The Miami Dolphins have 11 games left to play in 2026. The NFL has three weeks of playoffs, a Super Bowl, free agency, the NFL Combine, and then the NFL Draft. In other words, there is a lot of time between now and the end of the year to worry about who Miami may or may not draft in 2027.
That doesn't mean fans will not continue to do so; the race for the top pick — maybe even the Dolphins' first pick — is coming down to two names for now. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Oklahoma State's QB Drew Mestemaker.
It's going to be a fun season for Dolphins fans, and it might be the little glimmer of hope in what looks to be an otherwise dreary year.
Drew Mestemaker has already made Miami Dolphins fans forget about Arch Manning
Arch Manning, who? The Texas QB has drawn transfer speculation after the Longhorns fell from the No. 1 spot in the NCAA rankings. There is growing belief that Manning will return to school in 2027, and he should. The question is, where will he transfer to if he leaves Texas?
For Dolphins fans, they don't really care at this point, unless Manning transfers to play for the Miami Hurricanes. Their focus has shifted from the allure of the Manning family name to a guy that few had heard of before this season.
Mestermaker was a relative unknown until this season, but despite a smaller sample size than some of the other QBs in this class, the OSU QB is drawing a lot of comparisons to a certain Wyoming QB who came out of nowhere. We are, of course, talking about the Dolphins' rival Josh Allen. The comparisons have been interesting.
Josh Allen | Drew Mestemaker |
|---|---|
2015: 4-6-51 yards | 2024: 30-46-462-2 TDs |
2016: 209-373-3,203-28 TDs | 2025: 319-463-34 TDs |
2017: 152-270-1,812 - 16 TDs | 2026: 157-239-2,236-20 TDs |
Dolphins fans may want to hate Allen, but nearly every one of them would love to have him on the Dolphins roster. He is a gritty football player, and that is part of Mestemaker's game as well.
Mestemaker is trending to become the top QB taken in the 2027 draft, and many have him going number one overall. That's where the Dolphins' fandom becomes split.
Jeremiah Smith is the top WR in the NCAA, and it isn't close. He is a game-changing receiver who can take over a game without a top quarterback. Smith is considered the best pure WR in the draft since 2021, when Ja'Mar Chase was taken. Smith's comparisons put him on the same level as Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones as a prospect.
What makes Smith stand out is the fact that he has been consistent over his entire college career, but as fans on the other side of the fence will point out, finding good WRs is a lot easier than finding an above-average quarterback.
This is where fans are at. The Dolphins need a franchise quarterback. Mestemaker has Aaron Rodgers and Allen vibes. A guy who can lead the team and change its direction, but Smith is a rare breed of WR prospect. It may ultimately come down to how Malik Willis looks down the stretch.
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