The Miami Dolphins may be going with Malik Willis as their starting quarterback this season, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do the same entering the 2027 season.
The Dolphins are entering a brand new era in franchise history after moving on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and former head coach Mike McDaniel. Miami is not only going with former Green Bay Packers backup Willis as their franchise quarterback for 2026, they’ve hired a pair of former Packers brass in Jeff Hafley as their new head coach and Jon-Eric Sullivan as the general manager.
The direction of the franchise is notable because they’ve started from scratch, moving on from stars such as Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb.
While Willis will have every opportunity to prove he’s a true franchise quarterback, the verdict is still out on him. As Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling predicts, he expects the Dolphins to have the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft and to select Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore.
Moore decided to return for another season in South Bend. Had he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, he would have been one of the top two quarterbacks selected, with Fernando Mendoza — who was selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders — as the other top quarterback.
“Had Moore declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders would have had a much more challenging decision to make between him and Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall,” said Easterling. “If he picks up where he left off last year, Moore’s polished skills set track record of consistency and success could give him the nod if Arch Manning is still more upside than proven commodity after another year at the college level.”
Dante Moore Compared to C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love
The 6-foot-3 Moore is an electric quarterback, coming off of a 30-touchdown season after leading the Ducks to a College Football Playoff berth. He is considered an accurate passer — he completed 71.8% of his passes last season — and has received player comparisons to C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love, two quarterbacks who annually lead their teams to the playoffs.
Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson describes some of Moore’s best attributes as “accurate” and that he is a “good athlete.”
“Moore is an accurate passer from inside the pocket and outside on the move. He throws with a very catchable football that has good pacing and control,” said Parson. “Moore places the football where his receivers can make a play and get yards after the catch. He is a good athlete, who uses quick and subtle movements to climb the pocket and evade outside pressure.”
Dolphins Will Have Quarterback-Heavy Draft Class in 2027
Entering the 2027 NFL Draft, it’ll likely be a two-man race between Moore and Texas Longhorns standout Arch Manning for who will be the top quarterback selected. Other potential first-round quarterbacks include Julian Sayin and LaNorris Sellers.
While Willis signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins, it’s a very realistic possibility he’s merely a stopgap option. If he can’t solidify himself as the surefire franchise quarterback, the Dolphins will have a deep quarterback class to choose from in 2027. That is the exact opposite of the 2026 NFL Draft, which only had one surefire first round prospect in Mendoza. Ty Simpson was considered the next-best quarterback and he will serve as a backup to Matthew Stafford in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Rams.
If the Dolphins do end up getting the No. 1 overall pick — which would be the first time they would hold that distinction since 2008 — they’ll be hard-pressed to pass up on selecting either Moore or Manning.
Dolphins Predicted to Land 30-TD QB to Replace Malik Willis