Entering Week 6 on a bye, the Miami Dolphins still managed to move up in the 2027 NFL Draft picture, and that only sharpened the split among their fans. Some are still holding out hope for a turnaround. Others are already locked on the higher pick.
For the group rooting for draft position, Sunday brought a welcome development. The Tennessee Titans, one of three winless teams heading into the weekend, pulled off a late fourth-quarter comeback against the Colts to get their first win after trailing much of the game.
The Los Angeles Chargers, meanwhile, did Miami’s draft outlook another favor by dropping their sixth game of the season. The Mike McDaniel-led Chargers offense managed only six points against the Chiefs, a season low, and that result marked a new low point for the former Dolphins head coach.
Miami’s bye meant it stayed at five losses, but the Chargers’ defeat added a little extra satisfaction for Dolphins fans watching the standings.
The bigger wrinkle is that the 2027 draft class no longer looks like the QB-heavy group it once did. Arch Manning and Dante Moore had been viewed as the top two names in the class, but neither is now expected to go in the top 10. There is also growing speculation that Manning could stay in school.
That shift has changed the shape of the class entirely. What looked like a draft headed by quarterbacks is now led by Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the consensus No. 1 pick, with a cluster of players behind him who could land anywhere in the top five.
There was also movement on Saturday with Simmons, who was hurt and will miss time because of an ankle injury. Texas teammate Goosby didn’t help matters, struggling against unranked Florida as the Texans suffered their second straight loss after holding the No. 1 seed in the NCAA.
At quarterback, the name drawing the most attention now is Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker. He’s becoming the favorite to be the first quarterback taken next April, though Miami may not be in a position to use its first pick there if the roster has bigger holes elsewhere.
Then again, the Chargers currently own the first pick, and there’s no guarantee that changes soon. For now, they sit in a spot that looks a lot like Miami’s recent past.
That was supposed to be the team that took a leap under McDaniel. Instead, it has gone the other way, and there’s a chance McDaniel may not even be the one making the calls when he comes back to Hard Rock Stadium later this season.
In Other News...
Dolphins Rookies Are Already Answering Questions Miami Desperately Needed Solved
Five games into the season, Miamis 2026 draft class is already giving the front office something it badly needed: answers. The early returns have been encouraging across the board, with offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor settling in quickly, wide receiver Caleb Douglas flashing right away and cornerback Chris Johnson beginning to look like a long-term piece in the secondary. For a team trying to stabilize key spots, that kind of early production matters just as much as upside.
Proctor has been the biggest surprise in the best way, especially after the skepticism that followed his selection in the first round. Douglas had already shown enough in camp and in the opener to suggest he could contribute, before an ankle injury in Week 2 interrupted his momentum, while Johnsons growth has only added to the sense that this group may have been the right bet. It is still early, but the first glance at Jon-Eric Sullivans draft looks like one that could age very well. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Bye Week Puts Malik Willis And The Rebuild Under Pressure
The bye week arrives with the Dolphins staring at an 0-5 start and plenty of questions about where this rebuild is headed. After a rocky opening stretch, the latest SB Nation Reacts survey showed fan confidence in the teams direction slipping from 87% in Week 5 to 71% in Week 6, a reminder that patience is starting to wear thin as the season settles into its first real pause.
Malik Willis has been at the center of that unease, with fans grading his first five games harshly and no one giving him an A. More than 72% of respondents landed on a D or F, even as head coach Jeff Hafley has said he is not considering a quarterback change for now, leaving the Dolphins to spend the break answering the same question their fans already are. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins O-Line Progress Comes With A New Question Fans Didn't Expect
The Dolphins came out of Week 5 with another loss, falling to the Bengals and sliding to 0-5, but there were at least a few signs that the offensive line is moving in the right direction. Rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor continued to be part of that conversation, while second-year right guard Jonah Savaiinaea has given Miami a steadier look inside than it had earlier in the season. Even with the team still searching for its first win, the line has climbed to 12th in the NFL, a small but meaningful bright spot in a season that has had too few of them.
Savaiinaeas status is now the new concern, and it comes at a time when the Dolphins can least afford another setback up front. He left the game with an ankle issue, and while the expectation is that he should be back next week, the timing still matters for a group trying to build continuity. Miami has already had to lean on depth along the interior, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether the improvement the front has shown can hold up if the lineup changes again. [Read more 🡒]