and layoffs this season. last. He got the job done, and the opposing pass throwers just didn’t beat him. This is a classic example of a team finding value in a position without having to enter the first round – especially the top 10 – to meet a need. The Dolphins have done well here.

1. Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver, Alabama

The crown jewel of the Dolphins’ 2021 NFL Draft is clearly their No. 6 pick.

Jaylen Waddle is extremely fast. He’s a legitimate hitter as a wide catcher. His 2020 season at the University of Alabama was cut short by a special teams injury against the Tennessee Volunteers. However, before that injury happened, Waddle smoked the Georgia Bulldogs high school for some huge plays in what was considered the SEC’s Game of the Year. Waddle helped Nick Saban once again defeat his understudy, Kirby Smart, in a rematch of the national championship game of the 2017 college football season. The Dolphins were unable to place the winger. tight 4th-place Florida Kyle Pitts – they traded the No.3 pick to the San Francisco 49ers, so they relinquished that position – so they had to settle for finding a No.6 player who could make their offense worse.

Jaylen Waddle certainly looks like that kind of player. If Miami wanted to go from No.3 to No.6, thinking Waddle would still be on the set for them, that’s exactly how the Dolphins mapped out their Top 10. They didn’t have to pay too much for one. 6th row to 3rd row selection. Their trades brought them back to 6th place, and they still got what they wanted. This is exactly how a team is supposed to operate in the NFL Draft.

The other particularly important detail attached to this pick for the Dolphins is that Waddle is a former teammate of Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa. It’s pretty impressive that Waddle provides major league speed to the Miami receiver hall, but the fact that Waddle and Tua enjoy great chemistry together – and therefore won’t have to struggle to be on the same length. wave – is a big bonus for Miami.

The Dolphins won’t have to worry about the communication between their franchise quarterback and their first pick on wide receiver. Likewise, they won’t have to worry about Tua’s ability to set the timing with Waddle on various types of reads and throws.

Kyle Pitts would probably have been great for the Dolphins, but Jaylen Waddle gives Miami a similar advantage with the bonus of being a teammate now reunited with Tua … and all for a choice of three locations lower than the Dolphins would have had. with Pitts at # 3.

Not bad.