Miami Hurricanes senior DJ Vasiljevic has pro potential

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Since Jim Larranaga became the head coach of the University of Miami basketball team in 2011, the Hurricanes have had four players selected in the NBA Draft.

It started with Shane Larkin in 2013 coming off the magical ACC championship season led by Shane Larkin, who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks. The Hurricanes are working on a three year streak with Davon Reed (Suns) in 2017, Lonnie Walker (Spurs) and Bruce Brown (Pistons) in 2018 and even Dewan Hernandez (Raptors) who was drafted despite not playing a game last season due to NCAA violations.

This year, the Hurricanes have an opportunity to make a run back into the NCAA Tournament and get another player drafted. They’ve been led by the trio of Chris Lykes (14.8 PPG) , DJ Vasiljevic (14.5 PPG) and Kam McGusty (13.9 PPG).

Vasiljevic seems to have the most draft potential given his shooting ability. The senior is currently has a three point shooting percentage of 50.8 and his best game so this season was against Alabama A&M where all six of his shots were from the top of the key and he made five them as well as hit 2-of-2 from the free throw line to total 17 points in an 88-74 Miami win.

“Any time you can shoot the ball the way DJ can shoot the ball, you can find a spot for a shooter because the game is so open nowadays,” Alabama A&M head coach Dylan Howard said. “He’s gonna land somewhere, if not the NBA, he’s gonna go overseas and do great things.”

Vasiljevic has spent all four years with the Hurricanes, something that is now a rarity given his talent. He will surely have his jersey retired after notching his 1,000th career point againt Temple. 

“DJ has been with us for four years. I can tell you from the day he arrived he’s one of smartest, hardest working, best shooters, great leader, great competition I’ve been around,” Larranaga said of Vasiljevic. “He is the consummate teammate.” 

Saturday’s home game against Coppin State will cap off the Hurricanes’ out of conference slate of the season. Last year Miami entered conference play 8-4 and their lack of depth doomed them to a 14-18 season. This year, the Hurricanes are 7-3 — which includes a season opening loss to Louisville — with all their horses and have a better outlook going into conference play.

The Hurricanes have road wins over Temple, Central Florida and Illinois but also lost to Connecticut, Florida and Louisville, so the question is which set of results is the more accurate representation of the Hurricanes this season.

If Miami wins on Saturday and goes 9-9 in the ACC, would a 17-12 record be enough. That will be the question of 2020.

Panthers Snap Skid, Still Looking up in Atlantic Standings

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The Florida Panthers ended a three-game losing streak Monday in convincing fashion, dispatching Ottawa 6-1.

Florida (16-12-5, 37 points) moved up to third place in a crowded Atlantic Division which has five teams within four points of each other.

Florida had dropped seven of their last ten games prior and have been disappointing during this long home stand.

Entering Monday’s contest against the Senators, the Panthers have lost four game at home on the stand despite outscoring teams 18-15 in that time.

After two impressive wins, 4-1 over Columbus and 5-1 over San Jose, the Panthers only scored three goals total in those last three losses.

Florida is 24th in the NHL in scoring despite being fifth in shots on goal per game, meaning they are not cashing in on opportunities.

The power play disappeared during the losing spell, Florida had gone 0-for-8 in the last three games before Monday.

While the offense has struggled, the defense has not been much better.

Thankfully the Panthers faced an Ottawa team also looking for answers in what has been a rough season.

The Cats were finally able to cash in with the man advantage, going 1-for-5 on the power play on a goal by Aleksander Barkov (11).

Noel Acciardi notched his first career hat trick, a five goal barrage in the second period put the game on figurative ice.

 

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 29 out of 30 shots in his sixth consecutive start, while Jonathan Huberdeau had four assists and now has 400 career points in 500 games.

Barkov was held without a point during the Panthers’ latest losing skid, when the captain is on the whole dynamic of the offense changes.

The Panthers have relied on the offense to overcome struggles in net and on the blue line, a complete game like the one Monday should be the blueprint moving forward.

Next up for the Panthers they close out the home stand against the Dallas Stars on Friday.

