DeVonta Smith: Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa and I Have Talked About Running It Back
January 26, 2021
Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith has spoken to former Alabama teammate Tua Tagovailoa about reuniting in the NFL.
"We have talked about how it would be nice to run it back again," Smith said Tuesday on NFL Network (via the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad).
The Miami Dolphins are on the board with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft and could use a true No. 1 receiver to pair with Tagovailoa. Head coach Brian Flores spoke highly of Smith when talking to reporters Tuesday:
Smith obviously has a strong rapport with Tagovailoa already. They arrived at Alabama as part of the 2017 recruiting class and spent three seasons together with the Crimson Tide.
Based on his college resume, Smith is likely to be one of the first receivers off the board.
He had to share the spotlight with Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III through his first three years. As the top wideout in 2020, he caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games. The Louisiana native was simply unguardable.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projected him to land with the New York Jets at No. 2. LSU's Ja'Marr Chase went to the Dolphins with the next pick.
None of this is to say Smith is the clear choice for the Dolphins. Flores, general manager Chris Grier and the rest of the staff will do as much evaluating as they can, and they could reasonably value somebody else over the Alabama star.
But taking Smith would make plenty of sense for Miami.