Miami Dolphins GM Explains Draft Selection of Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers

While typically a quarterback taken in the seventh round isn't the most newsworthy, now-former Texas Longhorns star Quinn Ewers isn't like most seventh-round signal-callers.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) warms up prior to the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was a long wait, but Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers did hear his name called on Saturday during Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Yet, while having to wait until the seventh round was likely unexpected for Ewers and his camp, it may have been for the best as he landed in a seemingly good situation with the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins selected him with the No. 231 overall pick, where he will join a quarterback room that already includes a pair of former first-round picks in Tua Tagovailoa and Zach Wilson. With Tagovailoa already entrenched as the Dolphins' starter, there will be no pressure on Ewers to come in and start right away.

However, there may be a time where he does get a chance to play. After the former Alabama quarterback missed six games this past season due to injury, the Dolphins went into the offseason with a need of finding a backup quarterback. They now have two after signing Wilson in free agency and drafting Ewers.

Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (QB04) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images | Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier explained the team's reasoning behind selecting Ewers along with some of the feedback that Steve Sarkisian told the front office.

"Sark really likes him and was high on him, talking about him playing through the injuries this year -- which affected his play a little bit," Grier said of Ewers. "But [Sarkisian] talked about his toughness, his mental toughness pushing through with the injury, the expectations, all the pressure with [Arch] Manning there coming in.

"He loved his competitiveness and how he plays, and how his teammates respond to him. So, he was someone that we always had an eye on and the opportunity at that point in the draft just made sense for us."

Grier and the Dolphins were in attendance at Texas' Pro Day this year, where he and head coach Mike McDaniel first met Ewers. That first in-person meeting between the three happened just a month before Day 1 of the NFL Draft.

Yet, even with that amount of time between the first meeting and the draft, the Dolphins felt they knew enough to take a chance on Ewers.

The former five-star quarterback will now have his first chance at proving himself in the NFL when the Dolphins start rookie minicamp. That will be the first step for Ewers in his quest to earn a spot on Miami's roster for the upcoming season.

Ewers capped off his career in Austin, throwing for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns with 12 interceptions as he completed 65.8 percent of his passes in his junior season. He finished with 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns with 24 interceptions throughout his 36-game college career.