What to Make of Miami's Scheduled Visits for Top QB Prospects

The Miami Dolphins are doing their due diligence on quarterbacks for the 2026 NFL draft, reportedly scheduling visits with Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Miami’s Carson Beck.

The visit with Simpson would be part of the "top 30" visits where each team gets to host 30 prospects with no ties to the team's city. Beck would be a "local visit" after playing at the University of Miami and would not count against the 30-player limit.

Simpson has been a quick riser in this draft cycle. As a first-year starter, he came out of the gates hot, showcasing his mobility and fearlessness on tight window throws. He battled through injuries, though, and struggled with consistency towards the back half of 2025, ultimately finishing with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions.

As for Beck, many South Florida Dolphins fans may be familiar. After a rough 2024 campaign with the Georgia Bulldogs, he entered the transfer portal and committed to the University of Miami. There, he tied a career high in completion percentage, set one in touchdowns, and led the Hurricanes to the National Championship game, where they lost to Indiana.

THE IDEA OF THE DOLPHINS DRAFTING A QUARTERBACK

Even after signing Malik Willis, it’s realistic to believe that Miami will select a quarterback in the 2026 draft.

Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has previously preached the value of consistently investing in the quarterback position. He’s a disciple of all-time great Packers executive Ron Wolf, who drafted seven quarterbacks between 1991 and 2000, and has credited Wolf as an influence on his philosophy.

The concept of double dipping at the most important position in professional sports is what secured a smooth transition from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers into the current-day Packers with Jordan Love, and also what landed them Malik Willis, who had an impressive relief stint in Green Bay before signing in Miami.

From that perspective, it makes more than enough sense to suggest that Miami, who is still looking for someone to be the long-term face of the franchise, will draft a signal-caller. It is important, however, to look at the value of these two players specifically, and when Miami may have to take Simpson or Beck.

Simpson potentially is the most controversial quarterback in the class. A few analysts view him as the best quarterback in the class, while others see the gap between he and Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive No. 1 pick, as massive. Either way, Round 2 is likely the floor for Simpson, and there’s no guarantee he makes it that far. The 30th pick would likely have to be the selection Miami uses to take Simpson, if he’s even on the board.

At that rate, and with a desire to evaluate Malik Willis, it likely makes more sense to continue to build an infrastructure of high-end talent to build your roster around. If Miami truly falls in love with Simpson, then the pick would be understandable. However, it’s pretty clear by the current roster that young talent needs to be infused just about everywhere, and quarterback is far from the highest priority.

Beck, on the other hand, makes a lot more sense from a value perspective. He likely slots in as a Day 3 pick, thus allowing Miami to utilize their seven picks in the top 100 on positions where they can see immediate contributions, such as the trenches, receiver, and cornerback. An investment in him also wouldn’t preclude Miami from taking a quarterback in the 2027 draft if they feel that the Malik Willis experiment hasn’t panned out.

With all the talk of flexibility, we should expect Miami to keep their options open, and the avenue that does so to the greatest extent is waiting until the back half of the draft to take a quarterback. Malik Willis, with his lack of experience, is essentially already a rookie-level investment without the cost of a draft pick, and I expect this season’s quarterback evaluation to evolve around his performance.

It is feasible, as previously stated, that the Dolphins draft a quarterback. The question simply lies in when they believe the value is best and which passer matches their preferences.