The 2026 NFL Draft has just barely passed us by, and draft experts are already looking ahead to the 2027 class. Despite the massive 13-pick haul that the Miami Dolphins came away with this year, the players who will make the biggest impact for the foreseeable future may be selected next season.
Compared to 2026's crop of prospects, 2027 is projected to feature far more high-end talent at the top of the draft. Names like Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore, and Texas tackle Trevor Goosby are just a few names you will see floated as potentially elite prospects in way-too-early mock drafts.
In his first 2027 mock draft, ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid had the Dolphins picking No. 2 overall, and he had them passing on QB in favor of the early favorite to be the first non-QB drafted: Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Jordan Reid picks Jeremiah Smith over a potential franchise QB for the Miami Dolphins in way-too-early 2027 mock draft
Reid addresses the fact that the Dolphins could look to take a QB if they finished with the No. 2 pick, but his reasoning for going with Smith instead makes a ton of sense.
"Quarterback would be a consideration if the Dolphins pick this high," Reid said. "But getting a truly elite receiver would be hard to pass up, especially with the Dolphins moving on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason."
The departure of Waddle and Hill definitely needs to be a factor here, even after the Dolphins triple-dipped at receiver in this year's class. While current Dolphins starting QB Malik Willis likely would have struggled in a scenario where Miami is picking this high, it would be easy to excuse his performance given his supporting cast.
If Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley see enough from Willis in 2026, the record at the end of the season isn't going to be what makes them move on from him as the starter. Injecting a talent like Smith into the lineup would instantly make the rest of the pieces fit much more nicely as well.
Smith is on a trajectory we haven't seen from a receiver prospect in a long-time, perhaps not since Julio Jones. I could wax poetic about what he has already demonstrated as a Buckeye, but Reid sums it up well in his article.
"Smith has a great blend of size and speed. He's a swift vertical mover who eats up coverages in a hurry while showing exceptional strength at the catch point."
A hypothetical lineup of Smith as the true No. 1 at X, third-round pick Chris Bell as the No. 2 at either Z or the slot, and one of Caleb Douglas/Malik Washington/Kevin Coleman Jr. as the No. 3 would be a dream compared to what the Dolphins currently have to work with. Add in that Smith is from the area, and it could be a rare early mock draft pick that comes true nearly a year later.
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