Miami Dolphins 2021 NFL Draft: Trading back from No. 6 a real option

The Miami Dolphins have already been aggressive with their moves at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft. Late last month, Miami traded down from No. 3 to No. 12 with the San Francisco 49ers, before moving back up the board to No. 6 in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. This team is clearly looking for value and understands how to make the most out of their draft position. According to Ian Rapoport, Miami may not be done making moves.

Led by general manager Chris Grier, the Miami Dolphins are a smart organization that is likely to find value no matter the situation in the 2021 NFL Draft. Obviously, the decision that they will make at No. 6 will depend on who is on the board.

With quarterbacks nearly guaranteed to go with the first three picks of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dolphins could certainly be sitting pretty at No. 6. That being said, it all depends on what the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals do with the fourth and fifth picks respectively.

At No. 4, Atlanta is an obvious candidate to trade down. They also may have quarterback on their radar if they consider this a good opportunity to land Matt Ryan’s successor. However, if they stand put and do not take a quarterback, superstar tight end Kyle Pitts stands out as their most likely target. Pitts is a likely target for Miami at No. 6 so Atlanta snagging him at No. 4 would be a blow.

The Cincinnati Bengals are another difficult team to predict at the top of the draft. Their decision will likely come between LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The Bengals must improve their offensive line situation going forward and adding Sewell to the mix would be a massive step in the right direction. That being said, pairing Chase with his college quarterback, Joe Burrow, is certainly tempting as well.

If Chase ends up landing in Cincinnati at No. 5, this would be another tough blow to the Miami Dolphins. Chase is commonly considered the top wide receiver prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft class and is an obvious target for Miami at No. 6. Pitts and Chase appear to be the Dolphins’ top targets if they stand pat at No. 6 and it is not difficult to imagine both players being off of the board once they go on the clock.

However, Grier and the Dolphins are smart. They are not going to panic and they will ensure that they will find value. If Pitts goes fourth to Atlanta and Chase goes fifth to Cincinnati, this is where the Dolphins will likely look to trade down. It is likely that there will be a team willing to come up and make a big move for a falling quarterback. If they do move down, look for Alabama wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle as premier targets for Miami.