Could Dolphins overwhelm Bengals with offer for Joe Burrow?

The Cincinnati Bengals have been on the clock for the NFL Draft since the conclusion of the 2019 season, and it seems all but certain that they are going to select former LSU star Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. However, nothing is official until the draft card has been submitted, and the Miami Dolphins could make an aggressive push to move up to first overall at some point in the next several days.

The Dolphins have three first-round picks — No.’s 5, 18 and 26 — in the upcoming draft, and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe believes there is at least a “small chance” they could overwhelm the Bengals with an offer for the top overall pick before Thursday. Miami has been desperate to find stability at quarterback since the Dan Marino era, and Cincinnati could still end up with one of the top QBs in the draft even if they make a trade with the Dolphins. If the Bengals believe in Tagovailoa’s upside and aren’t overly concerned about his health, a deal with the Dolphins might make sense.

Still, it is very unlikely. The Bengals have given no indication that they are open to trading the top overall pick, and it has been assumed for months that they are going to take Burrow. There was some chatter in February that Burrow could pull an “Eli Manning” and refuse to play for Cincy, but Burrow has said he will gladly play for whichever team drafts him and seems to have had a positive meeting with the Bengals’ brass a few weeks ago.

Tagovailoa’s rising stock adds another element of intrigue to the draft. Had it not been for the hip injury he suffered that required surgery, the former Alabama star would have had just as much of a chance as Burrow to go No. 1 overall. We have heard some rumblings that another team could make a big move up the board for him, so all options appear to still be on the table.