The Miami Dolphins may still have plenty to sort out in 2026, but the draft picture is already starting to take shape, and a few names are flashing early. For fans looking ahead, Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith is the one that jumps off the page. He’s from Miami, he’s said before that he’d love to play for the Dolphins, and he opened his 2026 season with a performance that looked an awful lot like the one he put together last year.
Against Ball State, Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and scored twice. Yes, it was Ball State. Still, the production was there, and he wasn’t the only potential Miami target who made an immediate statement this week.
Smith’s quarterback, Julian Sayin, did his part too. The Buckeyes’ passing game was humming, with Sayin throwing for three touchdowns and adding another on the ground against Ball State. He finished 4th in Heisman voting last season, and this was the kind of clean, productive opener that keeps him in the conversation.
For Dolphins fans, both Buckeyes are worth watching all year. Sayin could become a day-two option for Jon-Eric Sullivan if Miami decides to take Smith near the top of round one. That’s a real possibility, especially if the Dolphins finish the year with the number one pick and trade down, which could put Smith in range.
Of course, most people view Arch Manning as the prize of the 2026 draft class, and he got his season rolling in style too. Against Texas State, Manning threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns on 20 completions.
Another quarterback to monitor is Oregon’s Dante Moore. The No.
2 Ducks barely got past Boise State, winning by seven, but Moore turned in a strong individual day with 378 passing yards and three touchdowns on 28 completions. He also ran the ball twice for minus five yards.
Moore didn’t take much of the blame for Oregon’s narrow escape, but if the Ducks are going to stay in the National Championship chase, he may need to keep putting up numbers like that.
In Other News...
Dolphins Rebuild Comes With A Cap Burden Fans Didn't Expect
The Dolphins reset under new head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is going to come with a financial hangover that stretches well beyond the current season. Miami is carrying $182.8 million in dead cap for 2026, a reminder of how aggressively the roster was overhauled as the team moved on from several high-profile names and tried to clear the runway for a new era.
Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey are no longer on the roster, but their contracts will still weigh heavily on the books next year. The silver lining for Miami is that the pain is expected to ease quickly, with the Dolphins projected to have more than $104 million in cap space in 2027, giving the franchise a much cleaner path as Hafley and Sullivan keep shaping the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Have A Week 1 Answer They Didn't Expect
Chris Bells path to Miami looked like a long shot not too long ago, but the rookie wide receiver has pushed himself into the conversation heading into Week 1 against the Raiders. After recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, Bell got on the field in the preseason finale and showed the kind of versatility the Dolphins covet, lining up at multiple receiver spots and giving the staff something real to evaluate beyond camp buzz.
For an offense that can always use another option to stretch the field, Bells speed and hands have clearly caught the attention of the coaching staff. Miamis offensive coordinator has already spoken highly of him, and the bigger question now is how much of that trust translates into Sundays game plan. The Dolphins may have gone into the summer expecting the rookie to be a developmental piece, but he suddenly looks like a player who could matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Chop Robinson Gets An Early Chance To Silence A Dolphins Concern
Chop Robinson heads into this season with a different kind of pressure on him than he had a year ago. The Dolphins defensive end flashed as a rookie, then slipped into a quieter sophomore season, and now hes entering a new scheme under defensive head coach Jeff Hafley with a chance to show that the first version of him was the real one. Miami has reasons to believe Robinsons physical gifts can still change a game, especially when the season starts against a Raiders offensive front that will be trying to settle in.
Week 1 also gives Robinson a pretty direct test: Las Vegas right tackle DJ Glaze, who had his own growing pains last season, is the likely first blocker standing in his way. It is the kind of matchup that can swing early narrative in a hurry, especially for a player whose production dipped and whose team would love a fast answer to one of its lingering concerns. If Robinson looks like the edge threat Miami expected, it could say plenty about both the player and the Dolphins defense under Hafley. [Read more 🡒]