The Miami Dolphins haven’t necessarily constructed a roster for the 2026 NFL season that can win a lot of football games.
But if struggles come, the Dolphins will at least get the chance for a top-end draft pick in a very strong draft class.
For example, the latest 2027 NFL mock draft from The Sporting News senior NFL writer Vinnie Iyer has the Dolphins picking second, and it means they get a chance to land a potential superstar.
It’ll be a quarterback-heavy top of the draft board, but that won’t necessarily be Miami’s approach.
Dolphins Mock Draft 1st-Round Pick 2027
In Iyer’s mock draft, the Dolphins watch Arch Manning go off the board with the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns.
That leaves Miami with exactly the guy they might want: Jeremiah Smith, the all-world wide receiver from Ohio State.
“The Dolphins may be satisfied for a while by new starting QB Malik Willis and just gave running back De’Von Achane a big extension,” Iyer writes. “They have a glaring void for big playmakers at wideout minus Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, which Smith can fill in the ideal way.”
The Dolphins enter the 2026 season with maybe the worst wide receiver group in football. They did draft three wideouts, including a pair in the third round, but none of them come to the league with nearly the hype of Smith.
On paper, it’d certainly make sense for Miami to spend a season watching these pass catchers and end up deciding they want an upgrade.
Smith, from the Miami area, would get a homecoming of sorts with this pick, too.
Why Malik Willis Matters
In a QB-heavy draft class, the fact that the Dolphins might already have their quarterback is a big deal.
Willis isn’t a sure thing yet, but as Iyer alludes to above, he’s got a chance to at least stick around for a while. If that’s the case, it’ll help the Dolphins get their draft pick right rather than reaching on a quarterback.
In this mock, the Falcons take Oregon QB Dante Moore with the No. 3 pick, and the Jets take Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr with the fourth pick.
Teams that need quarterbacks will draft one, but if Willis proves to the Dolphins that they can count on him, that opens up the whole board to allow them to do something exciting like draft Smith.
Unlike the 2026 edition, Smith is the only OSU talent listed in the first round of this mock draft by Iyer. He’s not going to be without help at Ohio State in 2026, though, particularly with young QB Julian Sayin throwing him the ball. And surely, since it’s the Buckeyes, more guys will play their way into the first round.
The Dolphins would be plenty happy to just get the best of the bunch and bring Smith back to Florida.
Dolphins Predicted To Draft Ohio State Superstar