The Miami Dolphins' rebuild is underway, but it can't graduate to the next stage until the team finds its franchise quarterback.
Miami has done its homework on the 2019 NFL draft class, meeting with and watching workouts of the top three quarterbacks -- Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock -- likely to be selected in the first round of April's draft. The big question remains if one or more have convinced the Dolphins they are worth building a franchise around.
Consistent debate has raged among the Miami fan base and in the media about whether selecting a presumed franchise quarterback in 2019 or waiting for the more heralded 2020 draft is the best decision for the rebuilding Dolphins. That answer won't truly be known until after this month's draft.
What is becoming clear is that Haskins and Lock are the wild cards for Miami's quarterback plans.
How the Dolphins feel about the prospects could dramatically affect their draft philosophy. General manager Chris Grier said at the NFL owners meetings that all options are on the table, but priority No. 1 is finding a franchise quarterback.
"It's imperative that you have one that you can win with in this league," Grier said. "If we get to this year's draft and we feel it's him, we'll be aggressive in trying to get him. And if we feel that it's not this draft -- which we're still in the process of going through that -- maybe there's someone down the line here that may have potential that we like and then we'll focus on 2020."
It's almost time to put the Murray-to-Miami dream to bed. The Murray-to-Arizona Cardinals connection is growing stronger, and it seems teams would clamor to get the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner among the top four picks if the Cardinals somehow pass on him. The Dolphins, however, don't seem to be strong candidates to make a trade up to the very top of April's draft.
Detroit at pick No. 8 and Buffalo at pick No. 9 are hot points for a trade up if a quarterback Miami loves is falling lower than expected. For example, if the Dolphins graded Haskins as a potential franchise quarterback worthy of a top-10 pick and he falls outside the top seven, then that could be the point where a trade up is considered. Denver at No. 10 and Cincinnati at No. 11 both seem like prime QB landing spots that would need to be jumped for Miami to get its guy.
The Dolphins could also stay put at No. 13, and if the last of the top three quarterbacks (such as Lock) falls to them, they could decide between picking him or passing to select their favorite player on the board in the trenches.
Neither 2019 draft option should be ruled out, and Miami could have a tough choice if Oakland (No. 4), the New York Giants (No. 6) and Jacksonville (No. 7) pass on quarterbacks as many have suggested they will. If the board falls that way, we will quickly see how much Miami values the non-Murray QB options in the draft -- primarily Haskins and Lock.
Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins have grabbed a lot of headlines leading into the NFL draft. But don't overlook Missouri's Drew Lock.
Haskins is the prototypical NFL dropback passer with great size, accuracy, throwing power and an ability to make all the throws. His biggest questions are his lack of experience (one-year starter at Ohio State) and mobility (slower feet than you would like, 5.04 40-yard dash).
Lock, who was a 3 1/2-year starter at Missouri, has strong command of the ball, arm strength, size and athleticism for a NFL quarterback. The biggest marks against him are a lack of consistency on passes (57 percent career completion percentage) and why he didn't play better and/or win more against SEC competition.
Both Haskins and Lock are expected to be top-20 picks, and it's reasonable that all three (including Murray) could become top-10 picks. Yet given Miami's bounty of picks in 2020 (10 picks with an additional two projected midround compensatory selections), it does have the flexibility to move up four or five spots to get its man.
"It always has to be the right guy in terms of personality, leadership skills," Grier said. "At that position, you can never be satisfied until you have the guy you really feel can give you a chance to win a championship."
Even if QB is a no-go in the first round for Miami, expect the Dolphins to look hard at drafting a quarterback high. There are still intriguing talents in the next tier worth developing on a rebuilding team.
A few names to watch for the Dolphins in this realm, as potential Day 2 selections, are West Virginia's Will Grier, Buffalo's Tyree Jackson and Auburn's Jarrett Stidham.
Chris Grier brought up the possibility of double-dipping on quarterbacks in the 2019 and 2020 drafts. That would be a great idea for Miami, whether it finds its franchise quarterback in 2019 or not.
Here's why:
Miami hasn't drafted a quarterback higher than the seventh round since 2012 when Ryan Tannehill was selected. The cupboard is empty. It needs to be refilled with starters and backups.
The Dolphins are rebuilding, and not close to contending, so they have the luxury that most teams don't in seeking future players rather than win-now additions.
Miami hasn't filled the quarterback position properly since Dan Marino retired after the 1999 season. There's nothing wrong with multiple shots to get it right.
"The quarterback position is of the utmost importance," Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. "Any time you can create competition at a position, you do it."
As we head toward the 2019 draft, the two wild cards to watch in preparation for the Dolphins' future at the position are Haskins and Lock.