2021 NFL Draft Quarterback Preview, Breaking Down Tua Tagovailoa's Game

by Daniel Jeremiah's mock draft three point oh. All of that and more on this edition of the Drive Time Podcast, and we're gonna break right into the NFL Draft quarterback claps. No, we're not, you know why because we've got this steaks the all play stays at the speed, steaks down down the middle and down the ten. How did he find a hole there? Plus seventy you're running looking at him? So he's got a man sicky is for the touchdown?

What a truck by t at the Tolphits yeah, I mean I'm excited about, you know, to a in this upcoming season and we started nine games. I thought he made a lot of improvement where other really throughout the course of the season had some ups at some announce um like all the rookies, UM, and like any rookie, Uh, I'm really excited about this. Uh, this this, you know that year one a year to jump having, uh being more comfortable even down here in South Florida has got

a place. I mean, I love that rookie year. You got a lot going on. You know, you gotta get a house, you gotta get a cart, moved to all new city. I mean, there's so many things that are going on. I'm Thorey handled it well last year, but I'm really excited um about uh, you know this upcoming year, especially you know again we gotta think that he had an old t AC and you know I had a different training camp. Uh so look, you guys know me.

I mean I'm all about the development of players, you know, helping them develop and helping them u um get better. And I think, uh, you know this this time or you know, an off season, UM is really gonna be helpful to him, um and really all the rookies. And I'm really excited about, you know, working with him in a season. Hold on, how do you do this seventy seven yards? I mean it's one thing to have a play dialed up and throw it as you're packing to

your left, but putting it right on the money. Jaylen Waddles playing for Debout this last year. Go across the field, he's not that wide open. He just delipers the ball right on them. Right. The guy was a rookie last year and came in and went six and three or whatever he did. The two things that really stick out to me about to as I think he has elite accuracy and that's very important, and I think he's gonna learn, you know, from last year, he's gonna learn through this offseason.

He's got some continuity with George Gottsey and Eric Studesville as coordinators. Now, um, you know where to go with the ball, how to eliminate things pre snap, Uh, to really be able to unleash that elite accuracy. And then he throws with anticipation and that's something that's difficult that you don't see a lot with quarterbacks coming from college to the NFL. So I'm a huge to a fan. Uh. My kids love to a Sometimes they play with him on that and sometimes they play with me. Um. But

I'm looking forward for big things for him. I think I think he's gonna do great and just in terms of being a leader on a team and a guy that people can follow. He has all those qualities. So I think we just need to have a little bit of patience. He was a rookie last year, and I think he's gonna do great things. And so while I fancy myself a pretty knowledgeable analyst, I think it's important

to utilize the resources that you have. And when it comes to to a tungue voloa, we have countless resources of people way smarter than I, people that have forgotten more football than you or I will ever know, saying how many special qualities this guy has. And we'll hear some more of those testimonials here at the end of

the show too. But I wanted to rattle off some of my scouting points, break down some of the plays that I think demonstrated those special skills during his rookie season, talk about some areas of growth, and really get into the weeds on the numbers and the data. So first,

why should you trust my word on quarterback play? For those that have been with me since the beginning of all of this, even before the Lockdown Dolphins days, my first work that really gained some notoriety for me was the website that I developed from the ground up brick by brick if you're a listener of the Great Around the NFL podcast, And it all came from an idea that was really born back in two thousand twelve or

somewhere in that range. I always thought the way the general public critiqued and perceived quarterback play was operating with some incomplete information, just a fraction of what was really going on twenty two moving parts on any given play. It's a lot to process. So for years I theorized a project that focused on how can we create a grading scale that accounts for those little details and generates a total score on an even plane for every single quarterback.

