The Dolphins aren’t trying to get the third overall pick from the Lions without giving up the fifth overall pick in order to make two picks in the top five. Instead, the Dolphins believe that a potential Godfather offer to the Bengals for the first overall pick would be even harder to refuse if the Dolphins offer both No. 3 and No. 5 as part of the package.
Per a league source, that’s the primary purpose of the Miami effort to finagle No. 3 from Detroit.
If the Dolphins pull it off, the Bengals would then have to ask themselves whether they’d rather have quarterback Joe Burrow or, for example, the best tackle on the board at No. 3 and either quarterback Justin Herbert or quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, plus whatever else Miami would be offering.
Of course, it won’t matter if the Dolphins can’t squeeze No. 3 from the Lions without giving up No. 5. But if the Dolphins somehow end up with a pair to top-five picks, don’t be surprised if the next move entails an effort to get to the top of the mountain, via a huge pile of draft picks.