This is part of a series on Canes football games that have been lost to history. Information on the series including other articles is available here. 

The Year

The year is 2012. President Barack Obama is in the final year of his first term in office. The week of September 22nd, 2012 saw We Are Never Getting Back Together by Taylor Swift top the Billboard Hot 100 list for the 3rd week in a row. And Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James was #1 on the New York Times fiction best seller list. Gas was $3.83 a gallon. In addition to the ongoing US Presidential Election, the top news story was worldwide attacks on several US Embassies, with the most notable being in Benghazi, Libya, where 4 Americans were killed.

The Combatants

The Canes entered this game at 2-1, with the loss being a 39-point blowout at Kansas State.

Georgia Tech was 2-1, having lost an overtime game to Virginia Tech.

The Context

For the Canes, the story was Al Golden. The Nevin Shapiro scandal was the new normal, but even with that context, the previous season’s disappointing record did have one silver lining…all 6 losses were one possession games. The thinking was that with marginal improvement, the Canes could turn those losses into wins.

That narrative collapsed in the second game of the season when the Kansas State Wildcats demolished Miami. The gap between Miami and a decent team (which is what Kansas State was at the time) was startling.

In hindsight, all the signs of Golden’s demise were present, but at this juncture, it was still a situation where most fans were trying to balance the scandal with the play on the field and figure out what represented the true quality of an Al Golden team.

The Game

This game is absolutely crazy.

For Miami, this game was about Stephen Morris, Mike James, and Phillip Dorsett.

Morris got going early, and threw a 65-yard TD pass to Dorsett on the game’s 3rd play. The Canes would then drive for a FG, which was set up by another 40-yard completion to Dorsett.

And this is where Georgia Tech had a mental breakdown. On the kickoff, the GT kick returner broke the plain with the ball and knelt it, resulting in a safety and putting the Canes up 12-0. With the short field (the Canes started at the GT 48 yard line), Miami drove for Mike James’ first TD of the game to put the Canes up 19-0, literally on the last play of the 1st quarter. That drive also featured the injury that would short-circuit Malcolm Lewis’ career.

On the subsequent kickoff, once again, the Canes stuffed GT, this time inside their 10-yard line. Up by 19 on an option team, the Canes appeared to be in control. But D’Onofrio happens.

In a stunning 2nd quarter explosion, The Yellow Jackets started to methodically destroy the Miami defense. The Canes caught a seeming reprieve when offsetting penalties wiped out an 80-yard run. But it didn’t matter as GT capped off a 91-yard drive with a TD.

The Canes offense appeared to get back in gear on the next drive, but Dorsett fumbled at the end of another long catch (this one for 32-yards) and GT immediately had the ball back. They went 57 yards in 6 plays to cut the lead to 5 at 19-14.

Next it was time for Miami special teams to fail. On the next possession, Miami punted and it was returned 56 yards to the Canes’ 23. The defense shut down GT’s option, and put the Yellow Jackets in 3rd and 11…where they promptly gave up a 17-yard completion to a team that could not pass. But they weren’t done giving up long 3rd down plays. 3 plays later, on 3rd and goal from the 10, the Canes allowed the GT QB to run, Tevin Washington, to walk into the end zone, almost untouched. To rub salt in the wound, GT went for 2 and completed a pass on it, to go ahead 22-19.

The rest of the half featured Stephen Morris forcing a deep ball into coverage for an INT, and the half essentially running out from there. Miami won the first quarter 19-0, but somehow lost the 2nd half 22-0 and was down 22-19 at the half.

If you expected an inspired halftime reaction, adjustments to stop the offense that everyone knew GT would be running, or even a competitive response coming out of the half, you would be disappointed. It took only 4 plays for GT to go 65 yards and go up 29-19.

The Canes did finally put a solid drive together, but had to punt from midfield. Once again, the Canes did a poor job in punt coverage, and GT returned it to their own 40. On the next play, they completed another long pass, this one for 58 yards, and were in the end zone one play later.

From 12 minutes left in the 2nd quarter to 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Yellow Jackets scored 36 points in a row, and took a commanding 36-19 lead.

But the Canes did not sink. They embarked on a long, methodical drive that went 74 yards on 17 plays, culminating in a FG that cut the lead to 14 points and at least stopped the 36 point streak.