 

Heat’s Bam Adebayo Wins East Player of the Week

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Bam Adebayo took home his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for games played Dec. 9th to Dec. 15th.

His stat line included his first two career triple doubles, and the Miami Heat went 2-1 in that span.

 

Lebron James was his counterpart in the Western Conference this past week, and showed his respect to the 22-year old Adebayo via Twitter.

 

James earned the honor in part to the Lakers victory over Miami last week, Adebayo follows Jimmy Butler as back-to-back winners of the award.

In case you were wondering, it has been a little while since the Heat had consecutive winners.

Adebayo has stepped into the spotlight with his usual workmanlike effort and is quickly gaining momentum as a Most Improved Player candidate.

Perhaps even greater honors could be in store.

With the arrival of Jimmy Butler Miami acquired the alpha they were desperately seeking.

What many outside observers may not have realized, there was another star quietly blossoming.

All Adebayo needed was the opportunity to show why he was coveted by Pat Riley and the Heat organization.

Now that the time has arrived, Adebayo is seizing the moment to enter the upper echelon of NBA big men.

We knew it all along.

Now the rest of the NBA world is finally catching up.

Follow us on Twitter for the most complete Miami Heat coverage anywhere @5ReasonsSports.

Subscribe to the Five on the Floor Miami Heat podcast here.

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Launching Pad: Derrick’s Defense, Butler’s Bullying, Struggling Shooters

Exclusive: The Reason for Dion Waiters’ Latest Suspension

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During another grueling back-to-back, which the Miami Heat split — this time against the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks — it was apparent they could have used another playmaking guard who could break down the defense and get to the basket, thus taking some burden off All-Star Jimmy Butler. That’s been the reality in many games lately, as Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow recover from injuries.

So why isn’t Dion Waiters available to help the now 19-7 team?

Five Reasons Sports Network has learned the primary reason for Waiters’ latest suspension, this one for six games and his third of the season totaling 14 games. The active suspension, officially for “failure to adhere to team policies, violation of team rules and continued insubordination” was levied Dec. 12 and extends through the Heat’s Dec. 23 game against the Utah Jazz.

According to three sources, it was inspired by an Instagram post of Waiters hanging out on a boat during a time when the team was made to believe he was unavailable because he was sick. Waiters’ Instagram account (@Waiters3), with more than 350,000 followers, is now private, and no such photo is currently still posted as a regular picture post or Instagram story. But apparently the Heat saw something that troubled them.

According to one source, on its own, this infraction may not have warranted such a lengthy suspension, but it’s due to the cumulative effect of all of Waiters’ distractions, cutting against the team’s valued “Culture” during what has been a less tolerance approach to the season. (Heat president Pat Riley acknowledged after the 2018-19 season that he had “let the culture slip” and would not again). Hassan Whiteside, with his tendency to be mopey and me-oriented, was sent to Portland in a trade that netted team-first center Meyers Leonard. Another veteran, James Johnson, has had his own problems getting back in the mix after being sent away from the team during training camp because he didn’t meet the Heat’s conditioning-related goals for him.

But at least he’s played a little. Waiters has not.

This 6-game suspension came after one for seven games, stemming from Waiters’ “panic attack” on a team charter to Los Angeles in November after reportedly eating a “THC infused edible.” After that incident, the Heat, coincidentally or not, played one of their least focused games of the season. And that situation came after he was suspended one game to start the season after acting out on the bench and on social media, in a way the team didn’t appreciate, especially as it reflected his attitude toward Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

According to multiple sources, that’s not all that Waiters has done to create what the team has deemed a distraction over the past few months, after what it termed “fresh start” for the now-28-year-old. The Heat originally signed him to a short, make good contract in 2016, and after he flourished during the season-ending 30-11 run, signed him to a four-year contract amid limited competition from outside suitors. Then he had ankle problems and the disagreements with the team began in earnest during the approach to his rehabilitation.