At first, I had these thoughts about what if we took every single possible yard, touchdown, or completion on a very objective perspective and graded quarterbacks based upon my perceived my perception rather of the statistics they left on the field. But that left for way too much gray area. However, it was the crux of the development of the website which would become third and ten dot com, and it launched in the summer, and though that site is no longer on the old interwebs. I still point back to

that as my breakthrough project. It's what got my name on the radar of David Locke, the owner of Locked On Podcasts, and it got me some attention, some good, plenty bad with fan bases around the league. Boy Titans fans did not like me for the grades I gave Marcus Mariota the Giant subreddit banned me for suggesting that maybe two time world champion Eli Manning had seen his better days. And that's putting my comments pretty lightly. We're talking honestly here above leading to a job that led

to this job. All the tape I watched from that project really honed my ability, in my opinion, to evaluate the position. I broke down every play. I watched it from the sideline angle, concerning the progression, the coverage, the immediacy or lack thereof, by which the wide receiver uncovered, where the quarterback had his eyes and access to each throw. And I watched the end zone angle looking at the protection, how he got away from pressure, how they managed off script.

That factor into a big time to hitting layups counted as one point making an exceptional throw or evading pressure to get a completion was usually two points, and doing a mixture of those two things and creating out of nothing was a three point play with some shades of grant all those explanations. The most I gave out on any one play was three points, though, and the scale went negatively to all the way down to negative three, so six points possible with zero as well, so seven

possible outcomes every single play. This allowed me to determine blame and responsibility for turnovers or missed opportunities. And I look back on the rankings of that project and it's still hold pretty well true today. I had Tannehill and Stafford right around the top ten range. I had Dak Prescott up there, and that super rookie season that he had, I think he has maintained and sustained that ability since

that time. I mentioned I was more bearish on Mariota and manning guys like Joe Flacco, and boy was I harsh on Jared Goff's rookie season. So all of that is to say, then I feel pretty qualified doing this. I continued charting Dolphins quarterbacks after that, when the Dolphins became my lane specifically and the entire thing. Back in two thousand twelve, as well as the resurfacing of it in was really done in earnest to show people that Ryan Tannehill was much better than he got credit for.

And well, I think that story speaks pretty well for itself. But what I learned most about quarterback play is fourfold. We'll call it first, even though the position gets all the credit and all the blame, it's never a one man deal. Never. The box score lies, the highlights lie. The only thing that gives you a true picture of what's going on is putting in the work and placing context to every single drop back, every single snap, every single play. And that's why I encourage you to check

out Tuesday's podcast. In season we break down the entire game in lieu of firing off takes over one or two plays that made the highlight reel good or bad. Second, the feet. It all starts with the feet. I remember watching Jimmy Garoppolo at the Senior Bowl what was that two thousand fourteen, and he would work through his reads and his feet moved with his eyes. That was a

big revelation for me. Eyes hardwired to your feet because to play quarterback, you have to anticipate windows opening you have to have your body react in unison with the speed at which your brain processes. So if you're reading front side of the coverage and it's covered up, when your eyes get to the backside, your feet, your alignment and body position need to as well. So the moment you see it, you can let it rip. It sounds simple, but few quarterbacks can do it consistently with precision. To

what does it more on that in a moment? Third, the multiple throws in the toolbag. Tannehill is always my reference point because I've seen that man throw more passes than anybody else on planet Earth, and I always praised him for his ability to drive those scene throws with the rip and the spin to get over the second level,

but under the third level. Just picture Charles Clay streaking down the hash mark on the middle of the field and making big gainers and wouldn't you know it, look at all the big place Tannehill hits in Tennessee to A J. Brown, Johnny Smith, Corey Davis on those similar routes. But where I always docked Tannehill was the touch. You'd see it on screens and wheels, basically anything to the running back. The ability to alter the motion of the arm, to alter the arms slot to an angle that can

manipulate velocity, touch and timing. Russell Wilson is a great example of this. He can throw with different trajectories from different platforms to work around defenders, create windows and stick that thing and accurately. So canta more on that in just one moment. And finally, and there are more. But these are the key components. I look at the relationship when it comes to the quarterbacks, processing and the timing of the play's evolution. So stay with me here on

this comparisons. I might lose some of you. This is probably a crazy thought, but I swear it's apt. I used to play a lot of FIFA with my brother. It's all through balls and anticipation passes to remain on side but get in behind the defense with a run on goal. And to execute those passes, you had to be able to not only recognize your teammates pattern, pace and path, you had to account for the leverage of

the defense. And that's playing quarterback anticipation leverage, understanding of the coverage where it's vulnerable, and how you design or how the design of your concept rather can attack those vulnerabilities. So where does to fit into all that. Let's go in reverse order the anticipation. I've been watching his rookie tape a lot, and you see it all the time.

