Dolphins hope to find their next ‘Dan Marino’ in 2020 NFL Draft

For the last several months, all the hype has surrounded Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa, and rightfully so. After all, there has not been a pro prospect with his type of skill-set, since Stanford QB Andrew Luck declared in 2012. Tua is that good. And much like #SuckForLuck took NFL fan bases by storm, #TankForTua has quickly become a household hashtag.

But is he the only QB with the potential to lead a NFL team to the promise land?

The answer is no. And for the handful of teams desperately searching for their next franchise signal-caller, this is a very good thing.

(Check out this 2020 QB Tracker HERE)

We all know how good Tua Tagovailoa is and what he can bring to a struggling franchise like the Dolphins. But many experts and analysts believe he is the consensus #1 overall pick. So what if Miami is unable to obtain the first pick in April’s draft? What if a team like the Bengals out “tank” the Dolphins? Well the answer is simple. #BlowForBurrow.

Truth is, with each passing Saturday, NFL scouts and analysts are starting to see the star power of LSU QB Joe Burrow. Sure, Burrow is a tad bit older than Tagovailoa and doesn’t possess the arm talent or skill-set, that have myself and others gushing over the Alabama QB. Furthermore, Burrow is a five-year starter and up until this season, has looked like ‘Average Joe’ —which understandably has many concerned about his sudden rise as a potential top-10 prospect.

But through six games, Burrow has looked the part of an NFL QB and along with Tua, have slowly started separating themselves from the rest of the 2020 class. The two QBs are neck and neck in the Heisman Trophy race and the final test could come down to their November 9th match-up in Tuscaloosa. Heck, there’s even a chance these two QBs could go #1 and #2 in April’s NFL draft. But again, they’re not the only QBs with the potential to lead an NFL franchise.

Best of the Rest

We all know about Tagovailoa and Burrow but there are still several other QBs in this class, that have the potential to be long-term answers at the most important position football. Oregon’s Justin Herbert (I like him) has the strongest arm in the class, but continues to do things that give fans PTSD from a time where Ryan Tannehill was ‘the guy’. Utah State’s Jordan Love continues to flash Mahomes-like potential, but may need to continue to hone his craft before becoming the savior of a mediocre franchise. And then there’s Jake Fromm a guy that looks like the heart-throb from Dawson’s Creek and despite his above-average supporting cast, has looked good-not great-in 2019.

So yes, there’s plenty of options for teams that don’t acquire a top pick in this year’s class. However, for a team to have the potential to get one of the top QB prospects like Tagovailoa or Burrow, they must find themselves with one of the worst records in football.

And as we saw on Sunday, the Dolphins are a few plays away from winning their first game of the season. It’s going to happen, whether you’re pro-tank or not. But that doesn’t need to be the only way to acquire a franchise QB. After all, the Dolphins have set themselves up to move up and down the draft board, as they please. And in doing so, they can get whichever QB Chris Grier and his star-studded front office deem fit.

So whether you want to #TankForTua, #BlowForBurrow, #SuckForTheDuck, #LoseForLove, or #FailForFromm, there’s plenty of options available in the 2020 class. Now we just have to instill our faith in the Dolphins’ front office, and hope that they can find this once historic franchise, their next Dan Marino.

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins and fully supports #TankForTua

P.S

My 2020 QB Rankings as of 10/21

1. Tua Tagovailoa
2. Justin Herbert
3. Joe Burrow
4. Jordan Love
5. Jacob Fromm
6. Jalen Hurts
7. Jacob Eason