Miami’s defense also finally settled in, and forced a GT punt. 82 yards from the end zone, the Canes went on another long drive, this time all the way to the end zone, with Mike James picking up the TD, and cutting the lead to a one TD game at 36-29.

It seemed like Miami was back in the game, and immediately forcing another punt put the Canes in great shape to tie the game. Starting from their own 8, the Canes once again put together a long drive, going 88 yards in 10 plays. But they couldn’t punch it in despite having 1st and goal at the 3-yard line. And then Jake Wieclaw missed a 22-yard FG.

That should have been game over. One gut punch too many. And when GT was able to run 8 plays before punting, and drop the ball inside the Canes’ 10-yard line again, Miami found themselves 91 yards from the tying TD with only 2 minutes left.

Stephen Morris promptly completed 4 consecutive passes to Davon Johnson, totaling 50 yards and taking Miami to the GT 41. From there, Morris hit Duke Johnson for 25 yards. Two Yellow Jacket penalties took the Canes to the GT 10-yard line with 27 seconds left. Mike James scored his 3rd TD of the game on a middle screen pass from Morris and miraculously, the Canes had tied the game at 36 and sent it into OT.

On the first possession of OT, GT drove inside the Canes 5-yard line. On 2nd and 5 they got 2 yards, then another yard on 3rd down, setting up 4th and an inch at the 1. GT trusted their option attack…and shouldn’t have. Eddie Johnson destroyed GT QB Tevin Washington and stopped him just short of the 1st down.

Miami just needed a FG, but Mike James ended the festivities on the 2nd play of the Canes’ possession, going 24  yards for the game clinching TD, his 4th of the game. The Canes won 42-36.

First Half: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMTktztcA8A&t=2s

Second Half: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCeMf1wMMYg

Why is it Memorable?

Where to start? First, I linked the half highlights above because it a “no huddle” cut, meaning you get through both videos in roughly an hour and fifteen minutes. I encourage anyone with some spare time to do that.

This game featured huge performances from Stephen Morris and Phillip Dorsett, who totaled 436 and 184 yards, respectively. Mike James scored 4 TDs (3 rushing, 1 receiving). Duke Johnson also had an impact on the ground and through the air.

Davon Johnson came out of nowhere to step up. He had 107 yards receiving, but 50 came on 4 consecutive plays on the last drive of regulation.

And time and again, both teams look like they were down and out, and then came back. Eddie Johnson had the highlight reel hit in OT to stop GT, but in regulation, on GT’s last true possession, Anthony Chickillo made 2 consecutive, huge tackles to hold GT short of the 1st down or they would have run the clock out without Miami having the opportunity to drive for the tying TD.

On the negative, yet uplifting side, this game will also be remembered for the horrific injury that Malcolm Lewis sustained, and Al Golden’s compassion in that moment. That moment was Golden’s finest as the Miami Head Coach.

In the end, this was a game that saw the Canes score the first 19 points, GT come back and run off 36 points in a row, and then the Canes digging deep to score the last 23 and win OT. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a game that streaky and one in which a team lost despite scoring 36 points in a row. But that is what happened on this day.

The Aftermath

Neither team was good, and this would show up repeatedly. The Canes would run their record to 4-1 before imploding with 3 straight losses, tacking on a heartbreaking loss at Virginia late in the year, and finishing 7-5.

This was the “transition” year in the Al Golden tenure. One in which the Canes took their final bowl ban, and entered the offseason for the last time not knowing what their sanctions would be. It was also the year that Golden transitioned from close losses to blowout losses. In addition to the aforementioned Kansas State blowout, the Canes lost badly to Notre Dame and Florida State.

For Georgia Tech, they would recover to “win” the ACC Coastal, but ultimately finish 7-7, losing the ACC Championship game to Florida State.

Miami, North Carolina, and Georgia Tech ended up in a 3-way tie atop the ACC Coastal. North Carolina had the tiebreaker, but received a postseason ban from the NCAA. This made it a 2-way tie between Georgia Tech and Miami, and this 42-36 OT classic could have conceivably sent the Canes into a rematch with FSU and their first ACC title game. Ultimately, Miami opted (correctly) to self-impose a postseason ban. At 7-5, getting slaughtered by FSU for a 2nd time and then losing a bowl game didn’t seem wise when they could sacrifice those games for less restrictions later (this worked as the Canes received a slap on the wrist less than a year later).

