Forget Oregon's largely atrocious track record of NFL quarterbacks. Justin Herbert is a consensus top-three QB prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, and some believe he could go as high as No. 2 overall, with the Miami Dolphins potentially eyeing a move up for the young signal-caller. Only time will tell whether Miami is that infatuated with Herbert, but the team is doing everything it can to weigh the former Ducks standout as a possible first-round pick, including recently meeting with the QB over video conference.
That's according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who reported late Wednesday that Miami spoke with Herbert and has also "done more work" on the prospect "over the past two years" than any other team in the NFL.
Neither Herbert's recent meeting nor the Dolphins' intense evaluation of the QB should come as a surprise. Miami has been eyeing its future at the position for a while now, reportedly kicking off an "organic tanking" rebuild after the 2018 season, when the Dolphins traded former first-round pick Ryan Tannehill. But the team's apparent strong interest in Herbert should be another indication the Oregon product is, in fact, a possibility to come off the board early -- perhaps even before Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, long presumed to be Miami's top choice at the position before 2019 injuries raised more questions about his durability.
The Dolphins front office appreciates Herbert's size, skill set and arm strength, per Jackson, but "needed to get comfortable" with the QB's style of leadership and ability to make plays outside of a conservative offense. They "certainly have had enough time to figure that out," he suggested.
Now it's just a matter of whether or not they'll make him their next franchise QB.
