Draft expert's 2027 take could prove Dolphins right for gambling on Malik Willis

The Miami Dolphins' decision to sign Malik Willis was one of the jaw-dropping moments of the 2026 NFL free agency period. The team everyone said had to shake out the couch cushions to even field a full roster next season was going to pay how much to a QB with 155 career pass attempts?

$22.5 million a year, with $45 million guaranteed, to be precise. The move, as most Dolphins moves this century, was met with seemingly equal doses of excitement and skepticism. The optimist points to Willis' elite play in an admittedly tiny sample size for the Green Bay Packers over the last two years. On the other end of the spectrum, pessimists worry about how this will affect the salary cap and whether or not Willis is worth the investment for a team in a rebuilding phase.

The latest draft buzz from Todd McShay proves the Dolphins overwhelmingly right for taking a chance on Malik Willis.

If Malik Willis doesn't work out in 2026, the Miami Dolphins are in a perfect position to nab a top-tier prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft

For starters, McShay's claim that next year's QB class could feature as many as eight first-rounders, with the potential to be perhaps the best ever, is certainly bold. Dolphins fans will never forget the 1983 draft class that brought the franchise Dan Marino, and his draftmates John Elway and Jim Kelly may have something to say about another QB class surpassing theirs.

Nonetheless, the premise that there could be as many as eight face-of-the-franchise-caliber quarterbacks in 2027 means the Dolphins are already in pole position to get things turned around — and fast. It's been well-documented that the 2026 class is weak, save for Miami kid turned Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. The Dolphins and 30 other teams will have no shot at him, as he is widely expected to be drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.

This left the Dolphins with two options: head into the season with Quinn Ewers and perhaps a veteran QB with no potential for the future, as they did with Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2019. Or, they could take a gamble on a quarterback who'd shown tremendous promise in a small sample size, who could theoretically become a franchise QB of the future when given the reins to an offense.

Still only 26 years old, Malik Willis is the same age as supposedly developing NFL QBs Bo Nix and Tyler Shough. There is real reason for measured optimism, and here's the caveat: you can tell what you have in a QB whether the team is winning or losing.

It'd be fair to say that Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady or Dan Marino himself would have a hard time dragging the 2026 Miami Dolphins to the playoffs. But you can bet your bottom dollar that they'd each show signs of being a foundational piece, no matter who's around them.

Matthew Stafford quarterbacked three sub-seven-win teams in his career. Josh Allen's rookie season saw the Bills go 6–10. Even Joe Burrow has had two teams win fewer than six games in his career. There was never a doubt these guys were franchise players, though. Willis will have all the opportunity in the world to prove it, and he has legitimately rare arm strength and mobility, a combination that is completely foreign to Miami Dolphins fans.

If Malik Willis balls out and uplifts the mediocre — and that term is generous — outfit around him, the direction is clear: start building a team around him that can compete with the NFL's heavyweights. If he falls flat or fails to deliver much more than average, there's no shortage of options in the 2027 draft class, according to McShay, at least.

The surplus of QB talent in the 2027 draft ensures that the Dolphins will be able to draft one for the future if need be

If Willis falls flat to the tune of a league-worst record, the Dolphins will have a premium selection to work with. The important note for fans to know is that it's not a first-pick-or-bust proposition. If the Dolphins end up with any other pick, particularly a middle-of-the-pack one as fans are accustomed to, the sheer number of QBs makes it a guarantee that they will be able to trade up to select one.

The romanticization of tanking has clouded discourse across all professional sports. The reality is that while yes, some of the league's top quarterbacks were the first selection in their respective draft, it's hardly a guarantee of future success. There have been disappointments even in recent years, such as Bryce Young and Kyler Murray, that prove a high draft position is no guarantee.

There's no magic way to become one of the league's best teams. Becoming a winning organization takes great coaching, elite team building, and above all else — excellent scouting. Dolphins fans hope Jon-Eric Sullivan will be able to deliver what he helped bring to Green Bay twice, in the form of future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and burgeoning star Jordan Love — that is, if he hasn't already by swinging big on Malik Willis.