So, Georgia Tech was the last team standing for not being banned from postseason play, and ended up making it to Charlotte. 2 years later, Georgia Tech would win the ACC Coastal again, this time with a much better team. They lost a nailbiter to FSU there, 37-35, but recovered to blowout Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl, which was the best season of Paul Johnson’s tenure.

For Miami fans, this was probably Al Golden’s second best season, and perhaps the one that most filled the fans with a false sense of optimism. Performances like this were a mirage that made everyone feel good about wins, but were ultimately huge warning signs of an impending implosion, particularly on defense.

Have memories of this game? Tweet us at @vrp2003 and @5ReasonsSports

This is part of a series on Canes football games that have been lost to history. Information on the series including other articles is available here. 

The Year

The year is 2004. President George W. Bush had been re-elected to a second term 11 days prior. The week of November 13th, 2004 saw My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys top the Billboard Hot 100 list for the 3rd week in a row. And Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich was #1 on the New York Times fiction best seller list. Gas was $1.96 a gallon. In addition to the recently concluded election, the Middle East topped the headlines, as the War in Iraq saw insurgents capture Mosul, while in an unrelated Mideast matter, Iran was working on a deal over their nuclear arms program (some things stay the same).

The Combatants

This was a Top 20 matchup.

The Canes were 6-2, with 2 conference losses.

Virginia came into this game at 7-1.

The Context

The Canes were reeling coming off consecutive losses. Having peaked at #4 in the polls, the Canes had lost consecutive games to North Carolina by 3 on a last-second FG and to Clemson by 7 in overtime. They had fallen to #18 in the AP Poll.

Virginia had only one loss, to Florida State.

But the Seminoles had already lost twice. With Virginia Tech leading the ACC, but also having a loss, and with both teams still having to play Virginia Tech, the winner of this game controlled their own destiny in the ACC.

This was the last year before the ACC switched to divisions, so whoever finished on top of the regular season standings won the conference. This was also Miami’s first year in the ACC.

The Game

The best word to describe this game is intense. Miami actually never trailed, and yet the entire game felt like it was on razor’s edge.

Miami had 2 long drives in the 1st quarter. The first resulted in a missed FG, but the second lead to a Frank Gore TD.

Virginia answered immediately with a TD to tie the game. Roscoe Parrish (much more from him later) returned a punt 45 yards to set up another Canes TD.

The Canes took the 14-7 lead into the half, but one of the themes of the day began to present itself as the Canes drove to the UVA 27, but went for it on 4th down and got stuffed. That, coupled with the earlier missed FG, meant the Canes had left at least 6 points on the field.

The second half saw both teams exchange punts before UVA tied the game late in the 3rd quarter with a 3-play, 67 yard drive capped off by Alvin Pearman’s 34-yard TD run.

Miami answered with a 43-yard FG (a similar distance to the FG that the Canes neglected to kick earlier) to take a 17-14 lead into the 4th quarter. After forcing a punt, the Canes had an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the Cavaliers, but Larry Coker chose to punt from the UVA 34-yard line. Miami’s John Peattie was a reliable kicker, and the overall decisions to pass on FGs, as well as an uncharacteristic miss, saw the Canes up by 3 instead of 9.

On the next UVA punt, Roscoe Parrish once again got loose, breaking a few tackles, and this time took the return all the way to the house, putting the Canes up 24-14 with 7:38 left. On the next play, Brandon Meriweather picked off a pass and that sealed the game, except it didn’t.

Instead, the Canes lost 4 yards on 3rd and 1 at the UVA 41 and punted. Then UVA scored a TD in 4 plays and 79 yards in less than a minute to cut the lead to 3. All of a sudden, it was game on with 3:22 left.

Frank Gore had been the Canes’ offense on the day carrying 28 times for 195 yards and a TD. But with UVA stacking the box, he netted 5 yards on 2 plays. Brock Berlin, who was having an efficient, conservative game, was called on. His play-action completion to Talib Humphrey not only got the first down, but picked up 34 yards after Humphrey ran through several tackles. The Canes picked up 6 yards on 3 plays, getting down to the UVA 25 with 58 seconds left and the Cavaliers out of timeouts.

Miami had the option of kicking the FG, throwing underneath to ice the game, or…going for broke and throwing it to the end zone.

At first, Coker sent out the FG team, but was waiting to take a timeout with 1 second on the play clock. He did so, but Peattie took and missed the FG anyway. The play didn’t count because of the timeout, but perhaps that convinced Coker to go for it, because he, and his team went for it all.