A pair of rookies, Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, have taken minutes that many expected Waiters to get if he was fully recovered from those ankle problems this season, and in shape, which he said he was and largely appeared to be during his training camp and preseason action. And now Duncan Robinson has emerged in the perimeter rotation as well. Even so, with Winslow and Dragic sidelined, there appeared to be an opportunity for Waiters, a capable playmaker, a decent defender and an improved long-range shooter, to at least to showcase himself for a trade that would benefit both him and the Heat. Now, after this latest social media snafu, it appears even more likely that he won’t play for the team again.

Launching Pad: Derrick’s Defense, Butler’s Bullying, Struggling Shooters

The problem, of course, is finding a team that wants the rest of his contract, which expires after next season. Miami has a little more flexibility to find a trade as of today, December 15, since that is the date that many players around the league (signed in the offseason) are eligible to be moved.

But for Waiters….

“There’s been no interest,” one source said. “None. Zip.”

This latest incident won’t help. The team is reluctant to include an asset, whether a young player (such as Winslow or the emerging Derrick Jones Jr.) or a draft pick (Miami has a limited stock of second round picks) just to move Waiters.

Stay with Five Reasons Sports for more, including tonight’s new episode of the Five on the Floor podcast. The Heat play in Memphis on Monday night.

2019 Miami Hurricanes Football: Season of Missed Opportunities

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To put it mildly, the 2019 Miami Hurricanes football team endured a tumultuous campaign.

Week after week a different uncertainty loomed.

Who will be quarterback?

Do we have a kicker?

Why does Dan Enos constantly throw to the short side of the field?

How can we beat Virginia but lose to FIU?

 

Many repetitive questions went unanswered and the doubt piled on.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 6-6 record.

A perfectly balanced mediocrity sandwich, with some hints of flavor but mostly stale.

So how did we get here?

And where do we go?

Bookends Tell the Story

The 2019 season ended as it started, with a two game losing streak.

In his first season as Head Coach, Manny Diaz could never quite turn the corner and build momentum.

A 24-20 loss to Florida to open the year lent false hope of being competitive with the upper tier in college football.

Yet also showed how far Miami had to go as the offensive line allowed ten sacks and looked completely overmatched.

Miami would follow that close game with an embarrassing effort at North Carolina, the first of many ACC tragedies that played out this year.

Bubba Baxa missed short, crucial kicks in both games which would haunt the Hurricanes.

 

Jarren Williams was one of the few bright spots for the offense early as they struggled under offensive coordinator Dan Enos, whose system did not exactly mesh well early on.

Williams opened the year with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his first four games before the wheels came off.

Miami would cruise to a no-contest win against Bethune Cookman for their first victory of the year, followed by a closer than it should be escape against Central Michigan.

ACC Hunt a Wild Goose Chase

Sitting at 2-2 and with the heart of the ACC slate on the horizon, the season still had plenty of promise and potential.

Which would evaporate like perspiration in the South Florida sun.

Williams was pulled from the Virginia Tech game even though none of his passes hit the ground.

Only problem was out of his seven attempts, his guys caught four while Virginia Tech intercepted three.

N’Kosi Perry would lead a near epic comeback which fell just short as Miami fell 42-35 in front of a shook Miami Gardens crowd.

Perry would tie a career high with four touchdowns and set a career mark with 422 yards through the air.

That game exemplified the struggles of the Hurricanes early in games. Virginia Tech jumped out to a 21 point lead in the first quarter which made Miami one dimensional.

Miami would only gain 94 yards on the ground and turned the ball over five times, themes which would continue as the year rolled on.

Somehow the Hurricanes would rally at home with Perry at the helm the next week, beating the eventual ACC Coastal champs Virginia 17-9.

The Hurricanes defense had an uneven year but the emergence of defensive end Gregory Rousseau is the main story.

Rousseau was mysteriously absent from the starting group early in the year but quickly became undeniable, finishing with 14 sacks and ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

 

While the defense was finding footing the offense was once again stagnant in a shocking 28-21 home loss against Georgia Tech.

Special teams would again prove fatal as Miami would have a chip shot field goal blocked which would have won the game late.

