I Feel a Draft Coming On: Dolphins Fans Already Eyeing the 2027 NFL Draft
In many ways, it seems extraordinarily premature to offer a piece about draft prospects before the second game of the regular season, but unfortunately, this is the world the Dolphins find themselves in. The 2026 season is one for building blocks and the long game, and although we’re all disappointed, when we step back in the cold light of day, it really does make the most sense.
The malaise that has engulfed this franchise for so long has to be washed away, and fortunes have to change. The uncomfortable truth is that, given the extenuating circumstances, salary cap realities, and stark lack of competitive talent, tearing absolutely everything down and resetting is the only way to do it.
Of course, it’s only been six years since Miami did exactly what they’re trying to do now, though they missed the chance at LSU’s Heisman winner Joe Burrow by beating the Bengals and instead landed Tua Tagovailoa. And although, in hindsight, that was a franchise-defining decision for all the wrong reasons, what came after that selection was the real problem.
Not a single player from that draft, except for Austin Jackson, remains on the roster six years on, which is a truly remarkable indictment.
We can all play the revisionist history game, but imagine what sort of position this team would be in had they taken Jordan Love, Justin Jefferson and Jonathan Taylor in round one, and then followed that up with Antoine Winfield Jr. at 39, Nnamdi Madubuike at 56 and Zach Baun at 70.
Anyway, we didn’t, and here we are, fingers firmly on the reset button once more, for better or for worse.
What makes this piece so fascinating to write is how nuanced the situation is regarding the 2027 Draft, especially given the start to the season of the much-vaunted collegiate quarterback class. Aside from Miami’s Darian Mensah, nobody has emerged in the first few weeks, and you could argue the biggest names have either plateaued somewhat or even taken a step back. All the while, the 2028 class of quarterbacks, led by the extraordinary Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State, stacks up extremely well. And nipping at Taylor’s heels are Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele of Cal, Malik Washington of Maryland, Austin Simmons of Missouri — who has looked arguably the best of the draft-eligible QBs so far this season in terms of NFL throws — Drake Lindsey of Minnesota, as well as CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State and Mason Heintschel of Pittsburgh.
I also would not be remotely surprised to see Arch Manning return to Texas for 2027.
With all that said, the Dolphins may find themselves in a plum spot: having the first overall pick in 2027 where there may only be one legitimate top-five prospect at the quarterback position and being able to sell that selection to one of a number of teams, settling for the highest bidder. In turn, that would give Malik Willis the second season you truly need to give him to properly evaluate his play. Jon-Eric Sullivan could then use those picks in 2028 to either get a new quarterback or continue to furnish the roster with young studs should Willis become the answer the front office believes he will. And for the ‘we won’t have the first pick in 2028’ crowd, we don’t know what sort of team we’ll have and where we’ll end up picking. So let’s just pump the brakes on that. Because if Willis fails, we’ll be a lot closer to 1 than 10.
So, in that scenario of not taking a passer next April, here are five college prospects to watch closely this weekend — and across the rest of the season — who could be in play for Miami at the top of round one.
1. Jeremiah Smith – WR – Ohio State (6031, 225)
Pound for pound, he is the premier player in the draft as we sit here now, and I don’t envisage that changing. The Miami native is going to finish up with an enormous grade if he continues to play in the same manner as he has as a freshman and sophomore. And he’s certainly started the season very strongly. We’re all prisoners of the moment, and it feels hyperbolic to even mention the names of players like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones, but that’s where I suspect he ends up, and the latter is who he most reminds me of. It’s hard to isolate a flaw in his game: he’s so big and strong, he explodes off the line, he has instant acceleration to take him past anyone in college football, he runs good routes, he creates late space down the sideline and is very good with the ball in his hands. The highest-ranked WR recruit in the modern era — surpassing the aforementioned Jones — there’s long been a “men against boys” sentiment around Smith. I don’t expect that to change for the rest of the season. The Buckeyes take on Kent State at midday EST today.
