Miami needs a quarterback.

In fact, the Dolphins have needed a quarterback since a certain No. 13 decimated opposing secondaries more than 20 years ago.

If it is up to ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, the Dolphins will take another No. 13, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, in this week’s NFL draft. Not that he’s comparing Tagovailoa to Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

Herbstreit, in a teleconference Monday, was asked by the Miami Herald about the idea of the former Crimson Tide star going No. 5 overall.

“If he falls in their laps and they pass on him, I don’t know how they do that,” Herbstreit said.

The “GameDay” analyst, who also said earlier COVID-19 comments were "misrepresented, did say he would be in the quarterback’s best interest to sit the upcoming season to make sure Tagovailoa is recovered from his hip injury.

“Go back to when he burst on the scene," Herbstreit said of Tagovailoa. "Sat there his entire freshman year behind a very talented QB who won a lot of games, and halftime of the national championship, they put him into the biggest stage that you can be in in the college game, and he’s never been in that situation. And to watch him play, and he made a mistake or two along the way, but to watch him play with poise, his decision-making — the game moves pretty quickly when you play in that game — and eventually lead them back and make enough plays to win the national championship in overtime, and to visit with him on the back end of that a few months later, I think it’s the culture, the way he was raised.

“From an intangible (standpoint), ... he’s a 12 out of 10. The linemen will love him, the receivers will love him, the defensive linemen will love him, the coaching staff will love him, the fan base will love him. I don’t know if I covered a guy who checked every box as far as intangibles are concerned. His ability to read coverages, come off a read and go to second or third option. The only thing I’d say, since he had so much success, he doesn’t give up on a play. When he got hurt, instead of giving up, he’s trying to keep a play alive. In the SEC, he got banged up. In the NFL, he’ll get destroyed. That’s an area he’ll really need to work on. But his accuracy, his touch, his command and then his intangibles, there’s a lot there to fall in love with.”

Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.