The Miami Dolphins went into this draft with one objective folks- and it was to land Tua at #5. He's been the pick for the last 18 months and I truly believe that if this organization was picking #1 overall, the pick would have been the same. Trading up for Burrow has been our smokescreen all along, Flores didn't really want Burrow and Cinci didn't want to give up Burrow, so we used it as ammo to discuss trades with teams in the #'s 1, 2, 3, and 4 slots.

Only, we really had no intention of trading...the goal was to drive the price up to a premium so other teams couldn't jump us for Tua. This was a chess match folks and Grier played one heck of a game. I honestly sat there with each of the early picks not knowing whether or not we'd be on the board....I didn't think we would, but I didn't know for sure either because Grier did his job and got his quarterback at the price he wanted to pay. Burrow had a great 2019 year but played like crap in 2018...betting on him at #1 was actually more of a gamble in my eyes than taking Tua at #5. And I think that's why we make the facade of pushing so hard for Burrow...we weren't convincing ourselves, we were convincing Cinci to lock that pick in early.

Do I love the pick? I've been vocally against Tua this whole time because we don't know what the future holds in that hip. It has scared me taking a player coming off a big injury and for me, it's not worth the gamble...but that no longer matters. Grier/Flores gambled and they hauled in a fantastic QB. I am now 100% all-in on Tua and I think he can be a great QB for us someday- I think long-term, he will be the top QB from this draft class.

A+ pick- it's exactly what the Dolphins wanted, without trading up.

For our second pick in Austin Jackson, we slightly overpaid but I also understand why since there was a run on tackles. Jackson was on track to be among the "elite 4" when he had the surgery to save his sister- a bone marrow transplant takes a while to fully heal from and I love this kid's character. Some have said it would have made more sense to trade up for one of the other tackles but I'm confident that Grier was going to draft his board after the first two picks (a QB and an OT). It could have just as easily been a run on WR's instead, but it wasn't and I think Jackson could be a day-one starter with some semblance of a mini camp. He's a big, tough kid that can really brawl.

B- pick- he was the best OT on board and we desperately needed a solid OT

For Noah Igbinoghene, this was a Flores selection to build that dominant defense with superior athletes on the field shutting down passing routes. Personally, I really wanted RB Swift or Taylor with this pick and would have loved an edge rusher as well, but I can understand the philosophy here as well- now the team has three really talented man/press corners that will give opposing QB's fits. If this kid develops in the slot or at safety, we are going to have the top secondary in football for a very long time.

C+ pick (up to a B- since we traded back)- he was the BPA that fits Flores defensive philosophy of shut-down man coverage

Overall, I think the Dolphins had an excellent first round. They played their board and got exactly what they wanted out of this draft without having to overpay. I am excited for rounds 2 and 3 since I think Grier/Flores have a lot of guys in the later rounds that they see starting on day one- so far they've shown that they can identify and maximize talent as well as anyone. Personally, I didn't get any of my "favorites" on day one but that's why I'm a fan and not an NFL GM. I think it's important to judge these selections not on what we wanted, but what our team wants to fit a long-term vision and how they executed on that. From that perspective, it's hard to knock any of these three picks since the Dolphins are definitely a better team for 2020 and beyond.

B+ overall 1st round grade

 

I mean, if Tua is a bust then so is Flores...it really is that simple. We bet everything on him being the guy and it's great that we didn't overpay, but he still has to deliver for many seasons before we can pass judgement on if we made the right pick or not. The best a team could hope for in a draft though is get their primary targets, and we clearly know that Tua was Miami's #1 goal.

That's how it is for every GM though- produce or you're out the door.