On a play action pass, Parrish showed up again, making a twisting 25-yard TD reception, which this time finally ended the game, with the Canes winning 31-21.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYEbgipN0g4

Why is it Memorable?

This was the first time since 1999 that the Canes were out of the National Championship picture, so there is certainly that element. The game had an odd feeling.

Miami’s 2 big time players carried them. Frank Gore, playing with a bad ankle, carried 28 times for 195 yards and a TD, and also had a reception for 4 yards, which means 29 touches and 199 yards…while injured. It’s hilarious to look back on this game and hear the commentators talk about how Gore’s 2 ACL injuries have slowed him down. They were almost nostalgic about what could have been. 16 years later, Gore is still playing and is a lock for the NFL Hall Of Fame. And you know what? He actually COULD have been better. Gore is ridiculous.

And if this series of articles is about anything, it’s about greatness forgotten, and Roscoe Parrish fits that bill. Roscoe is an all-timer at Miami, but he lived in Devin Hester’s shadow as a returner, and was a little too diminutive to be a true NFL superstar, which is often how Miami’s players are measured. Yet this game showed just how great Roscoe was. Parrish had 4 yards rushing, 50 yards receiving, and 121 yards in returns for a total of 175 yards.

This game was also a throwback to when the Canes used to know how to effectively use the FB. Talib Humphrey had 3 critical receptions for 49 yards, including a huge late 4th quarter 3rd down conversion and a TD reception.

But this was also just a great college football game, and a reminder of why we love the sport. Packed house, perfect football weather. Both teams kept trading blows, the momentum swung wildly back and forth, and eventually, the Canes landed the knockout blow.

As color commentator Tim Brandt exclaimed toward the end of the 3rd quarter, “What a football game!”

The Aftermath

Oh, what could have been.

For the Canes, this was their best chance to win the ACC. The Canes jumped up to #9 in the polls, and subsequently crushed Wake Forest setting up a de facto ACC title game at home against Virginia Tech.

But Miami lost that game 16-10, and with it, the ACC. With the ACC switching to divisions and 2004 being a transition year, this was the last time there was not a conference championship game.

At the time, the assumption was Miami would be a regular participant in that game, but it would be 13 years until the Canes made that expected appearance, and in the 15 years since the 2004 VT loss, they’ve been unable to win the conference. A home win against Virginia Tech could have ended that narrative before it started, and if it had, this 2004 Virginia game in particular would be pointed at as the game that propelled them.

The Canes would recover to beat Florida in the Peach Bowl, and finish the year ranked 11th, but in hindsight, the ACC was there for the taking.

For Virginia, the season crated a bit from here. They did recover to win against Georgia Tech in Atlanta, but lost badly to Virginia Tech and then lost in overtime to Fresno State in the MPC Computers Bowl. A footnote to this game is that both of Virginia’s coordinators would go on to be head coaches, and fail miserably.

Ron Prince went to Kansas State, where he was fired after 3 years. He’s currently the head coach at Howard. And Virginia’s Defensive Coordinator is a major contributing factor to both the Canes’ 13-year ACC Title Game drought and overall inability to win the ACC. Suffice it to say that those are 5 years of our program we’re never getting back.

Probably the most ridiculous oddity surrounding this game is that the Canes head coaches from 2001-2015 were all coaching in this game with Larry Coker (Miami HC), Randy Shannon (Miami DC), and Al Golden (Virginia DC) all participating.

Have memories of this game? Tweet us at @vrp2003 and @5ReasonsSports

The Miami Hurricanes have a long and storied history, with many glorious, memorable victories.

They’ve produced the greatest football team in college football history.

They’ve invaded the national ethos. If someone mentions “Wide Right,” any college football fan knows exactly what is being talked about.

The program itself is iconic, with legendary filmmaker Billy Corben producing 2 documentaries on the football program, The U and The U Part 2. A third documentary, “Catholics versus Convicts,” talks about the Notre Dame-Miami rivalry in the 80s.

The Canes’ ascension into the ethos of sports culture, and the subsequent hyper focus on the program, has resulted in games and performances that would be legendary and program defining at most programs being relegated to the background, mere scenery.

But they shouldn’t be, and if the global pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that it’s never to late to right wrongs, to tell people we care about them, and to argue over inane, unimportant stuff. And this will accomplish all 3 of those things.

