Dolphins don't have to look far for ideal NFL Draft prospect to replace Tua Tagovailoa

The next quarterback of the Miami Dolphins already plays in their stadium.

Sep 14, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) looks on from the field before the game against the Ball State Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins need to be honest with themselves. They need a new quarterback.

Sure, they gave Tua Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.4 million contract through 2028. No one believes he’ll see out the end of that contract after watching him suffer another severe concussion on Thursday Night Football.

At worst, Tagovailoa will retire. In that case, the Dolphins will need to find a new franchise QB. At best, he’ll make his way back onto the field with massive injury worries lurking around every corner. In that case, Miami needs to start contingency planning.

Either way, the Dolphins should be thinking quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Specifically, they should be thinking Cam Ward.

Cam Ward is the Miami Dolphins perfect NFL Draft target

The new quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes is tearing it up in the ACC. In three quarters against Ball State on Saturday, he put up 345 yards and five touchdowns. His season totals through three games add up to 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Listen, Ward beating up on the likes of Ball State and Florida A&M isn’t the main reason to draft him. What he did against Florida was far more impressive. In hostile territory, Ward dropped 385 yards and three touchdowns against an SEC defense. He looked damn good doing it too.

The playmaking ability from Ward is undeniable. He has a live arm that can deliver the football anywhere he needs to. He has the mobility and the poise to extend plays when things break down. He can roll with the script or improvise.

Ward has already made himself beloved in Miami. At this rate, he’s posed to guide the Hurricanes to their first ACC Championship since 2003.

Drafting Ward would be a good football decision. One that would hype up Miami as a whole.

The biggest barrier to drafting Ward might be his skyrocketing draft stock. Some mock drafts have him going in the first five picks. One CBS Sports mock has him as the top quarterback on the board.

Unfortunately, the rest of the football world is seeing what Miami Hurricanes fans are seeing with their own eyes. But if Ward is there wherever the Dolphins pick, they’ve got to jump at the opportunity to grab him.