3 college superstars the Dolphins must scout after Week 3 loss to Chiefs

The general consensus in the NFL Draft community is that the Miami Dolphins will pick either first overall or thereabouts in 2027. Reasonable to assume, given their brutal schedule, paper-thin roster, and status as a heavily rebuilding football operation.

But many assume that it'll either be generational Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in the first round, or whichever top quarterback the coaching staff and scouting department like best.

Not so fast! First of all, those aren't the only two noble avenues to pursue in the first round; secondly, the Dolphins will be picking near the top of every round after Day 1 of the draft! There are more intriguing prospects to be had.

But if it isn't, say, Smith or a QB with the top pick, let's start by diving into a Texas Longhorns superstar who'd transform Jeff Hafley's defense right away.

Non-Jeremiah Smith and QB prospects Miami Dolphins fans should have eyes on in the 2027 NFL Draft

Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas

Did Colin Simmons do a celebration against Tennessee where he acted like he was peeing on an opposing player? Yes. Did he also have 5.5 sacks in that game and single-handedly uphold the illusion that Texas quarterback Arch Manning is a worthy No. 1 overall pick? Also yes.

Simmons was the difference-maker in the Longhorns' 20-17 victory over the Volunteers. He abused Tennessee's offensive line all afternoon.

This comes after Simmons had nine sacks as a freshman and 12 last season. He is a pass-rushing menace and, if he's a little rough around the edges (see: pee celebration), so what? Guys like this don't grow on trees.

In fact, Jeff Hafley himself spoke in September about how rare it is to find double-digit sack guys such as Simmons in free agency, and how you ideally pounce on one when he's there near the top of the draft:

"There's not many edge rushers that are just going to pop up and be available if they're 12-plus sack guys. Those guys usually are really hard to find and there aren't many of them in free agency and if you have an early pick maybe you can get one in the draft."

Welp, sorry to the crowd who wants to replace Malik Willis as the franchise QB already, or those who believe Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith is a mortal lock at No. 1 overall if the Miami picks there. I mean, the Dolphins did draft three receivers this year. Is it so outlandish to think Simmons could be the Fins' first-round selection? Not at all.

Unless Chop Robinson magically transforms into a superstar, or any of Miami's other uber-obscure edge defenders shine this season, Simmons would be a slam-dunk first-rounder.

Sure would've been nice for the Dolphins to have Simmons this past Sunday to try to harass legendary Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana

I know I just said that the Dolphins drafted three wide receivers, so why bother with another? Well, this could change, but as things stand now, Charlie Becker could honestly be next in line behind Jeremiah Smith among the highest-drafted wideouts.

My thinking is Becker will go somewhere in the middle part of Round 1, if not far sooner. If another team wants to trade up for a QB or Smith for a king's ransom, and the Dolphins load up a war chest of draft assets whilst drafting Becker and another blue-chip player, well, I reckon that'd be well worth their while.

Willis could use a more dangerous downfield target with ball skills. Becker specializes in explosive plays, averaging 19.8 yards on 53 receptions at Indiana to date.

The highlight above, where Becker reaches over 20 mph very quickly after Josh Hoover's hilarious underthrow, shows how gifted he is. Give him a cannon-armed QB like Willis, and the possibilities are seemingly limitless.

Becker was overshadowed by the likes of Jets first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr. and Ravens rookie Elijah Sarratt on the Hoosiers' national championship team. Through four games this season, he has over 43% of Indiana's total receiving yards. And they're ranked sixth in the country as of this writing.

With a towering 6'4" frame, excellent ball-tracking skills, and legitimate long speed, Becker is indeed a great fit for Willis' deep-ball prowess. It's clear another weapon like that is needed after the Kansas City game, where Willis struggled on throws of 20 or more yards without Caleb Douglas in the lineup.

Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson

This could be a situation where the Dolphins trade back into the first round, or press their luck and wait until the 33rd to 36th pick range atop Round 2 for Clemson cornerback Ashton Hampton.

Just a quick rundown of what the 6'2", 205-pound Hampton's production profile looks like, via PFF:

• 62 receptions allowed on 123 targets (50.4% completion rate)
• 1 TD, 4 INTs and a 56.1 passer rating when targeted
• 6.7% missed tackle rate during the 2025 season

Hampton has the length to play zone and the technique and recovery skills to shine in Hafley's preferred scheme. However, he excels most in press-man coverage, where his size and physicality clearly shake up the wide receivers he goes up against.

Check out this interception from Hampton in 2024. Absolutely absurd one-handed snag.

And oh yeah, that missed tackle rate? Right in line with Chris Johnson's 5.6% clip at San Diego State in 2025.

Hampton can really lay the lumber as a tackler, and his aggressive style of play is just what the doctor ordered for the Dolphins' secondary. Hafley should be pounding the table for Hampton, who'd create an awesome 1-2 punch with Johnson on the boundary.

Getting a dynamic, young and cheap duo at cornerback, with a head coach in Hafley who specializes in secondary play, would be a big step for the Dolphins toward containing down top-flight QBs like Kansas City's Mahomes or Josh Allen in their own AFC East division.

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