The Selection Criteria

The general selection criteria was flatly my opinion. But I did try to use some consistent logic, which I’m sure I violated multiple times. With that said, I did intentionally exclude any National Championship games or rivalry games (Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech) since by definition, those are never really forgotten. So, while Kirby Freeman dropped this dime to beat FSU in a game that would otherwise make the list, in this instance, it does not. I also intentionally excluded certain games, like 1998 UCLA, which do live on Canes’ lore.

I fully acknowledge my own recency bias towards games I remember. I didn’t even consider games prior to the Canes’ first championship in 1983. And some games received deference because they are important to me. The importance of the game in the larger scheme of things might have had a tangential impact, but was not specifically considered, with a huge exception for any game that was really important, but is now forgotten and not viewed as such. For the very recent games, I thought about whether it would make the list 15-20 years from now.

And that’s pretty much it. I’m sure I’ve excluded some games entirely that are other people’s number 1 game. In the end, I settled on 10 Honorable Mentions and 12 Games to countdown. And without further ado, the list.

Honorable Mentions

These are in chronological order and just missed making the dozen.

1. 1987 Miami vs. South Carolina – this one would have threatened to crack the Top 12, but it’s debatable whether this already memorable, due to a brawl . The Canes hung on for a 20-16 win en route to the 1987 National Championship. The story of this game was the defense, that stymied South Carolina multiple times to preserve the win. While the legendary FSU game of that year gets all the accolades, this game deserves recognition.
2. 1991 Miami vs . Penn State – Another game that lead to a National Championship. This was a back-and-forth affair with the Canes having several explosive plays offset by long, methodical drives from the Nittany Lions. Future Heisman Trophy winner (and all-around great guy) Gino Torretta was brilliant, in particular in the second half. Torretta threw TD passes of 80- and 42-yards, and Kevin Williams ran back a punt for a 91-yard TD as the Canes escaped 26-20.
3. 1992 Miami @ Penn State – The rematch a year later saw another close game. The Canes jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but Penn State repeatedly rallied. A huge Pick 6 from Darren Krein was ultimately decisive as the Canes hung on for a 17-14 win in a season that ultimately fell one game short of a championship. I also picked this game because it was one of 3 extremely close games in a row. 2 weeks before, the Canes escaped against Arizona 8-7 when the Wildcats missed a FG as time expired (barely Wide Right). The next week was the famous Wide Right II. And this game followed a similar pattern of the Canes just making enough plays to win. The narrative around the ’92 team is one of a team that went undefeated and then blew a title against Alabama. But this team was as mentally tough as it was good, and repeatedly gutted out wins. This game represents that.
4. 2003 Miami vs. West Virginia – I take you back to a time where Miami was undoubtedly the premier program in the country. On a Thursday Night against West Virginia, we saw the first signs of the empire crumbling. It was a sluggish game, but the Canes were running the clock down, and at midfield, leading 19-13. Then everything came apart. Jarrett Payton fumbled, and all of a sudden West Virginia had an opportunity. On 3rd and 13, the Mountaineers called a screen pass which the Canes snuffed out…but Quincy Wilson made one of the great forgotten plays in College Football history, evading Vince Wilfork, juking past Sean Taylor, beating Jonathan Vilma to the corner, and then running over Brandon Meriweather on his way to the end zone. The Canes had their own conversion, on the following drive, with Kellen Winslow catching a pass on 4th and 13. The Canes kicked the winning FG to win 22-20. The highlights are worth a rewatch.
5. 2005 Miami vs. North Carolina– The Virginia Tech win the next week is the one that everyone remembers. But it was set up by this comeback. The Orange Bowl was battered by Hurricane Wilma, with the upper deck closed. The Canes trailed 16-7 at halftime, and then exploded in the second half, running off 27 straight points. The late, great Tyrone Moss had 195 yards and 4 TDs in what was his last game before tearing his ACL, an injury that stymied his career. And that’s one thing that makes this game memorable. Watching a healthy Moss run was a thing of beauty. The throwback jerseys the Canes wore were not.
6. 2010 Miami @ Clemson – This was back when 3 teams (Dolphins, Marlins, and Hurricanes) shared one stadium, with the Canes lowest on the pecking order. That means that if the Marlins happened to have a weekend series in September, the Canes had to hit the road. And this was the Canes 3rd consecutive road game against major competition, having already played Ohio State and Pitt. The game after this was essentially the beginning of the end of the Randy Shannon Era, where a favored Miami team was blown out by 4 TDs by FSU at home. And that’s why this game is lost to time. But Jacory Harris threw 4 TDs, and the Canes came out of one of the toughest places to play in the country with a 9 point win, thanks to a wild 2nd quarter where Harris threw 3 TDs and 2 INTs.
7. 2013 Miami @ North Carolina – This was a prototypical Al Golden game. Both teams put up over .500 yards and the Canes found themselves in a close game with a poor North Carolina team who came into the game at 1-5. The Thursday Night game was on National TV. Duke Johnson had a concussion in the 1st quarter and missed most of the game. Miami’s offense struggled, but a huge blocked FG return for a TD at least kept the Canes in touching distance. UNC lead 23-13 in the 4th quarter, but from there, Dallas Crawford took over, with 2 TDs, including the winner with 16 seconds left. Crawford, who was not expected to play much, stepped up carrying the ball 33 times for 137 yards. But this was a Mark D’Onofrio defense, so somehow, North Carolina got into scoring range, and had a throw into the end zone to win, but it was batted down and the Canes escaped 27-23.
8. 2015 Miami vs. Nebraska – I almost excluded this from the list, because it was a win that felt like a loss. Still, it is a crazy game. I also remember this because I was on a plane to Thailand during this game, streaming it on dodgy wifi that kept disconnecting. With the Canes up 27-3 in the 3rd quarter, and the game feeling out of hand, I briefly considered turning it off. But I know D’Onofrio better than that. The margin was still 33-10 with under 10 minutes left, when Nebraska ran off 23 straight points, including 2 successful 2-point conversions. The game was decided when Corn Elder had an INT in the first OT, and Nebraska made a late hit on him, setting the Canes up at half the distance on their possession. The FG was automatic from there.
9. 2017 Miami @ Georgia Tech – This one is recent, and is remembered for Darrell Langham’s 4th down catch. But it’s hard to remember how wild this game was. Miami dominated this game outgaining Georgia Tech by 200 yards, but couldn’t finish drives, kicking 4 short FGs. GT scored TDs on consecutive drives to build a 14-3 lead, but the Canes responded and GT lead by 1 at the half. That’s when it got loopy. Mark Richt tried a surprise onside kick to start the 2nd half. It was returned for a TD and Miami spent the rest of the game chasing, especially after missing a 2-point conversion that would have tied the game. In the end, the Canes won on a last second FG in a monsoon.
10. 2019 Miami @ Pittsburgh – This is from the past season, so probably doesn’t need much explanation. But when we look back on this game a decade from now, the Miami defense digging deep with a goal line stand to force a FG, Jarren Williams coming off the bench in relief to lead the winning TD drive, and the Canes escaping with a victory will be something we remember (or not), which is why this makes the list.