We're gonna play a clip here breaking down one of those throws against the Chiefs and how he was able to manipulate the defense out of its own principles to create a throwing lane. It's a third and twelve, a corner route sometimes called a sale, sometimes called a flag, sometimes called a seven. Every route has like twenty four names.

To us sees the coverage playout post snap, he does our number to trade with the body positioning and the feet alignment to move the defense out of his window, then shoots it in behind the vacated defender before he's even out of that hole. There's a throw from two against l s U back in that twenty four to nothing shutout where he outran Patrick Queen to the end zone for a forty something. You are touchdown to put

the game on ice. It's third down in five. It's a basic out against off coverage, a speed out where the receiver pushes up five yards and hits a ninety degree turn right in front of the defensive back towards the perimeter to what takes the snap, and his knees and his hips, his shoulders, his foot positioning are square down the pipe, so the dB cannot drive on the quick out, the speed out route with insanely quick feet.

He's at the top of his drop, he's pivoted his mechanics to get into proper position, and the football is out before the receiver has even begun to break down, sink his hips, and get to that break. It's located on the outside shoulder, giving the receiver protection from the dB coming underneath for a possible play on the football.

It's timing, it's rhythm, it's accuracy, it's countless repetition of playing the position, something we know to A has done with his father pretty much every day since he could group a football back in his hometown of Eva Beach, Hawaii. I remember texting friend of the podcast and writer podcaster for Dolphins Talk dot Com, Kevin Dern, about that one

play and just gushing over how impressed I was. Winning from the pocket expedity in the process of the footwork to account for the bang bang nature of the play, just so precise and nuanced, even on a little throw

that seems routine to the casual observer. If you want some examples of this as a pro there's a step for step replication of that in the Chargers game, fourth quarter, fourteen ten left to play a twelve yard completion to Jachim Grant who reduces inside to give himself more a room off the perimeter to run this route to the boundary, and just real quick, perimeter and boundary are different things.

Boundary is the short side of the field, so just keep that in mind for future reference to a fakes on an r P O. He pulls it out and pops that thing to the sideline where Jachim catches it, taps the toes and moves the chains. It's an indefensible throw because the dB holds inside on the play fake and to as ability to quickly square to his target and throw accurately on time, You're just not going to defend that ball. Then there's the manipulation of the ball

with spin, velocity and touch all that stuff. There's a great example against the Bengals where two of breaks the pocket and add libs on a busted play. He finds Miles Gascon for a big gainer down to the five yard line, who's behind the Cincinnati defender with nobody over the top, But you still have to get over that defender.

If you want to practice this throw, go in your backyard and assuming you have a six foot tall fence in your backyard, get a buddy, put him on the other side of the fence, but only five yards beyond the fence. Then you yourself go into your own yard fifteen yards away from the fence. Now throw the football over the fence, but in a way that it descends right over the top of that fence and into your buddy's hands. That's what we're talking about here. You can't

just throw the thing through the fence. You have to have touch to get it over it and then have it dropped back down into the receiver's hands. And there are different throws, and we've seen him make them. We saw him rip that first career touchdown past the Davante Parker with pristine accuracy and without even having his feet set because he's throwing into a pressure. Look. We've seen him drive those r p O pops over the middle, took a sicki Lynn Bowden to Parker. Again, We've seen

him lofed perfectly arching deep balls down the field. More on the most accurate downfield thrower in college football history in just one moment. But he can make all those throws. So control of the football on all throws, the feet, and the alignment to get himself into threatening position after ripping through his reads or against pressure, the anticipation of a tenure veteran, and finally the credit and blame discussion. When I was breaking down the Chiefs game this spring,

maybe it was still winter, I don't remember. Two was playing extremely well in that game, but even the stats didn't reflect that at one point, because at one point he was nine for fourteen with eighty two yards and a touchdown pass going in once again inside the red zone on the first drive of the game, perhaps my favorite play of Two his entire rookie season, but it

