The Dolphins did some last-minute work before the NFL banned pre-draft visits, hosting Jordan Love and J.K. Dobbins. But the team wanted a higher-profile player to come in for a meeting.
Linked to Tua Tagovailoa for over a year now, the Dolphins tried to bring in the Alabama prospect for a pre-draft visit last week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. In fact, the former Crimson Tide superstar was the Dolphins’ first call, but Rapoport adds the logistics for a Tagovailoa Miami trek did not line up before the league nixed visits.
COVID-19 prompted the NFL put the kibosh on pre-draft meetings and workouts last Friday; the Dolphins had Love and Dobbins in their facility earlier that day. The Dolphins, who hold the No. 5 overall pick, wanted additional information on Tagovailoa’s surgically repaired hip, Rapoport adds.
Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert were on Miami’s radar over a year ago, and the team wants to end up with one of these two passers. The Dolphins will still try to trade up for Joe Burrow, however. While the Dolphins may need to keep tabs on the Chargers in their race for a quarterback, they are fully expected to end up with Tagovailoa or Herbert come April.