The Dozen

Every weekday, we’ll reveal the next game.

Game 12:  2013 Wake Forest at Miami

Game 11: 1997 Miami @ Boston College

Game 10: 2004 Miami @ Virginia

Game 9: 2012 Miami @ Georgia Tech

Game 8: 2009 Miami @ Wake Forest

Game 7: 2008 Miami @ Virginia

Game 6: 1991 Miami @ Boston College

Game 5: 2012 NC State @ Miami

Game 4: 2004 Louisville @ Miami

Game 3: 2005 Miami @ Clemson

Game 2: 1988 Miami @ Michigan

Game 1: 1999 Miami @ Boston College

The Miami Dolphins were aggressive in free agency but still have many needs in the upcoming draft.

After an organized and sound approach to free agency, the Miami Dolphins must now turn their attention the NFL Draft.

Whenever and however that may take place.

Now that the dust has settled on the free agency period, Miami can utilize the draft to build a foundation for sustained success.

Let’s take a look at five position groups that could be a high priority.

1.Quarterback

Perhaps the worst kept secret this offseason is that Miami will likely take a quarterback at the top of the draft.

Whether with their current pick, or perhaps with a trade up to either No. 3 (Detroit) or even the top pick from Cincinnati.

https://t.co/zOlR5Wuun3 pic.twitter.com/do0zXW4T3j

— josh houtz (@houtz) March 20, 2020

Miami has been linked to Tua Tagovailoa for what seems like an eternity, and there is a possibility that he is still on the board with pick No. 5.