went incomplete on a drop. It's third and long. He gets pressure up the middle in his face and there are two Chiefs defenders parked at the sticks, one in the middle of the field who has his back turned to Towa's eventual target, and the other is on the back of his eventual target. So a tight window to a reads that leverage and drills a shot twenty five yards in between this tight window where he essentially replaces the out leverage defender with the football, and you couldn't

have handed it off any better. But the ball falls the turf and comes out incomplete, and here comes the pump team back to the red zone drive with that seven zero lead in that chief's game. The pass in the corner to Parker that just goes off his hands and brings the field goal team out for three points. Parker gets on top of the defense defenders quickly and to lets that thing fly early. He sees them even he's leaving, throws the ball early, and Parker does what

he seemingly always does, goes up high points it. But he just barely cannot bring that thing in. It's about thirty yards or so of production. It's two more completions, it's another touchdown pass. So eleven for four teen with a hundred and five yards or so and two passing touchdowns. Context, man, stuff matters, So I want to break down a few more plays here and continue to provide that context. But first, my scattering report on two out of college reads as

follows written back in twenty nine. Team mechanically there are no flaws tongue by Lowa's ability to win from the pocket comes from a rare combination of high level processing and accuracy. Those two traits, along with his light feet, which are hardwired to his eyes, makes him one of the most revered prospects to come out in the last decade. Too,

is far from just a pocket passer. He's a dual threat that contest every level of the field, erase free rushers, and always puts his offense and the most ad vantageous positions. His processing and anticipation skills extend beyond reading coverage. He's especially adept at managing the pocket and flashing false targets for defenders to take the cheese. He can quickly bounce off of his spot and mitigate pressure by attacking the line of scrimmage while he continues to survey down the field.

He throws with accuracy from a variety of platforms and across multiple route combinations. He dictated ideal situations with pre snap recognition and post nap manipulation. He manipulates defense with ball placement, eye and body position manipulation. Like the mechanics, it's difficult to find flaws in his acumen, quick twitch anticipatory abilities, and throws with rare accuracy and placement to

all levels of the field. Back to his NFL game, I don't have to tell you guys about the Cardinals game. He was stellar in that one. Back in Week ninety one Dolphins. The yard drive to tie up in the fourth quarter with the big time throws and the scramble play the big throw Tokasicky to set up the game winning field goal in that game. That was his coming out party, and I was so impressed with his tape against the Rams the week before that in his debut.

Now the offense was able to really squeeze the air out of the ball because of the defense and special teams in that first half, but even before all of that, Toa was identifying middle of the field, reading the safety's leverage, and attacking his matchups based upon that leverage with deep shots to Gasicki and Preston Williams and one on one situations early in that game. Was a good process, even

if the results weren't there. So skip past that Cardinals game, and much like I mentioned early against the Chiefs, he came out dazzling against the Chargers in Week ten I watched the tape with a buddy and early into the second quarter, with how the defense had played all season long and the things that too was doing in that game, I told him, Man, if we go back to this exact moment in time, we had to have been thinking Super Bowl because of the defense, because the special team is,

because the way the team is coached, and because of how this kid is playing right now. Early in just his third NFL start, and after the Dolphins cashed in the punt block possession as second and eight on the wing possession after a two yard run by savan Akhmed, two was under center thirteen personnel, which is one running back, three tight ends and one receiver in the formation. He

fakes the handoff and boots out to his left. It's a layer's concept with Ghasicki twenty yards downfield to the high layer, Parker ten yards to the middle layer, and savan Akhmed underneath about five yards up field to a pumps to Akhmed in the flat and draws the defender up one step, then uncorks a shot to Gasicki on the move, right on target in place of that vague kid defender for twenty three yards and a first down

absolutely beautiful. Two plays later, it's the exact same anticipation speed out to Grant that I mentioned earlier, and RPO pulled out of the mesh point rip it to the outside thirteen yards bing bang bong, easy money. Four plays later, he drills one under pressure to Grant on a dig before he starts his break completion fifteen yards. Move the sticks, rents, wash, repeat.

