There are still games to be played in 2026, but some NFL front offices are already thinking way ahead to the 2027 draft board. And for a few teams, the way this offseason has been handled makes it pretty easy to see where they’re headed.
That matters because the 2027 class is expected to be loaded, especially at the positions everybody covets: quarterback, receiver, offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback. There’s also room for more names to break through once the season gets rolling. Even if nobody in the league is trying to lose on purpose, some clubs have clearly treated 2026 like a year to evaluate, reset and get honest about what comes next.
Miami looks like the clearest case.
The Dolphins brought in a new head coach and a new general manager, then cut Tua Tagovailoa and took on Russell Wilson’s dead money in a move that beat the Denver Broncos’ 2024 dead cap record. That’s not a club pretending everything is fine.
It’s a club ripping the bandage off. Miami also moved on from Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb and others, leaving a roster that looks, on paper, like the worst in the league.
The games still have to be played, but the gap in talent and the amount of coaching required to bridge it could be brutal. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley aren’t hiding the fact that this is a rebuilding year, and the 2027 draft has to be part of the long-term picture.
Arizona belongs in the same conversation.
The Cardinals have a rookie head coach in Mike LaFleur, and their quarterback situation is one of the weakest in the league. Jacoby Brissett has had stretches of respectable play, but even in what was described as one of his best statistical seasons, Arizona still won only one of his 12 starts last year.
That’s not the kind of quarterback play that changes the shape of the NFC West, and it’s hard to see Carson Beck doing that as a rookie either. The Cardinals do have offensive playmakers, but the bigger question is whether the defense and quarterback room can carry them past five wins.
They won three games last season, so even getting to five would count as a real step forward.
Then there’s Cleveland, where the concerns start with the two biggest variables on the roster.
Myles Garrett remains the kind of pass rusher who can tilt a game all by himself, coming off the single-season NFL sack record last year. Jared Verse may be a force, but he doesn’t bring the same week-to-week wrecking power Garrett does.
If the Browns slip defensively and still haven’t solved quarterback, they’re staring at another difficult season. Cleveland did improve along the offensive line this offseason, but that may not be enough to change the overall outlook if the two biggest problem areas stay stuck.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Finally Have A True WR1 Path In 2027
The Dolphins wide receiver room has lost a lot of its established punch since Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle moved on, and that has left Miami looking ahead for a cleaner path back to having a true No. 1 option. The 2027 free-agent market is starting to look like the kind of place where a team can reset its passing game, especially if a proven receiver shakes loose at just the right time.
Puka Nacua is among the names to watch, with George Pickens and Chris Olave also in the conversation if their situations line up the right way. Michael Wilson has even emerged as another possible option after his breakout in Arizona, which gives Miami a few different routes to explore, but each one depends on contract timing and health holding up between now and then. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Already Have An Early QB Problem They Cannot Ignore
Quarterback uncertainty is already part of the conversation for Miami, where Malik Willis has been floated as one of the more vulnerable passers heading into 2026. The attraction is easy to see: he still has a thin rsum, and the Dolphins have a younger option waiting in Quinn Ewers if the veteran-to-be does not settle in quickly.
The larger point is that this kind of list says as much about team planning as it does about the player himself. Miami does not have the luxury of ignoring a position that can tilt a season, and Willis limited experience keeps the pressure on every snap while the club weighs how much patience it really wants to show. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cowboys Ballhawk Suddenly Floated As Cheap Reunion Bet Elsewhere
Miamis roster rebuild has left plenty of room for creative ideas, and cornerback depth remains one of the spots worth watching as the offseason moves along. A recent speculation piece from Moe Moton pointed to a familiar name as the kind of low-cost addition that can make sense for a team trying to patch holes without overcommitting, especially when there is still a need to fortify the secondary.
The appeal is easy to see on paper: a bargain-bin type of bet on a one-year prove-it deal, with enough upside to matter if the fit clicks. In Miami, that sort of move could even open a path to real snaps in the nickel competition, giving the Dolphins another option as they keep sorting through the back end of the defense. [Read more 🡒]