Why Passing on a QB Early in 2027 Draft Is Looking More and More Like the Right Call for Dolphins

About this idea that the Miami Dolphins are or should be a slam dunk to select a quarterback at or near the top of the 2027 NFL draft, let us channel our inner Lee Corso.

Not so fast, my friend.

On the contrary, as things stand right now, it very well could be that the Dolphins not only should force taking a quarterback, they downright should stay away from one.

Yes, finding a franchise quarterback should be the top priority for the organization because that kind of asset represents the fastest way back to perennial contender status (see Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen) and the verdict on Malik Willis has yet to come in definitively after a difficult first month operating under very difficult circumstances.

But there are two key factors at play here, and the first is that bringing in a stud quarterback is great but that player also needs to be given every opportunity to succeed and building a solid foundation around him is a great place to start.

So there's something to be said for beefing up the roster, not just on offense but defense as well before getting that quarterback in the draft and starting his clock toward that second contract — assuming that drafted QB is a hit — that will impact the team's entire salary structure.

The second factor, and the biggest one, is making sure you land the right quarterback and not drafting one for the sake of drafting a quarterback early.

THE DOLPHINS PRECEDENT

As evidence, we can offer the last three quarterbacks the Dolphins selected in the first round.

In 1983, the Dolphins took Dan Marino with the 27th overall pick. Yes, they got lucky, but their Hall of Fame quarterback still wasn't a top 10 pick.

In 2012, the Dolphins selected Ryan Tannehill with the eighth overall pick after he had had limited experience at the position at Texas A&M — if you hadn't heard, he started out as a wide receiver — and that might have been the precise definition of forcing a QB pick.

And then in 2020, the Dolphins took Tua Tagovailoa fifth overall, and while there were positive results for the offense in 2022 and 2023, the team never got where it wanted to get.

So it's not like taking a quarterback with, say, a top 5 pick will guarantee a franchise-changing quarterback and taking the wrong quarterback could set back an organization just as much as not taking one and waiting a bit longer.

THE 2027 QB CLASS

Now, if there's a slam-dunk QB prospect available when the Dolphins make their first selection in the 2027 draft, that's one thing.

But what if there weren't slam-dunk options for the Dolphins, whether at number 1, 2, 3 or whatever.

Based on a couple of national stories this week on ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, that's looking more and more likely.

Arch Manning is the big name out there, but is he really a slam dunk? And that's assuming he doesn't go back to Texas for another year, with the background that his uncles Peyton and Eli both entered the draft as seniors.

Depending on who you believe, the top quarterback prospects right now could be Drew Mestermaker or Darian Mensah or Dante Moore or Trinidad Chambliss or C.J. Carr.

None of them has slam dunk written all over them.

So why shouldn't the Dolphins just ride it out with Willis for another year and revisit the idea of a first-round quarterback in 2028 if they can get a foundational piece at another position with their top 5 pick in 2027?

Who that player could be is another discussion, but any of Jeremiah Smith, Leonard Moore or Colin Simmons might make more sense from this end.

The bottom line is that the Dolphins need to hit on that early draft pick in 2027 and that's more important than making sure it's a quarterback.

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