He's just showing you the entire toolbag. He's moving the offense, he's putting points on the board, he's converting third and longs. It's just flat out impressive for a twenty two year old rookie in his third start to be doing this, and the knock I had on him was just to

be more aggressive. But that's what Fitzpatrick talked about in that clip off the top of the show, how once he gets that continuity and repetition and experience, then he can start to really unleash that elite accuracy and anticipation. Kurt Warner showed this in his study Ball segment on

YouTube as well. But I think that's a totally fair expectation for a rookie, especially one playing with at the time the best defense in the NFL late last season, and it hearkens back to the Drew Brees twenty I think it was twenty nineteen season where he didn't have his usual gaudy Drew Brees numbers, but the Saints were just steamrolling teams because people are, because they were just

a loaded team. Then in the playoffs, the run game couldn't get going and the defense had fallen behind like seventeen zip to the Vikings, and then Breeze unleashes his all world ability when he had to. That's the goal here. Have a quarterback that can do all that, but also build a roster that can win in multiple ways. And last year I think that as rookie as a rookie to have played in a way that was trying to complement a winning game plan, and I thought he did

a good job of that. How about some stats for you here prior to that, let's call it the atrocity in Week seventeen two had a sixty five percent completion rate against pressure. That's better than any completion percentage Peyton Manny had in his first four years as a pro

on all throws, not just against pressure. Every throw to us bad throw percentage from Pro Football Focus was eighteen point three percent at that point, the same rate as Patrick Mahomes in when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in college to what was behind only Joe Burrow and catchable ball percentage speaking of college from the Pro Football Focus NFL Draft Guide, he completed nineteen of thirty nine passes beyond twenty yards that year, right around fifty on

deep passing, and that's just cop balls, not including drops like the dime he threw fifty yards down the field against l s U that was dropped on the goal line. He led the nation in deep passing accuracy via PFF. He had the seventh best adjusted completion percentage in college football and the third fewest turnover worthy plays with six. Do you understand what that means? He's both efficient and explosive,

and that's rare and extremely difficult to do. Look at the most most of the volume leaders in the NFL in the history of the league, Brett Farve, Dan Reno, Peyton Manning. Now they threw their their fair share of interceptions. It's Russell Wilson like in his ability to attack deep, but also played turnover free football. Now in college, his final year he averaged thirteen point three yards per pass there at Alabama with an interception rate of one percent.

For comparison's sake, Jacoby Brissett's career interception rate at one point three is the lowest all time in the NFL with at least nine passing attempts. Now, college and pros are obviously way different, but I think you get the idea eleven point three yards per pass and a one point to interception rate. Finally, while we're talking college, Yeah, Alabama was loaded, but what's new? He had a stable of receivers featuring the first or two first round picks

rather in and very likely two more here in. I'm not arguing a general thought here, just a thought that i've seen to want to make a point, uh, for the sake of the podcast and for the sake of discussion. Since when is it, you know, against the rules to build the team around your quarterback? Like, why is it viewed as detrimental to to his long term prognosis to build an offense around the strengths of your young quarterback. I'll never get that. What does every quarterback that is

elite in this league have? Patrick Mahomes Kansay a Chiefs Tyreek Hill Travis Kelsey, they signed Sammy Watkins, they drafted Micole Hardman. DeMarcus Robinson's there. They drafted Clyde Edwards Hilaire in the first round last year. The Green Bay Packers, for my money, have the best receiver in the NFL, and Davante Adams also spent most of his career Rogers did with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb and Greg Jennings. The Buffalo Bills rebuilt the whole damn thing the year

before Josh Allen arrives. Once he it's there. They had John Brown, Cole Beasley, and cap it off with the leader in the NFL receiving Stefon Diggs. Seahawks have dk Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The Texans had now will Fuller as ours now, but he was a first round pick with them back when they already had DeAndre Hopkins in the fold. Now that predated the Deshaun Watson arrival there in Houston. But look at how explosive that offense was that they had around that young quarterback. Look at Brady

with the Pats and then the Buccaneers. Do I need to keep going here expediting the development and making the quarterback's job easier with more weapons isn't some indictment on the quarterback. It's just smart business. Invest in your investment, and the same way I told you earlier in the podcast that toa's ability to identify matchups and go to work from empty packages on offense is a strength. Putting matchup nightmares in these positions is a tried and true