2. Dylan Stewart – EDGE – South Carolina (6’5, 245)
Miami has significant issues at the edge position. This is not news. But the concussion Chop Robinson suffered in Napa this week further clouds the long-term evaluation of the underwhelming 2024 first-rounder. Possessing some of the most incredible bend and lateral movement I’ve ever seen in an edge rusher, Stewart is just a different type of animal. With an incredible first step and the kind of teleportation ability that you only see with Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons, he’s remarkably explosive, able to immediately threaten the integrity of the pocket with speed, power, and a frightening wingspan that he uses to keep himself clean. He also uses his hands well, especially inside, where he can target under the pads to lift tackles back into the lap of the QB. When he fully extends against the run and then rips off to make stuff, it adds a frightening dimension to his game, and if he can add a little functional strength in the lower half, then his ceiling is enormous. Today is the first game of his 2026 season, having missed the first two weeks with a long-term back issue that required rest, not surgery, but forced him to miss all of spring and much of the summer. Stewart takes on Kamario Taylor’s Mississippi State at 4.15 pm EST.
3. Leonard Moore – CB – Notre Dame (6’2, 197)
Much like Jeremiah Smith, Moore has been an NFL player-in-waiting since his freshman season. Long, at 6’2 and almost 200lbs, he has the ability to play on the perimeter, in the slot or to travel with the opponent’s best receiver, as he did to such devastating effect against USC and Makai Lemon last season, completely shutting down the No. 1 WR on my 2026 draft board. He’s fast, he narrows throwing windows on the outside, he plays with great discipline, he always locates the ball, and he understands how to win with leverage. He’s also a forceful run defender, and with a head coach whose grounding is in defensive backs, I imagine Moore will be high on Jeff Hafley’s priority list. You just don’t overthink players of this caliber. Notre Dame faces Michigan State this evening at 7.30 pm EST.
4. Melvin Siani – RT – Texas (6’6, 317)
Austin Jackson is not long for this team. His week one performance was poor, and his regression in pass protection, especially, is stark. His replacement could be a monster from Canada who’s had a dominant start to 2026. Perhaps the best quote of this college season so far came from Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian when asked about his new RT, the imposing Siani: “I’m going to be honest,” he said after the Longhorns beat Texas State 59-7. “I thought I was getting a pass protector. Turns out I’m getting a tough-ass run blocker who is a good pass protector.” Even a cursory look at the tape showed that Sark was right: the offense converted all three third-and-short situations they found themselves in, and every time, it was because Siani had steamrollered someone to clear a lane I could have run through. At 6’6”, 317, he’s the perfect combination of size and strength; he’s well balanced, he’s physical, he explodes off the ball, has range up the arc, his footwork is really clean, and he’s not afraid to bait his man into a mistake. A former goalkeeper, he moves his hands and feet really well in unison, underscoring why he was such a good soccer player, and he’s a fundamentally nasty human as a run blocker, while being a dancing bear in pass pro. His stock is rising fast. Texas plays UTSA tonight at 8 pm EST.
5. Tavion Gadson – DT – Kentucky (6’5, 303)
Not many players have made as much of an impact as Gadson has in the opening couple of weeks, and his performance against Alabama last weekend was very eye-opening for many reasons. Of course, the Dolphins just spent three picks on defensive tackles, and although there is still time for Kenneth Grant, Zeek Biggers, and especially Jordan Phillips, Grant has been extremely underwhelming, Biggers was dominated in the A gap last week, and Phillips, probably the best of the trio, was taken for a ride by Tyler Linderbaum all game. Gadson redshirted in 2023, missed 2024 with a knee injury, then started just two games last season but was dominant every time he hit the field, finishing with the second-highest pass-rush win rate in the country last season among IDL with 100+ rush reps at a mammoth 16.9%. He is extraordinarily athletic and would give the Dolphins what they desperately need in a league built on it: interior pressure. Incredibly athletic, there is a Chris Jones air to his game. The Wildcats face Texas A&M at 3.30 pm EST today.