The Miami Dolphins may not be done with the draft spotlight anytime soon. If the franchise ends up holding the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, the obvious names will be there - Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, maybe even Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. But the move, if Miami gets that kind of capital, might not be to keep the pick at all.
That’s the twist here: a team in the middle of a rebuild can turn the top selection into something even bigger by dealing it away. And for the Dolphins, that could mean stacking premium talent instead of pinning everything on one quarterback.
There’s a reason this conversation already feels real. Miami drafted 13 players in April, and five of them were starting in Week 1.
Almost all of them contributed right away, and most graded well. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan clearly values draft capital, and if he lands at No. 1, he should have plenty of suitors - even with a deep quarterback class waiting.
Of course, the quarterback market changes everything. When a team needs one, it tends to make bad decisions in the chase.
It overdrafts. It sends away multiple first-rounders.
It even gets creative inside its own division.
That’s why the Dolphins’ position matters so much. They face the 49ers in Week 2, and another loss only strengthens the idea that Miami could be headed toward the top of the board.
After what happened in Week 1, and with the schedule ahead, it’s not hard to picture them landing in that spot. The Arizona Cardinals beating the L.A.
Chargers and former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel in Week 1 only added to that setup.
If Miami does wind up at No. 1, one path is simple: stick and pick. The Dolphins need a quarterback, and unless Malik Willis suddenly becomes the next big thing, that remains the biggest hole on the roster.
Willis will start in 2027. The Packers’ influence on Sullivan and Jeff Hafley also suggests a rookie quarterback could sit for a while, because development matters to them.
Manning is the name that has everyone talking after his comeback against the Buckeys. Moore’s stock has started to slide, but he still projects as a top 3-5 pick.
The bigger point is that quarterbacks are likely to go one-two, and Todd McShay believes as many as four quarterbacks could go in the top five. That still leaves Sullivan with options without changing the top of the board.
Then there’s the trade market, and that’s where this gets interesting.
The NY Jets have three first-round picks next season and are expected to land in the top five despite the changes around their coaching staff and roster. No team has more draft ammunition. If they want a quarterback badly enough, they have the resources to chase one.
Miami could look at that and decide to cash out. Two of this year’s first-round selections plus another future first-round pick could be enough to move off the “March for Arch” and walk away with Jeremiah Smith and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart. Or the Dolphins could target a later-round pick and grab OT Trevo Goosby instead.
And if the Jets don’t get involved, Cleveland might. The Browns have two first-round picks this year, two second-round picks, and extra picks in 2028.
They’re also expected to finish with a top-5 slot. If Miami moved down just a few spots, it could still get Smith and probably pick up the 32nd selection the Browns now hold.
That kind of deal keeps the quarterback conversation alive too. Miami could still land one of the top remaining talents late in the first round or even in the second, while also holding that extra premium pick.
The real question becomes whether passing on Manning or Moore is worth adding Smith and maybe Julian Sayin or a C.J. Carr.
And if the right trade partner isn’t a quarterback-needy team in the top tier, Miami could still have choices. The Falcons could be picking high, with Tua Tagovailoa; for now, Michael Penix Jr., who can't stay healthy; Cooper Rush; and undrafted rookie Jack Strand in the mix.
They may want to jump up for a quarterback. The Dolphins could also deal with Pittsburgh or another team looking to reshape its future at the position.
That’s the shape of Miami’s possible future: a desperate need at quarterback, a potentially elite draft slot, and enough flexibility to turn one big swing into several smaller ones. Manning has the name, but the source of this whole idea is broader than one player. Sullivan’s evaluations are already looking strong, and if he’s this sharp at identifying talent, he may already know exactly who can run the offense - whether that player is taken at No. 1 or acquired in a deal that changes everything.
In Other News...
Dolphins Face A 49ers Injury Situation That Could Shift Sunday
The 49ers injury report heading into Week 2 is worth watching closely for Miami, even before you get to the headline names who are cleared to play. Rookie running back Kaelon Black is questionable with a groin issue, and kicker Eddy Pieiro is also listed as questionable because of an illness, leaving a little uncertainty around a game that already comes with plenty of attention.
San Francisco did get encouraging news elsewhere, with several of its core players carrying no game designation after working through scheduled rest, and wide receiver DeZhaun Stribling is out after ankle surgery and expected to miss about 10 weeks. For the Dolphins, the larger takeaway is that the 49ers could still look mostly intact on Sunday, but the final injury word on Black and Pieiro is one more layer to monitor as the matchup gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Are Taking A Risk At WR Fans Will Feel Fast
The Dolphins have pushed their wide receiver room into a new phase after trading Jaylen Waddle, turning the spotlight toward a crop of young pass catchers who have yet to prove themselves in NFL games. Rookies Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. are now part of a group Miami is trying to mold on the fly, with the organization clearly choosing development over the safer path of bringing in established veteran help.
Head coach Jon-Eric Sullivan is setting the bar high for that inexperienced trio, even while acknowledging the learning curve that comes with leaning so heavily on youth. It is the kind of roster decision that can pay off later, but it can also show up quickly on Sundays if the timing, trust and consistency are not there early, which is why this gamble could become one of the first things fans notice. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Suddenly Have Two Big Reasons To Worry
The season opener against the Raiders gave Dolphins fans plenty to chew on, and not much of it was comforting. Miami had issues across the board on offense, defense and special teams, and the early conversation around the team has quickly shifted from optimism about the rebuild to a harder look at the areas that could drag it down.
Pass rush is the biggest concern, especially with top rusher Chop Robinson sidelined by a concussion. Even so, the larger picture has not completely collapsed in the eyes of the fan base, with 63 percent still backing the rebuilding direction, while a national poll also put Miamis quarterback situation near the bottom of the league, a reminder that the first week already brought more than one reason for unease. [Read more 🡒]