The Miami Dolphins may be headed for a massive 2027 NFL Draft decision, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid thinks they’d take the long view if they land at the very top.
In Reid’s mock, Miami doesn’t stay put at No. 1 overall. Instead, the Dolphins slide down three spots in a deal with the Cleveland Browns and still come away with the draft’s top wide receiver prospect: Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith.
“4. Miami Dolphins (via projected trade with CLE) Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State,” Reid projects. “The Dolphins fell three spots via our mock trade and would still be able to get my top-ranked player at a severe position of need.”
The move would come with a hefty return for Miami. Reid’s projected deal has Cleveland sending both of its first-round picks, Nos. 4 and 32 overall, along with a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Dolphins for the No. 1 selection.
That kind of package would give Miami extra ammunition in 2027, plus another future pick, all while still landing a premium talent at a glaring need.
Smith fits that description. The Ohio State star is listed at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds, and Reid has him as the draft’s top player. Smith caught 87 passes last year for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns, following a season in which he posted 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
For a Dolphins team that has a lot of rebuilding to do after a major offseason teardown, quarterback remains a huge question even with Malik Willis, and the roster has plenty of other holes. Still, outside of getting one of the top quarterbacks - Dante Moore, Arch Manning or CJ Carr - this would be close to an ideal outcome.
Miami would pass on the top passers in this scenario, but if it can turn No. 1 into Jeremiah Smith plus a first, a second and a fourth, the front office would have a haul worth serious attention.
In Other News...
Dolphins End Camp With Roster Battles And New Injury Questions
The Dolphins wrapped training camp with an indoor practice centered on red zone work and late-game situations, the kind of session that often says as much about the roster as the plays themselves. Several players made their presence felt, including Malik Willis, Malik Washington and rookie Caleb Douglas, while head coach Jeff Hafley used the day to provide a final round of injury updates as Miami turned the page from camp routines to roster decisions.
Even with camp in the books, there are still plenty of moving parts for Miami to sort through. Some players were back on the field after injury, others were still limited or unavailable, and that mix keeps the depth chart fluid heading into the next phase of the preseason calendar. For a team that has spent the summer sorting out competition at multiple spots, the last practice offered a useful snapshot, but not a final answer. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Just Put Dolphins Offensive Struggles Front And Center
Training camp has already shown why the Dolphins are still searching for offensive rhythm, and Malik Willis added a small but telling moment to that picture during a recent practice. After a rough start, the quarterback stopped the offense to pull everyone back together, a sign of how quickly the unit has had to confront its own uneven execution.
Bobby Slowik has already acknowledged the problems, pointing to the pass protection and pass catching issues that have surfaced in preseason action. With Jeff Hafley suggesting the starters may play against the Atlanta Falcons, the next chance to clean things up could come soon, but the bigger question remains whether Miami can turn those reset moments into something more reliable when it counts. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Rookie Receivers Are Changing One Big Concern Fast
The Dolphins came into camp with a familiar question hovering over the receiver room beyond the established stars, and three rookies have started to chip away at that concern quickly. Kevin Coleman Jr. has stood out even while dealing with an injury, Chris Bell is moving well in his return from ACL rehab and getting active work in practice, and Caleb Douglas has been turning heads after entering camp with more skepticism around him than buzz.
For a Miami offense that leans on speed, timing and depth at the position, that matters more than it might on the surface. The encouraging part is not just that each rookie has had a moment in training camp or preseason, but that the group is making the case for real developmental value at once, giving the Dolphins something they were not guaranteed to have when camp opened. [Read more 🡒]