The Miami Dolphins have scheduled one of their 30 approved visits with a quarterback that they will absolutely not draft.
Is Jon-Eric Sullivan wasting one of his 30 allowed face-to-face visits? Possibly. Alabama QB Ty Simpson seems likely to be drafted in the first round, but it won't be at 11 even if he is still on their draft board. It would also be accurate to say that he won't use the 30th overall pick on Simpson either.
The Dolphins are more likely to draft one of his teammates instead. Don't get me wrong, Simpson is a solid draft prospect, but it's a season too early for the Dolphins.
#Bama QB Ty Simpson, one of the NFL Draft’s top players at his position, has scheduled Top 30 visits with the #AZCardinals, #Dolphins, and #Browns, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2026
In addition, Simpson had a private workout with the #Jets. pic.twitter.com/qGUzOefzEw
Ty Simpson meeting with the Miami Dolphins has smokescreen written all over it
There is nothing better than the element of illusion. Simpson is considered the second-best quarterback in this year's class, unless you are Dan Orlovsky. The problem is that the Dolphins are not looking for a franchise quarterback.
Jon-Eric Sullivan has said he will draft a quarterback each year if he gets the chance, but that doesn't mean he is going to spend first-round draft capital to do so in his very first draft as an NFL GM. Not when he just signed Malik Willis in free agency.
The message that he is sending with the visit is that he is prepared to draft the quarterback. That opens the potential for a trade should a team like the Steelers want to get in front of the Jets, who will also meet with him.
New York picks at 16 overall. The Steelers are further down the round. Both need quarterback help and are expected to draft one they hope will become a franchise player. The Dolphins could be showing their cards to make teams think they are taking Simpson.
Miami is likely to draft a mid to late round QB. Many have focused on Penn State's Drew Allar and Miami University QB Carson Beck, with whom they also scheduled a pre-draft visit.
The Dolphins know that this season is going to be a rough one. They are likely to end up with a high draft pick next year. The class in 2027 is considered far superior to this one. It's hard to imagine the Dolphins' interest in Simpson is anything more than due diligence, with the hopes of maybe bringing more conversation to the trade table on the draft's opening night.