path to offensive success. So that's my case. I'm such a believer in everything this young man offers at the position. I've been a fan of his game ever since that national title game way back in seen. I guess it was January the poise to excel in that position, the fourth quarter winning performances we saw in that game, but also this year, and the team needed it against Arizona,

the Chargers, the Bengals, the Patriots. I go back and watch his tape and see more of the same that made me a fan in college and now a fan here at the Miami Dolphins, and now now that he's looking positively jacked because he can actually lift weights and run around and throw past this time of year, opposed to rehabbing last year with Will Fuller and presumptively more reinforcements at the skill spots coming. I haven't been this

excited about Dolphins quarterback in a long long time. And if you want to take my word for it, how about some experts watch eyes, right eyes, left slide move. See that anticipation, Jim. It's really special when you watch it. He he looks people off. He does a great job of getting through the progression. Well you'll see it's a sewn coverage they try and confuse to us. But with great anticipation what we talked about, he's able to get there and get up on the ball. You'll seek as second.

You'll come back to that because they're gonna call it play at the line of screaming here, but you'll see him come up. It's cover two, get throwing that hole. Great instance because I can show you what he can do, what fits fits references with accuracy, anticipation. He's got a sail in a flat route. This is a high low. Now there's subtlety into his game that is so special. Here as those two receivers, one goes to the flat,

one pushes vertical. You've got to drop down safety in the middle and then a flat defender on that fourt yard line. You gotta have vision on him to go. Okay, can I get that flat defender to drive down with my feet in my body alignment, but also only take one hitch because the ball has to come out on time? But can I also do that by placing it in between a flat defender trailing safety and before that corner falls off. That's what fits he is referencing when he's

talking about elite accuracy and anticipation. That subtle TVD has a I'm gonna hitch that way and align my body to the flat, but then get the ball on time to the opening that I I opened up with my body linement. Look at his career, Look look at everything he's ever done. Don't forget we're just a few years or removed from tank with TWA. Then look at who the Miami Dolphins were last year. I think it's one of the biggest criminal narratives that's happened in the last

few years around quarterbacks. Is that too it didn't play well to have played very well considering what he had. He's coming off massive injuries, he has no O T A S, no offseason, very complex system like this kid has gone through a lot and he still played pretty

efficient ball with what they asked him to do. I think with the addition to Charlie Fry as a quarterback coach who means you will both knows one of the great coaches, young coaches, and all football has a relationship with tah I think with what they've redone with their offense has happened all these picks. You give this guy talent around him, you give him a system system where you can unleash him. I really don't care about your one. And here's the short sightedness of the NFL narratives. Who

cares about your one? None of them won any games in any ways? Who can take him to a super Bowl? And I believe with what Miami has from an ammunition standpoint, from draft capital to the leadership of Flora's and the rest of that building, UH to a process in place with good coaches to bring out the best into a Let's have this conversation three years and see which one is the best in three years. So CBS, ESPN, NFL Network, all these expert analysis breaking down to as game with

high praise and just a quick correction there. Dilfer is referring to the general idea back in eighteen of Tank for TWA that became a countrywide phenomenon after his phenomenal performances early on there at Alabama. And I'll throw in

one more coveted skill set here. Something I had a chance to ask to about last year on Draft night, the recall and on Draft night I asked to about a pair of plays, one from one from the game in nineteen against L s U where he got a L s U cornerback sleeping on a dummy snap count. And then of course the big throw in the National Championship game. We start with that throw. Can you walk us through what you saw on that play? Uh, well, we're in three by one set, so we had four verticals.

You know, really I could have worked to two guys. I could have worked the bender, which is the middle of three, and then I could have looked the safety off and came backside. And I decided to look the safety off kind of help the safety inside on number three coming over and went back out. Safety kind of was misaligned and we we were lucky that the corner the corner give our receiver free release. So that's that's

why it was. It was so wide open. And then you come back this year in the big game against L s U and you catch the L s U defense sleeping with a quick count on the another touchdown past a teammate again, Javonte Smith once more, what happened on that play? Because I saw that play live and I was like, how do they get him like that? Yeah? So it was it was snap count. I took a step up. The step up was really the biggest things

we wanted. We wanted to make that play look as if we were actually looking to the sideline for play. But it was a dummy. It was a dummy. Clap dummy. He kind of signaled going into that, and I mean, we we we knew a play we we wanted already. So once we got those guys to look to their sidelines and snapped the ball, they were misaligned and try to hold um their middle of the field safety, you know, in the middle of the field far as long as I could before going back outside to the Fonte Smith.