The Yellow Jackets would also score on a fake punt and a fumble recovery, proving the Hurricanes could be creative when giving games away to lesser opponents.

Return of Williams Stops the Bleeding

After the Georgia Tech game Miami sat at 1-3 in ACC play before they would finally go on to find some sustained success, winning three straight.

A 16-12 thriller at Pitt would mark the return of Williams to the starting quarterback job and the best stretch of football during the season.

Winning at Florida State is never easy, no matter the records. Miami put forth a suffocating effort on defense and cruised to their most convincing win to that point 27-10 and were riding high when they returned home to face Louisville.

Against the Cardinals, the Hurricanes would put up their most complete performance of the season in a 52-27 dismantling. Williams would set a school record with six touchdowns and the Hurricanes had a season high three-game winning streak heading into a seemingly easy victory the following week.

Butch Davis and FIU Ruin the Hurricanes

Miami had managed to turn their season around and reached bowl eligibility at 6-4, with games against FIU and Duke to close out the regular season.

Like previous underdogs, FIU stole the thunder early and had the Hurricanes on the ropes from jump street.

Butch Davis was twisting the knife and his defense engaged in some gamesmanship to slow down Williams and the offense.

 

On the site of the old Orange Bowl, Marlins Park, the ghosts of the past haunted the Hurricanes once again.

The last time Miami played in the Orange Bowl they were shutout by Virginia 48-0.

This could have been worse.

A game like this has little plausible explanation, other than a severe lack of preparation and composure.

There was no rebounding from the FIU game as Miami would lay one more egg to close out the year, a 27-17 humbling experience at Duke.

Williams and Perry would share the misery in that one as Miami finished the regular season as it began.

Few Bright Spots on Offense

The bad far outweighed the good for the 2019 Miami Hurricanes, but there were several players that emerged and made real contributions.

Before being injured for the season against FIU, running back DeeJay Dallas was having a solid season despite a severe lack of carries.

Dallas finished with a team high 693 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. In his relief Cam Harris stepped in and played very well, finishing with 545 yards and five touchdowns.

Tight end Brevin Jordan led the Hurricanes with 495 receiving yards, while senior receiver KJ Osborn led the team with his 45 receptions and five touchdowns, he was also second on the team with 491 receiving yards.

The Buffalo transfer was a key addition and an excellent leader with his tough play. Miami spread the wealth through the air as 11 players caught at least one touchdown pass.

Wil Mallory came on late and led the team in receiving yards in each of the last two games, unfortunately his impact was limited for most of the season prior.

Numbers Tell the Story

A major downfall for the Miami offense was their lack of success on third down. The Hurricanes finished dead last in the FBS, converting just 26.4% of their attempts on the money down.

Part of that could be the poor offensive line play, or the shuffling of quarterbacks. Williams led the team in passing yards in the first four games and the final four, while Perry was on top during the middle third.

Neither could take a firm grasp on the job despite intermittent stretches of excellent play.

Miami was 120th in FBS converting red zone opportunities and left points on the field almost every week.

Only three teams gave up more sacks than Miami’s 47, the offense was unable to find rhythm or sustain any type of continuity for long.

All but one of their losses was by single digits, this season was defined by missed opportunities.

The Hurricanes were outscored 72-20 in the first quarter of those losses, showing they simply did not come out ready time and time again.

Although they had lapses, the defense was by far the best group on the team. Miami allowed a respectable 197.9 passing yards per game (22nd FBS) and an even better ranking against the rush, finishing 16th allowing just 109.7 yards per game.

Unfortunately as the season wore on the lack of offensive success took a toll, Miami could not run the football with any consistency and finished 120th in FBS with just 121.8 yards rushing per game.

Combine that with a lack of third down conversions and the defense simply could not hold. The Hurricanes scored 17 or fewer points four times, yet managed to win three of those games thanks in large part to the defense.

So, now What?

After all is said and done, the Hurricanes still have a bowl game to play.

 

Miami will face Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 26th, in Shreveport Louisiana naturally.

No matter the result, the Hurricanes will finish off a disappointing 2019 season searching for answers.

