The dynamics of the Miami Dolphins ’first-team pick in the 2021 NFL draft are well debated. We know what’s at stake for a Dolphins team that lines up to provide the best possible support cast to their sophomore quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. Whether Miami opts for an offensive weapon (Kyle Pitts), a wide receiver or a first-class attack, the expectations are that we will see the Dolphins nailing an offensive perspective with their first pick.
But selection number 18 in general is starting to generate its own debate. For quite some time, the consensus among Dolphins fans was that the team had to use the selection to draft Alabama runner-up Najee Harris to pair up with Tagovailoa in the backfield. But the positional value of a backbone that at first seems like it may be something that confronts Miami’s team building approach with this current regime.
And if the selection is not used by Harris, in what direction can we see how the Dolphins are going?
A new contender that is fast becoming a persistent option in simulation drafts is USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker. There are a number of dynamics that will make the addition of Vera-Tucker intriguing to the Dolphins, starting first and foremost with his story with Dolphins, Austin Jackson’s left-footed attack. Miami, ironically enough, recruited Jackson in the same position as last year’s draft, and Jackson played that previous college season with Vera-Tucker acting as his right guard as the Trojans ’left guard. So you know there’s something chemical in there. And with Jackson at the professional level in 2020, Vera-Tucker made the transition out and played attacking last season.
This level of positional versatility is sure to catch the eye of the Dolphins, who prioritized positional flexibility at numerous road stops during this two-year reconstruction. Vera-Tucker’s experience in both attack and guard means the team will have plenty of options to combine before deciding on the best combination of five players up front; and if someone goes down, the line can be shuffled accordingly.
The big question with Vera-Tucker: Does it fit the Dolphins ’previously measured standards of a front-line offensive line? The team has a fairly consistent “type” looking at offensive liners – the team likes the size and lower body explosiveness of the blockers up front.
Vera-Tucker appeared on her Pro Day at 6 feet 4.5 and 308 pounds.
Alijah Vera-Tucker 6044 308 32 1/8 arm
– Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 24, 2021
This makes it a little lighter than the Dolphins trend has suggested they will charge, as Ereck Flowers and Solomon Kindley average £ 341 as initial protectors. Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt, the initials projected, have an average of 324 pounds. That’s not to say Vera-Tucker can’t group and add too much, but doing so would threaten a bit of what made him great as a prospect in 2020 at USC.
Will dolphins want to take on this challenge? Or will the team look for someone who best fits their mold? You won’t find us tilting Vera-Tucker to the Dolphins in any draft drills by the end of the month, but the NFL draft is unpredictable and can never be said.