Miami Dolphins NFL Draft Picks 2020: Round-by-Round Results, Grades

How will the Dolphins use their picks in the 2020 NFL draft? Take a look at every selection.

The Dolphins had a rocky 2019 season, which opened with seven straight losses. Miami ended up finishing 5–11 under first-year head coach Brian Flores after the team overhauled its roster early on with a string of trades. 

Ryan Tannehill, Laremy Tunsil, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kenyan Drake were sent to other clubs in the offseason or early weeks of the 2019 campaign. The Dolphins traded for quarterback Josh Rosen and signed veteran journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick, who beat out Rosen for the starting job in training camp. Despite Fitzpatrick starting in most of its games, Miami is still not convinced he is their guy for 2020.

In the 2019 NFL draft, the team looked to add impact players all over the field. Miami selected defensive tackle Christian Wilkins with the No. 13 pick and added offensive lineman Michael Deiter in the third round (No. 78 pick). The Dolphins also added linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, tackle Isaiah Prince and running backs Chandler Cox and Myles Gaskin in the late rounds.

Miami's biggest goals for this year's draft are adding a quarterback, offensive tackle and pass rusher, according to The MMQB's AFC East Team Needs. The franchise is expected to target former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa or possibly Oregon's Justin Herbert to boost its offense. Upgrades to the Dolphins' O-line will also help the team feel more comfortable with its entire playbook. Flores is trying to implement a Patriots-style scheme and needs a true pass rusher opposite Kyle Van Noy to pull it off.

The Dolphins' first-round selections in this year's NFL draft will be broken down with grades from The MMQB's Andy Benoit. A full list of Miami's picks will be updated below as the draft progresses. You can follow along with AllDolphins' draft live blog.

Round 1, Pick 5 (No. 5 overall): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Andy Benoit's analysis: Consider this the perfect world for Stephen Ross’s team. The wildly unfair “Tanking for Tua” slogan proved false, but only because the Dolphins played so much better in the second half of last season and fell all the way to No. 5 in the draft order. Tagovailoa’s late-season hip injury may have been a blessing in disguise, as none of the other QB-needy teams traded up to get him.

That hip is reportedly healed, and there is time for it to get even stronger as the Dolphins don’t need Tagovailoa to play right away. But it’d be a surprise if he’s not the starter come mid-November. The Dolphins are still in the early phases of a massive rebuild, and stopgap veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick can be counted on for at least a half-dozen of the type of head-scratching interceptions that get a quarterback benched.

Tagovailoa’s draft status also speaks to the expanding definition of an NFL quarterback. Ten years ago, a small-statured, good-but-not-great-armed QB would have never gone fifth overall. But football IQ, athleticism and intangibles have become even more valued at the position. Still, for Tagovailoa to succeed, the Dolphins must support him with a strong cast and crisply defined system. He projects to the NFL as more of a timing and rhythm passer than a Russell Wilson-style playmaker. Grade: B

Round 1, Pick 18 (No. 18 overall): Austin Jackson, OT, USC

Andy Benoit's analysis: Let’s keep it simple: The Dolphins just drafted a quarterback who must be protected. They had an extremely limited offensive line in 2019, and signing free agent left guard Ereck Flowers alone was not enough to change things in 2020. So, they used their next first-round pick on an offensive lineman. Jackson likely wasn’t atop their offensive tackle board (there were rumors that they were trying to trade for the No. 3 overall pick), but he is a long-bodied, flexible athlete who showed competitiveness at USC. Grade: B+

Round 1, Pick 30: Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn

Andy Benoit's analysis: With just two years of cornerback experience, the converted wide receiver enters the NFL as a raw but supremely gifted prospect. The athleticism and competitiveness that Igbinoghene showed at Auburn are mandatory traits in the man-to-man-intensive scheme that Miami is aggressively investing in. With pricey ex-Cowboy Byron Jones and pricey incumbent Xavien Howard on the roster, it’s possible the Dolphins plan on grooming Igbinoghene for a role in the slot. At 5' 11", 198 he has the measurables to play inside or outside. More likely, though, is the Dolphins see raw talent that they’d like to groom and figure they’ll decide on a long-term role later in the process. Grade: C+

Round 2, No. 39 overall: Robert Hunt, T, Louisiana

Andy Benoit's analysis: This pick is not overkill after the Dolphins took USC left tackle Austin Jackson in Round 1. They entered this draft with glaring needs at both tackle spots, considering that young veterans Julie’n Davenport and Jesse Davis are both better suited for utility backup roles. Davenport and Davis, stylistically, have traits that could transition well to guard, and so does Hunt, who at 6' 5", 323 and with just 33.5-inch arms has a compact build. But given that free agent Ereck Flowers was just signed to a surprisingly expensive contract to play left guard, and Michael Deiter was drafted in the third-round last year to play right guard, the plan at this point is likely for Hunt to be a right tackle. Grade: C+

Round 2, No. 56 overall: Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama

Andy Benoit's analysis: Davis is a somewhat less-heralded prospect, but he has potentially explosive trench-fighting traits and is built for the gritty, two-gap plugging tactics that Miami’s scheme often calls for on first and second down. Before the draft, the only real scheme fits in this sense on Miami’s roster were last year’s first-rounder Christian Wilkins and space-clogging nose tackle Davon Godchaux. Grade: C+

Round 3, No. 70 overall: Brandon Jones, S, Texas

Andy Benoit's analysis: Adrian Colbert and Steven Parker were not bad playing free safety for Miami down the stretch last season, but both are veteran journeymen for a reason. Expect Jones to get a long look in centerfield first and foremost. Grade: B-

Round 4, No. 111 overall: Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia

Round 5, No. 154 overall: Jason Strowbridge, DE, North Carolina

Round 5, No. 164 overall: Curtis Weaver, EDGE, Boise State

Round 6, No. 185 overall: Blake Ferguson, LS, LSU

Round 7, No. 246 overall: Malcolm Perry, WR, Navy

***

Everything You Need to Know About the NFL Draft: Sign up for Sports Illustrated’s newsletters and get complete NFL Draft coverage and analysis -- delivered right to your inbox.