Dan Enos is undoubtedly on the hot seat, his offense simply did not put the skill players in position to succeed.

The offensive line will need to be upgraded and who knows who will be under center in the spring.

Manny Diaz must take a look inward and make some tough decisions in both his coaching staff and roster.

Another highly ranked recruiting class is likely, but the development and deployment of those players will be key.

Diaz must quickly seize control of a program in purgatory, or another lackluster season will follow.

Photo courtesy of Tony Capobianco.

DeVante Parker took flight for seven catches for 159 yards against the Eagles. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Dolphins sign WR DeVante Parker to four-year contract extension

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The Miami Dolphins have agreed to a four-year contract extension with WR DeVante Parker, worth an estimated $80-Million through 2023.

2019 has been an up-and-down season for the Miami Dolphins. But truth is, this year is about evaluating the roster–and trying to decide which players fit the chemical makeup of what Flores wants from his players. Today we found out one player that fits the new culture in Miami.

DeVante Parker, the first-round WR that many experts, analysts, and fans deemed a bust after his first four seasons, has seen quite the transformation with this new coaching staff. So much so, that he was rewarded with a nice contract extension a short time ago.

According to the Miami Dolphins official website, Parker has signed a contract extension through the 2023 season.

Parker, 26, is having the best season of his young NFL career. This season, Parker has recorded 55 receptions for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns. Though the details of his new contract are not 100% public, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reported Parker will cost $8M in 2020 and $10M in 2021, before the Dolphins are forced to make a decision on their star wide receiver. One quick glance around the NFL, and this seems like a great signing for an ascending WR.

DVP’s biggest game of the year came in Week 13 vs the Philadelphia Eagles when he had his way with the Eagles’ secondary.

 

Hopefully, we get to see more of this from DeVante Parker for many, many years to come.

 

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@houtz) who believes the DeVante Parker extension is very good tbqh 

 

 

Heat/Lakers is Game Heat Nation Deserves

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The Miami Heat host the Los Angeles Lakers Friday in what could be this year’s most anticipated matchup to date.

The timing could not be better.

Miami (18-6) will put their undefeated home record to the ultimate test against a Los Angeles Lakers (22-3) team which has only lost one away game.

Finally the (well deserved) national attention will be on a Heat team that is the most enjoyable in years.

All NBA eyes will be on the American Airlines Arena for the ESPN broadcast, and rightfully so.

A lot of people expected the Lakers to be here, with the combination of Lebron James and Anthony Davis along with a solid supporting cast.

However few outside our market expected this quick cohesion and success from the Heat.

An ignorant or lazy narrative on Jimmy Butler and how he would mesh with a young core.

 

A lack of understanding that Erik Spoelstra only needed a functional, uncluttered roster to free untapped greatness.

 

Now the Heat enter this game with a chance to add momentum to an ascending national profile.

Against Lebron James and a Los Angeles team which has also reset trajectory and expectations instantaneously.

The Lakers have won five straight and 15 out of 16 games, their lone defeat a 114-100 home loss to Dallas.

Miami will have their hands full with a Laker offense that leads the NBA in field goal percentage at 48.7%.

Where they hurt you is down low with Anthony Davis who absurdly leads them in points (27.2), rebounds (9.2), blocks (2.6), and steals (1.5) per game.

They do not rely on the three point shot, attempting the sixth lowest (30.1) per game, but they make them at a 37.1% clip which is fifth best league-wide.

That counters Miami’s excellent defense beyond the arc, their biggest challenge in terms of matchups may be how to stop Davis in the block – who can also stretch the floor from the outside.

The keys for the Heat

For the Heat to have a chance they will have to take care of the ball as they are turning it over a league-high 17.7 times per game. Los Angeles leads the league in blocks per game and are third in steals.

While national respect is not a motive for the Heat in any way, shape, or fashion, you know they will want to put on a show under the brighter lights.

The Lakers had an extra rest day Thursday after a 96-87 slugfest win at Orlando on Wednesday.

Miami enters off another home victory, this time a 135-121 overtime thriller against Trae Young and the Hawks on Tuesday.

