The Miami Dolphins have, who they believe at least, is their franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. They tied themselves to their 2020 top pick last July with a four-year, $212.4 million extension.
That being said, we’ve seen during his first five seasons that Tua is anything but reliable. He’s only managed to play every game in a season just once – in 2023. He’s missed significant time with multiple concussions and a hip injury.
As such, it never hurts to find a good young quarterback with upside who you can develop as a quality backup or perhaps a successor if you strike gold. Syracuse QB Kyle McCord is someone who could fit that bill.
The Dolphins should consider McCord during the third day of the draft
McCord is someone that really had kind of a meteoric rise after struggling at Ohio State and transferring after the 2023 season. But boy, did he make waves during his one season in upstate New York.
McCord’s season numbers were impressive, to be sure. He led all of FBS in passing with 4779 yards to go with 34 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. His final game was his best numbers-wise, as he completed 24 of 34 attempts for 453 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Orange’s 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.
But it was against the Miami Hurricanes in the regular season finale that really stuck out to me. Down 21-0, McCord engineered a comeback for the ages, leading touchdown drives on 4 of the Cuse’s next 5 drives to put control of the game back with the Orange. He completed 26 of 36 attempts for 380 yards with 3 touchdowns, and he was in complete control, landing deep passes down the field in stride and throwing with timing and precision.
If McCord is available when the Dolphins are on the clock in the fourth round (they have picks 116 and 135), he should be in consideration. If he’s there in the fifth, when the Dolphins again have two picks (150 and 155), he should certainly get scooped up if he’s somehow still there.
