DeVonta Smith vs. Ja’Marr Chase debate is on for Dolphins. Both have outside supporters

The Miami Dolphins spent a lot of time with their scouts at their practice facility recently to discuss 2021 draft prospects, and perhaps the most important topic of conversation centered on wide receivers.

The Dolphins need at least one, and perhaps more wide receivers from this draft.

The Dolphins understand the most NFL-ready receivers are likely to be available in the first round.

The Dolphins, like the entire Earth, are debating DeVonta Smith versus Ja’Marr Chase.

Yes, Jaylen Waddle and my first-round back-to-back guy Rashod Bateman, who recently ran a 4.39 at the EXOS combine, were probably also part of the conversation as were many others.

But the debate between Smith and Chase or Chase and Smith — depending on preference — is intriguing because it could decide what the Dolphins do with their highest scheduled pick, No. 3 in the first round.

If the Dolphins decide one or both those guys are worthy of the No. 3 pick, receiver might be the direction they go with their top pick. They could also trade down and still hope to land one or the other.

If the Dolphins decide neither is a top-three pick, the team can obviously look for a trade-down and still hope to land one or the other in the exchange while also picking up a valuable extra pick later.

And if the Dolphins fall in love with only one and that one becomes a “must have” then the chances of a trade down diminish.

So which is it Miami Dolphins?

Oh, yeah, the Dolphins aren’t saying. The cancellation of the annual NFL Combine in Indianapolis, at which NFL general managers and coaches speak with the media, provided the Dolphins’ brass an opportunity to skip a news conference in which they intended to reveal their draft strategy.

Maybe next year.

But that doesn’t mean there is a paucity of opinions out there.

Today, for example, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. established himself squarely in the Smith camp. That makes sense since he slotted Smith to the Dolphins in his mock draft.

So why Smith, Mel?

Does he have the edge over Chase, who is 200 pounds compared to 160-and-change for Smith?

“No edge,” Kiper said during his annual media conference call. “There’s a feeling of, ‘Hey you got Tua, do you want Tua’s former teammate?’ Bigger doesn’t always mean better.

“Look at Marvin Harrison and the great career he had. When he dropped, I was with him at the Hula Bowl that year and he was about 178 pounds coming out of Syracuse. When you look at DeVonta, the ability, the work ethic, the passion for the game. DeVonta played and Ja’Marr didn’t. Ja’Marr Chase opted out.”

And here is a fact teams will discuss in this comparison because it has been mentioned to me over and over by NFL personnel people:

Last year Smith played through the pandemic. When Waddle, who was perhaps rated higher as a prospect when the season began, broke his ankle in October, Smith responded by playing better, producing more.

Chase, LSU’s No. 1 receiver in 2019 in a year they also had Justin Jefferson, did not play in 2020. He opted out.

And that is affecting teams in different ways. Some teams don’t see it as a problem. Some teams might worry about a lack of information about the player. And some teams might wonder if it means Chase is already making business decisions, which is his right, but some teams don’t love.

“Teams could have no contact during the year with opt outs,” Kiper said. “That’s why I have an edge [for Smith]. I had teams in the league tell me put Chase to Miami. I didn’t do it. I went with what I thought. I had a couple teams tell me Chase should be the guy there.

“That’s a flip of the coin. Those two are interchangeable.You could put either one in Miami and drop the next one down to Philadelphia at 6.”

There is a difference of opinion within the ESPN staff.

NFL analyst Mike Tannenbaum, who formerly headed the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins front office, is a big believer in Chase.

As someone who worked under Bill Parcells, Tannenbaum obviously defers to prototype size.

Dolphins GM Chris Grier also worked under Parcells in Miami. And his father Bobby Grier worked with Parcells as the vice president of player personnel in New England.

So Grier also likes prototype size.

But Grier drafted a 6-foot quarterback at No. 5 overall last year, passing on the 6-6 guy. And he has drafted four Alabama players the past five years, including two — Minkah Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa — in the first round.

And, yes, Smith played at Alabama and has a major seal of approval from coach Nick Saban, so he should not be dismissed from the Dolphins conversation because he needs to gain weight.

Thus the debate of Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith.