"Tank for Tua" was the general theme of this article during the first two months of the NFL season. Everyone expected that the Miami Dolphins who traded away three key players while gaining two more first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft were punting on the 2019 season to guarantee the opportunity to selected Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Things have changed fast as we enter Week 11 of the 2019 NFL season. The Cincinnati Bengals are now in a position to get the No. 1 pick and a new quarterback has emerged as the No. 1 overall pick.
While Tua may still end up on the Dolphins, it's anything but a sure thing after Miami's recent run of success. Here's a look at the current draft order with seven weeks left in the 2019 regular season.
2020 Draft Order: Top 10
1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-9)
2. Washington Redskins (1-8)
3. New York Giants (2-8)
4. Miami Dolphins (2-7)
5. New York Jets (2-7)
6. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)
7. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-6)
9. Denver Broncos (3-6)
10. Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1)
Here are five Week 11 games that may help determine the first-round pick in this year's draft.
Cincinnati at Oakland
4:25 p.m. ET (CBS, stream on CBS All Access, follow on CBS Sports App)
Ryan Finley played like a typical rookie making his first career start in Sunday's blowout loss to the Ravens. Finley, who will be Cincinnati's starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, went 16-of-30 for 167 yards with a touchdown and an interception against Baltimore's formidable pass defense. While it's still early, the general consensus is that the Bengals will draft a quarterback with their first-round pick. Given their current draft position, Cincinnati will likely be in a position to draft either Tagovailoa or LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, an Ohio native who threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers' recent win over Alabama.
New York Jets vs. Washington
1 p.m. (Fox, stream on fuboTV, try for free)
The Redskins and Jets will likely have top picks in this year's draft. Both teams will also likely be interested in Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young, who sat out the Buckeyes' blowout win over Maryland this past Saturday after news broke of Young accepting a loan from a family friend during the 2018 season. Young, whose recent situation with the NCAA will in no way impact his draft stock, has 13.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in eight games. The Jets may also elect to draft Georgia's Andrew Thomas to help bolster an offensive line that has been among the NFL's worst through nine games.
Buffalo at Miami
4:25 p.m. (CBS, stream on CBS All Access, follow on CBS Sports App)
The Dolphins, despite their recent two-game winning streak, are still in good shape when it comes to getting either Tua or Burrow in this year's draft. While they may not land the first or second overall pick, Miami has three first-round picks in this year's draft and two 2021 first-round picks they can use as trade bait to move up to select a quarterback. The Dolphins, if they are forced to go the trade route to select a quarterback in the draft, should hope that the Dolphins (who appear to be committed to second-year quarterback Sam Darnold) and the Redskins (who drafted Dwayne Haskins in the first round in the 2019 NFL Draft) get two of the top three spots in the draft. At this point, it seems that the Dolphins, unless they are desperate to land Tua, will get whichever quarterback the Bengals decide not to draft with the first overall pick.
Atlanta at Carolina
1 p.m. (Fox, stream on fuboTV, try for free)
The Falcons, despite their shocking Week 10 win over the Saints, are still in a position to land a high pick in this year's draft. The question is whether or not the Falcons, who made several coaching moves during their Week 9 bye, will try to salvage their season after a 2-7 start. As it currently stands, Atlanta could be in place land Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons, the player CBS NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson has the Falcons selecting in his most recent Mock Draft.
"The Falcons need help everywhere on their defense and what better way to expedite upgrading this roster than getting a player who excels at multiple positions?" Ryan wrote. "Simmons is a hybrid capable of dominating the linebacker position but with the athleticism to drop into coverage like a safety. He even stood out on Clemson's stacked defense from last season's national championship team and he's only gotten better in 2019. If Dylan Moses returns to Alabama in 2020, Simmons is the top-rated linebacker while also being one of the nation's top-rated safeties."
Denver at Minnesota
(CBS, stream on CBS All Access, follow on CBS Sports App)
The Broncos, with several needs heading into this year's draft, will likely select the best available player when they are on the clock. Denver may elect to select Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, a 6-foot-6, 237-pound signal-caller who has completed 69.2 percent of his passes with a 24:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Wilson has Denver going in a different direction and picking Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy, who could help replace the recently departed Emmanuel Sanders. Jeudy, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound target, has 57 receptions for 753 yards and nine touchdowns this season.