But it touched down. So that's my case, that's my hype pod, as it were, That's just my you know, telling the truth, telling you how I see it. With regards to the Miami Dolphins quarterback, let's go ahead and finish us up here and talk about the draft class coming up, because I don't want to be I don't want to cast it off all the way because I think a couple of these guys might wind up in our division, might wind up in the a f C. You might see them down the line as opponents. And

we start here with the bell of the ball. Trevor Lawrence, number one quarterback on my board, picture perfect from the quarterback lab type. You couldn't print it out any better than him. That long run he had the National Championship game shows you the athletic ability and straight line speed, and it pairs with the arm strength that can test

every blade of grass on the field. He is unquestionably the number one prospect at quarterback in this year's draft, and frankly, I find the suggestion of anything counter to that to be kind of absurd. Justin Fields is my number two quarterback. I don't want him with the Jets. I don't want him with the Niners for the sake of the draft picks over the next couple of years, and I don't want the Patriots coming up for him. We'll see what happens, but to me, he and Lawrence

are a cut above the rest. The four four speed, the toughness in the pocket, playing through injuries last season, the downfield accuracy, his ability to get through progressions quickly. Yes, that is his game. Despite some of the suggestions you've seen out there of the opposite, I think justin fields is gonna make some fan base very happy, much like

me being happy here with two in Miami. Trey Lance, the Ball of Clay, the traits, the Josh Allen comparison, and they're not, you know, comparative side by side, but it's the thought. The big, strong, fast, athletic, big arm quarterback. You give that guy time to develop with the right staff and the right plan in place, I think he too could be special. And my fourth is Zach Wilson. Now,

his highlight tape is the best in college football. I'll be curious to see where he goes, what the fit with that offense is, and how he refinds his game for the NFL. But he's got a ridiculously live arm that can snap throws off at all levels and throw the ball down the field. He's gonna be a fun player to watch at the next level. The other quarterback in this class I like is Kellen Mond, a nice

dual threat player. Thought he showed massive improvements in his ability as a passer this season, and especially in that Senior Bowl where he was confident and ripping passes into tight windows in that game. So there you have it. I thought, rather than talking about this quarterback class super and depth, covering our guy was a better practice. Do

you agree with that? Let me know on Twitter. Let's go ahead and finish up here with a look at Daniel Jeremiah's most recent mock draft Mock three point oh for Jeremiah, he has Miami with Jamaar Chase at number six. He's been on that train since the beginning. Even at number three we saw Jamar's workout sub four four forty vertical, the production, the alpha mentality, a damn fine prospect. Jeremiah comes back at eighteen with Gregory Rousseau, and these Miami

edges fascinate me. Man. I really, really really like Jalen Phillips, but I think he's long gone by that point. Russo is probably the best ball of clay in this class, with his size, the wingspan, the strength. He just doesn't have a whole lot of tape to go back on, but I think that would be a super fascining piece for Flores to get his hands on. So Jamaar Chase and Gregory Risso at pick six and pick eighteen, let's

go ahead and call it a podcast right there. We're gonna continue with the positional previous for the next couple of weeks here on Drive Time. I'm not sure which one I'm gonna roll out next. We've got some big hitters in the draft industry lined up, Jordan Read, John Ledyard, Trevor Sikama, Matt Harmon. Tons of good stuff coming your way. But until next time, that's gonna be my time. You all, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on Apple

podcast or Spotify, wherever you get your podcast from. Go ahead and leave us a rating, leave us a review. Follow me on Twitter at Wingfield NFL, follow the team at Miami Dolphins, check out the Fish Tank and the Audible podcast, and of course Miami Dolphins dot com. Until next time, fins up.