49ers news: Winners, losers from blockbuster NFL Draft trade
By Peter Panacy
Winner: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins
If the Dolphins were fully intent on replacing last year’s rookie quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, it’s highly doubtful they would have traded down from the No. 3 overall pick, which was originally acquired from the Houston Texans. No, Miami would have held onto that selection and used it on a quarterback while bidding a quick farewell to Tagovailoa as its franchise starter.
Despite having an up-and-down rookie campaign, which saw Tagovailoa benched in favor of the veteran quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins’ willingness to trade far down the order beyond the top four quarterbacks is a clear endorsement of the second-year pro’s status with the team moving forward.
And how about the Dolphins?
Almost immediately after executing the deal with the 49ers, Miami traded back up with the Philadelphia Eagles to land the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, all but ensuring it would get its hands on one of the top non-quarterback prospects available in this year’s class.
That was solely using the pick acquired from the Texans as the primary means of ammunition, and the Dolphins still have their original first-round pick, No. 18 overall, at their disposal along with the Niners’ first-round selections in 2022 and 2023, too.
It appears as if Miami is making its move while stockpiling for the long run.
Pretty clear winners here.