Young apparently forgot the Heat are closing games this year.

 

A matchup with two teams rated in the top 10 both offensively and defensively means something has to give.

Both teams should be fresh and expect a full 48 minutes of excellent basketball in this one, the always electric Triple-A should have even more juice Friday.

As should the case for more national spotlight in Heat Nation.

 

 

Jimmy Buckets Doesn’t Hold Back on IG

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All signs pointed to Miami losing their first home game last night after young Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, hit Alex Len for an easy dunk to put them up 6.

Most considered this a dagger especially Young, which was considerable cockiness for a guy on a team that rarely wins.

This was followed by Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler hitting three’s on back to back possessions to send the game to overtime. Miami pulled away in overtime and ended up winning by 14. Shortly after the game, Jimmy Butler proceeded to clown the Hawks young rising star Trae Young with an Instagram video saying “this man @traeyoung is a teller of the future. he was right. game WAS over!” 

 

The comments were full of notable NBA players such as Dwade, Joel Embiid, Klay Thompson just to name a few cracking up over the post of Young prematurely calling game.  Young didn’t take the post to harsh poking fun at himself with a response on twitter laughing at his mistake and Butler’s post. 

 

 

To make things even better, Jimmy wasn’t the only person actively trolling last night either. Bam Adebayo said during his postgame press conference last night “We got shooters” a direct shot at his former teammate Hassan Whiteside. Bam couldn’t help but burst into laughter right after he said it after one of the best performances of his career posting his first triple-double. 

 

This team has been so exciting on and off the court, and it’s great to have an energy around the team we haven’t felt since the Big 3 era down here. 

DeVante Parker was missed by the Dolphins against the Jets

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Wide receiver DeVante Parker has reached another level in 2019. Miami’s offense felt the void left by the fifth-year receiver after he suffered a concussion early in Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the New York Jets.

The Dolphins lacked a clear target that could push the offense into the end zone. They had drives stall at the 21, 13, 16, and twice at the 19. While kicker Jason Sanders finished the day with seven made field goals on eight attempts, finding the end zone once could’ve been the difference for Miami.

The offense lost traction after losing both DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson to concussions. Parker had only two receptions for 28 yards before exiting the game.

It was also the first time since Oct. 13 that Parker was held beneath 50 yards. 

“It definitely made it a little bit difficult,” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said postgame about losing both Parker and Wilson. “We had guys out there hobbled and giving everything they had. I was proud to be in the huddle with those guys. I know there’s a lot of stuff people won’t see or don’t really care to write about, but there were some guys that really gutted it out today. It was tough sledding in the second half from communications and lining up for us just because of some of the injuries we had.”

The Dolphins entered action on Sunday as one of the league’s strongest teams inside the red zone. Parker helped Miami score with touchdown grabs of 17 and 43 against the Eagles in week 13.

Keep in mind, DeVante Parker has spent most of the season playing at an elite level. 

Mike Gesicki then caught a touchdown from 14 yards out after the defense turned its attention to Parker. The Dolphins tried to go back to Gesicki after Parker left the game on Sunday, but the second-year tight end finished with just one reception on six targets for just six yards.

Isaiah Ford stepped in and had career highs in both receptions (6) and yards (92). With that in mind, the Dolphins lacked a player with a nose for the end zone.

“He’s a guy that has done a great job of despite not being on the active roster,” offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said of Ford. “He’s a conceptual learner, so he can line up anywhere and that happened in the game. He basically lined up at several different spots in the game. He did a good job of getting some other guys lined up, helping ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) in the huddle.”

The Dolphins are excited to see Ford finding himself a role on the team. However, they’re hoping to get both Parker and Wilson back sooner rather than later. Both were still in concussion protocol as of Wednesday morning.

Dolphins fans are hoping Hawaiian born Tua Tagovailoa will be their quarterback next season. (Tony Capobianco for Five Reasons Sports)

Dolphins latest Tankathon Mock Draft is PERFECTION

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If Chris Grier and his staff could emulate this latest 3-round mock draft from Tankathon, Dolphins fans everywhere would be over-the-moon excited!