If he is their guy, the Dolphins will likely use whatever draft capital necessary to bring him to Miami.

Other (perhaps less than ideal) options could be Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert or Utah State’s Jordan Love.

This draft is short on quarterbacks after the top four, with Joe Burrow being consistently mocked to Cincinnati with the top selection.

Regardless, this should be the year Miami takes their first shot at a quarterback in Round One since Ryan Tannehill in 2012.

2. Offensive Tackle

Now that Miami has their signal caller, they must protect him.

They brought in both Erick Flowers and Ted Karras to shore up the interior of the line, but outside remains an issue.

Barring a trade up, the top three tackles Tristan Wirfs (Iowa), Mekhi Becton (Louisville), and Jedrick Wills (Alabama) will likely be off the board.

Several high upside tackles could still be on the board with Miami’s next pick at 18, or even their third first round selection at 26.

Miami could even double down on the tackle spot and turn the offensive line from a liability to a strength in one day.

Possible targets at 18 and 26 include Andrew Thomas (Georgia) and Josh Jones (Houston).

Lucas Niang (TCU) and Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) could also be options with Miami’s second round selection at pick 36.

USC’s Austin Jackson may be available with their other second round pick (56) depending how the board falls.

Matthew Peart (UConn) is another to keep an eye on in the third round.

3. Interior Offensive Line

Continuing the theme Miami will likely commit some draft capital to filling out the interior of the offensive line.

Flowers and Karras are starting caliber, but nowhere near upper echelon.

Given Miami’s deficiency in both pass protection and running the football, they need some maulers in the trenches.

If they don’t go another direction, the late first round and second round could set up well for them in this area.

One player to watch is Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz, who could go in the first round.

Other early options include Matt Hennessy (Temple), Jonah Jackson (Ohio State), and Robert Hunt (Louisiana).

This is a pretty deep draft for interior offensive linemen, particularly in the middle rounds.

Miami should have no problem supplementing the middle of their line.

4. Safety

Another position with solid depth in the draft is safety, where a myriad of players project in the early rounds.

Miami bolstered their secondary with the addition of cornerback Byron Jones, who along with Xavien Howard form a lethal tandem outside.

Now they must turn their attention to the middle where the departure of Reshad Jones means a changing of the guard is coming.

They retained Adrian Colbert but must add a true game changer on the back end.

Alabama safety Xavier Mckinney could be the first safety off the board, if he is there at 18 Miami should run to the podium.

2020 NFL Draft: Post-free agency 7-round mock draft https://t.co/eBogLuUsBt

— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) March 22, 2020

LSU’s Grant Delpit is another projected to go in the late first round and would by no means be a consolation prize. He could still be on the board at 18 or even at 26 if the board goes another route.

The next tier are no slouches by any means, with Antoine Winfield being one of the most intriguing prospects. Winfield’s father was an excellent NFL player and the apple did not fall far, his football IQ and ball skills will be in high demand.

Others to watch in the second and third round area include Ashtyn Davis (Cal), Kyle Duggar (Lenoir-Ryhne), and Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois).

5. Running Back

Unlike the previous two position groups, this projects to be a pretty thin running back class.

Running back position in 2020 isn’t terribly difficult to get figured out.

1) D’Andre Swift
2) Clyde Edwards-Helaire
3) Cam Akers
4) Jonathan Taylor
5) J.K. Dobbins
6) (no one)
7) (no one)
8) (no one)
9) (no one)
10) Everyone Else

— Chris Kouffman (@ckparrot) March 20, 2020

Depending on who is sitting there at either 18 or 26, Miami’s best option could be to hang tight in regards to the running backs.

D’Andre Swift should be the first running back off the board but the separation in talent amongst the top five is not vast.

Value should be a priority here, if Clyde Edwards-Helaire is sitting there at pick 39 in the second round, he may be too good to pass up.

His pass catching would be a perfect compliment to Jordan Howard, who is more of a between the tackles runner that offers little in the pass game.

Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin) and J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State) are intriguing talents who would be solid selections in the late first or early second rounds.

Cam Akers is another to watch in the third round where Miami has pick 56.

There could be some hidden gems on Day 3 as well if the Dolphins are patient.

With trades and players going higher or lower than projected, Miami has flexibility to make moves up or down in the draft.

Time will tell how everything plays out in the most important NFL draft for this franchise in a long time.

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