Dolphins major players in unusual event

2020 NFL DRAFT

It was, to put it very mildly, a most unusual draft for the Miami Dolphins and the entire National Football League.

In the end, though, it turned out to be a very fruitful draft for the Dolphins, who made some franchise history while they collected 11 rookies and one veteran.

For the first time in franchise history, the Dolphins ended up making five selections in the first two rounds, joining only seven other teams with that distinction since the AFL-NFL merger of 1970.

With those five picks, the Dolphins selected Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, USC tackle Austin Jackson and Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene in the first round, and Louisiana-Lafayette tackle Robert Hunt and Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis in the second.

The Dolphins’ 11 draft picks were divided evenly among offensive and defensive players, with long snapper Blake Ferguson from LSU thrown in.

Besides Tagovailoa, Jackson and Hunt, the offensive players were Georgia guard Solomon Kindley taken in the fourth round and Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry taken in the seventh round, though exactly where he’ll play for the Dolphins remained to be determined two weeks after the draft.

On defense, the selections after Igbinoghene and Davis included Texas safety Brandon Jones in the fourth round, and North Carolina defensive end Jason Strowbridge and Boise State defensive end Curtis Weaver in the fifth round.

The Dolphins entered the draft with 14 picks and at one point had 15 after they traded down from 26th to 30th in the first round and picked up a fourth-round selection in a deal with the Green Bay Packers.