The 2021 NFL draft is a critical one for the Miami Dolphins, and they—along with the Carolina Panthers—will have a golden opportunity to evaluate some of the best prospects available.

On Monday, the 2021 Senior Bowl announced the Dolphins' and Panthers' staffs will coach this year's event on Jan. 30.

Miami has the Nos. 3, 18 and 35 picks in the upcoming draft, while Carolina will select at No. 8 in the first round.

"We're thrilled to coach at the Senior Bowl," Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said in the Senior Bowl's press release. "Every year, Jim Nagy and his staff put together the best showcase of college talent in the nation, and we're really excited to lead and get to know a team of this year's top draft prospects."

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores echoed those sentiments:

"The entire Miami Dolphins organization is excited to take part in this year's Senior Bowl. In this unique run up the draft, the Senior Bowl will be a great opportunity for our coaches and personnel department to interact with these players for a full week. We look forward to working with these prospects as part of this premier event with a tradition of featuring top tier talent."

The Dolphins were 10-6 this season and just missed the playoffs. Teams like that rarely have the chance to draft as high as third, let alone enjoy two first-round picks, but it owns the Houston Texans' first-round selection because of the trade involving offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.

What Miami does with that No. 3 pick figures to be one of the biggest storylines of the entire draft, and it may come down to whether it thinks Tua Tagovailoa is truly the franchise quarterback of the future. The Dolphins selected him with the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft, but he was inconsistent as a rookie and was replaced in games by Ryan Fitzpatrick a number of times. 

While Miami could use that pick to solidify the offensive line in front of Tagovailoa if Oregon's Penei Sewell is still available, it might also look toward Ohio State's Justin Fields or BYU's Zach Wilson if it wants another quarterback. Trading it to a team looking for one of those signal-callers is another option, especially for a Dolphins squad that could look to add multiple pieces at positions of need as it chases the playoffs.

Quarterback is also an option for the Panthers if they are looking for a long-term option outside of Teddy Bridgewater. Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News projected the Panthers to take Wilson at No. 8 in a recent mock draft. Carolina was just 5-11 this season, although Christian McCaffrey's injury issues held it back in the NFC South.

Both coaching staffs will be under the spotlight during the Senior Bowl, which takes place at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. 

A number of notable college players have already accepted invitations, including Ohio State running back Trey Sermon, Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers, Florida quarterback Kyle Trask, Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond and Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book.