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2017 NFL Draft’s trash bin could be treasure chest for bargain-hunting Miami Dolphins

Talent, as the saying goes, always gets a second chance in the NFL.

And in the case of the Miami Dolphins, sometimes a third or fourth.

During their first two seasons together, Chris Grier and Brian Flores repeatedly sought out physically gifted players with high draft pedigrees who, for whatever reason, didn’t live up to expectations.

Occasionally, as in the case of Emmanuel Ogbah, the lotto ticket cashed. The former second-round pick had a career-high nine sacks after signing a very affordable, two-year, $15 million contract last offseason.

Granted, there have been misses, too. Robert Nkemdiche (29th overall pick in 2016), Josh Rosen (10th in 2018) and Taco Charlton (28th in 2017) all washed out quickly. And the jury’s still out on Shaq Lawson (19th in 2016), but he was at the very least a capable rotational player in his first season in Miami.

That’s the past. Is it prologue to a 2021 NFL free agency jam-packed with physically gifted players who, for a host of reasons, didn’t pop with the team that drafted them?

Of the 32 first-round picks in the 2017 draft, 13 are on track to be available when free agency begins next month. That means roughly a third of the league decided last spring that those first-rounders were unworthy of a fifth-year option, despite it being guaranteed only in the case of injury.

Two of those teams — the Tennessee Titans and the Arizona Cardinals — probably regret their decisions now.

Corey Davis, a receiver for the Titans, and Haason Reddick, an edge defender for Arizona, had career years in their contract years. As a result, they’re both on ESPN’s list of top 50 free agents (Davis at 18, Reddick at 24). Spotrac expects each to cash in next month, with both projected to make $10 million or more annually.

The Dolphins, who need help at receiver and pass rusher, would surely take both players on their roster. The problem is, they have limited cap space due to the pandemic, so probably can only afford one splash signing this offseason without making significant cuts to their roster.

That means they’re apt to look for value where others see disappointment.

The 2017 draft class could bring that value.

Cornerback Gareon Conley, who missed all of 2020 with a freak ankle injury, makes a lot of sense, particularly if the Dolphins are uneasy with Xavien Howard’s contract demands. Safety Malik Hooker, who has missed 28 of 64 games due to injury but still picked off seven passes, is another. Leonard Fournette revitalized his career in Tampa Bay, although might cost more than the Dolphins are willing to pay for a running back.

Perhaps the Dolphins take a shot on Solomon Thomas, the No. 3 pick four years ago who missed last season with a torn ACL, at a low price. Edge defender Takk McKinley has similar injury concerns, but still recorded 16 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons.

John Ross was disgruntled and ultimately disregarded his final year in Cincinnati, but he could be a more than serviceable change-of-pace receiver for a Dolphins offense that needs speed.

And here’s a not-so-crazy scenario that at least deserves consideration: If the Dolphins don’t trade for Deshaun Watson, they need a No. 2 quarterback. Why not Mitchell Trubisky who, while a bad pick a No. 2 overall in 2017, has some game?

Tua Tagovailoa needs not only a backup, but someone who could step in and perform on a talented team, should his progress stall in Year 2. Trubisky, for all of the criticism he gets, is a 64 percent career passer with 64 touchdowns, 37 interceptions and an 87.2 passer rating. Spotrac estimates Trubisky will fetch just $8.3 million annually in free agency — a wholly reasonable price for a solid backup quarterback.

A couple of names from that 2017 class we can almost assuredly cross off? Taco Charlton and Charles Harris.

Been there. Seen that.