Miami Dolphins Trade Up For Baker Mayfield In Latest ‘CBS Sports’ Mock Draft
The Miami Dolphins are entering the 2018 NFL Draft with quite a few different needs to address. Adam Gase seems confident in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but there are reports that the Dolphins might consider aggressively pursuing one of the top quarterbacks in the draft class.
In order to get one of those top quarterbacks, the Dolphins would need to trade up. They currently hold the No. 11 overall pick in the draft, but there are quite a few quarterbacks who will be taken ahead of that pick. If the Dolphins do decide they want to trade up, there are quite a few teams that are looking to trade back.
According to CBS Sports’ latest mock draft, the Dolphins could trade up to the No. 5 overall pick with the Denver Broncos. This mock draft has the Dolphins making that aggressive move to draft Oklahoma Sooners’ quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield would certainly be an intriguing fit for the Dolphins. He brings the ability to make plays with his arms and legs and possesses a top-notch ability to lead football teams. That kind of leadership is something that the Dolphins have desperately needed for the past few years.
Last season at Oklahoma, Mayfield was able to put together a massive season and ended up winning the Heisman Trophy. He completed 70.5 percent of his pass attempts for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Mayfield also ran for 311 yards and five touchdowns throughout the season.
More on why Baker Mayfield cannot be ruled out as this year’s No. 1 overall pick:https://t.co/oGQFAvh62O
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2018
Standing in at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Mayfield has received some criticism for being too small to be an NFL quarterback. Despite all of those critics, Mayfield has remained vocal and confident in his skills. Other great NFL quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson were also passed over because of their size.
Miami has repeatedly stated that they are confident in Tannehill as their starter. While that is good in theory, Tannehill simply hasn’t gotten the job done in the past and is coming off of a torn ACL.
Tannehill has potential, but there is no guarantee that he will turn things around in 2018. Drafting Mayfield would not mean that Tannehill would lose the starting job. Gase and company could keep Mayfield on the bench to begin the season and allow him to learn the game from the sideline.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Dolphins end up doing in the draft. There are quite a few different routes that they could decide to go, but trading up for Mayfield might very well be the best one for them.
