Miami Dolphins: Don’t worry about Devonta Smith
All offseason in Miami, all you’ve heard about is Deshaun Watson, who the offensive coordinator will be, and whether the Dolphins believe in Tua Tagovailoa. Lost in translation is who the team will be picking in the 2021 NFL draft. There’s plenty of talks all over about trading down, trading QB’s, and who Miami is taking. One name that is constantly coming up is Devonta Smith.
The Alabama prospect is coming off the rare Heisman Trophy winner for a wide receiver. Since the Miami Dolphins are in need of playmakers at WR, Smith seems to be the stand out to go after with the third overall pick. It is almost guaranteed the top two picks, owned by the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, will be used on quarterbacks since each is still lacking franchise talent. At #3, the Miami Dolphins have their choice of any position on the board after quarterback. Devonta Smith could and should be that pick.
If you break down his scouting report, all anyone will say when it comes to his weaknesses is he lacks size. “He’s not big enough to be effective in the NFL.” or “With his size, you always will have to worry about injuries”. Listen, if that is the lone problem with Devonta Smith, the Miami Dolphins need to have his contract signed before his name gets printed on his draft jersey.
Are you kidding? Devonta Smith is the explosive wide receiver the Dolphins would be lucky to have. Taking away nothing from their current receivers, but take a look at his scouting report and tell me he doesn’t fit Miami’s needs:
From NFL.com
From WalterFootball.com:
More Miami Dolphins: Is Deshaun Watson the Right Move?
Are the Miami Dolphins really ready to pass up that type of talent because he needs to put on lean muscle? Can they afford to pass up an elite route runner who creates separation, attacks the football, and plays the sideline perfectly? Oh, and he also has chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa?
Make no mistake about it, if Devonta Smith is there at number 3 and the Miami Dolphins don’t pull the trigger, they’ll regret it. Is his size a concern? Of course, it is, but his long list of pros far outweigh the cons. Putting on 10-15 pounds for an NFL wide receiver isn’t hard to do. Every armchair scout wants to go on about Smith’s size, but Dolphins fans need only hear two names. One is the obvious Marvin Harrison who everyone is already comparing him to.
The other is Jarvis Landry. Go back and find his draft profile. Landry is listed at 5’11 and 196 lbs. Landry might outweigh Devonta Smith’s draft weight, but Smith has the height advantage. Just like Landry, Smith isn’t the fastest guy on the field, but will more than make up for it with his route running ability.
If the Miami Dolphins land Devonta Smith to pair with Mike Gesicki and Devonta Parker their offense has a shot at being something special. Even on the back end of their roster, they’d have Jakeem Grant, Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden Jr., and any other holdovers they want to keep for scheme fits. That’s not even accounting for the potential to land a playmaker in free agency. There’s little doubt that offense couldn’t elevate Tagovailoa to franchise quarterback level talent. Miami needs to draft Devonta Smith at #3 if he’s there.
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.
