Should the Dolphins Consider Drafting Jalen Milroe or Dillon Gabriel?

The quarterback position has been a consistent topic of conversation in Miami since around 2000 , when Dan Marino announced his retirement.

Ive already lamented the worst moments in the franchises history when it came to poor quarterback play last week.

However, this past season was one of the more frustrating quarterback seasons weve experienced since drafting Tua Tagovailoa with the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Tuas susceptibility to injury adds an element of uncertainty to the Dolphins quarterback situation.

Heading into the 2024 season, it looked as if the Dolphins had a solid plan at backup quarterback with veteran Mike White .

White was an experienced veteran with seven starts under his belt, which lent an air of stability to the position.

So, it was a shock when the team released White in favor of Skylar Thompson at the end of the preseason.

This move would haunt the Dolphins for the remainder of the season as Tua missed six starts.

Miami would post a 2-4 record in the games that he missed.

Ultimately, they would end the season outside of the playoff picture.

With that disappointing experience behind them it was my hope that the Dolphins would aggressively pursue quarterbacks in free agency that could keep the ship afloat should Tua miss time in 2025.

My preference was Mac Jones due to his experience backing Tua up in college and similar skill set.

Still, the Dolphins instead signed Zach Wilson , who can charitably be called a reclamation project after his time with the New York Jets.

For head coach Mike McDaniel s part he has expressed admiration for Wilson when asked about the reasoning behind signing the former 2nd overall pick during the NFL owners meetings .

I watched every snap of his collegiate play.

He was a phenomenal talent that, in my opinion, didnt have reps in an NFL pocket yet.

At BYU, he was launching it from about 10-11 yards deep, and youre not in the phone booth.

And so, for my estimation, there was going to be some nuance to the growth of his game.

I think it is close to excel in that new form of football that he was playing.

Thats powerful to me.

Thats a strong endorsement from the man in charge but I think the Dolphins would be well suited to explore potential back ups in the upcoming NFL draft.

While brainstorming for this blog post I narrowed down Miamis options to two players who make sense given their potential and their likelihood to be on the board in a moment where Miami can afford to draft someone who doesnt address a more pressing need.

The first name that comes to mind is Jalen Milroe .

Milroe, like Tua, played for the University of Alabama.

While he didnt bring the school a national championship, he did showcase his extreme talent when it comes to his mobility and arm strength.

This puts him more in line with Wilson than Tua, an unpolished prospect who would need the right coaching to unlock his true potential.

Weve seen players of his ilk have success like Josh Allen but weve seen many more crash and burn in bad situations like Wilson and Anthony Richardson on the Colts.

Milroes 16 touchdowns to 11 interceptions leaves a lot to be desired as he seemingly regressed from his 2023 season, where he had 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.

However, he did add 726 yards on the ground and an astounding 20 touchdowns while averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

The NFL has continued to shift toward quarterbacks who can make plays off-script, something Tua doesnt necessarily excel at.

If Milroe is still available in the 3rd round, I expect them to seriously consider rolling the dice on the Alabama prospect.

The other name that seems like he could be a fit for Miami is Oregon product Dillon Gabriel .

Gabriel, like Tua is from Hawaii and even broke his state record for passing yards in high school.

Unlike Milroe his game is more similar to Tuas which could make a transition between the two in the event of injury smoother.

Both quarterbacks led their college teams to great heights with Gabriels Oregon squad finishing the 2024 regular season undefeated before losing in the College Football Playoffs.

The knocks against Gabriel are his size, only measuring in at 5 ft 11 in and 205 pounds, and his arm strength.

Again, these are the same worries that surrounded Tua coming into the league, and McDaniel has managed to build an offense to his strengths.

Like Tua Gabriel is praised for his touch when passing, but unlike Tua he does have legitimate playmaking ability with his legs.

All of this makes Gabriel an intriguing prospect, should he still be available in the later rounds.

I would argue that the Dolphins could use one of their 4th round picks, either 116th or 135th overall, to bring in a player that could become their long-term answer at backup quarterback.

While Aprils draft is top-heavy when it comes to the quarterback position, there are many interesting prospects that teams could take a chance on.

Are there any that you are hoping the Dolphins select? Let me know in the comments.

Otherwise, for more sports opinions, you can follow me on Youtube @WickedGoodSports and X @TheFakeBMarr.

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