The Miami Dolphins are now 3-10 and where they will pick in April’s draft is still very much undecided.

However, one thing we are very certain of is that the Dolphins need a complete overhaul of the roster. As of now, Miami has glaring holes at QB, RB, OL, DL, DB, SAF, and everything in between. And although mock drafts remain the flavor of the moment, very few have left fans satisfied. That is until now.

There is plenty of speculation on whether or not the Miami Dolphins will take the chance on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. And although most of the fanbase is divided, for a team that desperately needs a quarterback the answer could not be easier.

In the latest Tankathon three-round mock draft, the Dolphins do what each and every fan hopes they do come draft night.

Let’s take a look at what I believe to be one of the best three round-mock drafts in the world.

First Round

Despite his season-ending injury, Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is still at the top of many fan’s draft boards. And although he himself has said he might never be the same, the reward is far greater than the risk. And although many teams could remove him from their draft board altogether, the Dolphins have several draft picks to play with. So, as long as Miami’s doctors don’t make a similar mistake as they did in the Daunte Culpepper/Drew Brees fiasco– they should finally get their QB of the future.

With the fourth-pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select–Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Despite his gruesome hip injury, Tagovailoa remains the favorite to land in Miami. After all, his skill-set is perfect for Chad O’Shea’s offense, and many believe owner Stephen Ross and his minions have been enamored by the young QB for several years. In 2019, Tagovailoa completed 180/252 passes for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. And if you ask anyone, there was a very good chance he would’ve been one of the Heisman finalists if he never got hurt. Of course, there’s still a chance Tua decides to return to school. But after Utah State QB Jordan Love reportedly received a favorable grade from the draft committee, one would expect Tagovailoa to receive an even better one. And if he does declare, there’s a team and fanbase, in South Florida anxiously awaiting his arrival.

Fortunately, Miami made several moves at the beginning of the 2019 season that has set them up to do as they please in April’s draft. However, with each passing week, those two picks are looking a lot later than many had hoped. Both Pittsburgh and Houston are very much alive and well in the playoff picture. And if the Dolphins decide to stay put, they will currently be drafting back-to-back in round one.

There should be plenty of talent available in the latter part of the first round. In Tankathon’s latest mock draft, the Dolphins get an EDGE defender that would fit nicely in Flores defense. Yeteur Gross-Matos, the 6’5 262 lbs. pass-rusher from Penn State has been nearly unstoppable this season. And for a team that desperately needs anything resembling a pass-rush, this would be the perfect pick at #22. Next, the Dolphins get one of the best offensive linemen in the 2020 draft at #23 with Alabama’s Jedrick Willis. Willis would be the perfect tackle to help protect the blindside of Tagovailoa, his former Crimson Tide teammate.

Tagovailoa, Gross-Matos, and Willis would be an A+ first round for Chris Grier and his staff.

Second Round

There is no team in the NFL worse at running the football than the Dolphins. And although Patrick Laird is starting to emerge as a nice piece to the puzzle, they will still draft an RB in April. With the first of their second-round picks, Miami selects Georgia RB D’Andre Swift. In 2019, Swift carried the ball 195 times for 1,216 yards and 7 touchdowns. The explosive back would be the perfect thunder to Laird’s lightning.

Later in round two, Miami lands yet another premier offensive lineman in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. The addition of both Humphrey and Willis would not only make Tagovailoa and Swift very happy. And will help solve a problem the Dolphins have struggled to fix for years.

Third Round

Lastly, in round three Miami adds a defensive back to their secondary. Jaylon Johnson, the 6’0 shutdown CB from Utah would be the perfect addition for Josh Boyer, who has consistently got the most out of his unit. The Dolphins need more depth in the secondary and Johnson fits what Flores and his staff covet. The perfect ending, to the perfect three-round mock draft.

This will change many more times between now and April 23, 2020. With that said, how do you feel with Tankathon’s latest mock draft?

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins, and all he wants for Christmas is TUA #Tankovailoa