Do Dolphins draft a quarterback? Feedback on their options and one mocked to Miami
Except for taking a flier on Skylar Thompson in the seventh round, the Dolphins have bypassed drafting a quarterback during the Tua Tagovailoa era, even though such a move would have offered potential protection — and another option — if Tagovailoa’s career were to be derailed by concussions or injuries, or if he simply regresses.
But will they this week?
“The Miami Dolphins are [a team] sources are eyeing as a potential quarterback-grabber in the second, third or fourth rounds,” CBS insider Jonathan Jones reported.
Even after signing Zach Wilson to be their No. 2, there are signs they might, if one they like is on the board. Plugged-in agent Drew Rosenhaus predicted on his weekly WSVN Fox 7 segment that Miami will draft a quarterback. But general manager Chris Grier said Miami isn’t looking to draft a quarterback in the first round.
Tyler Huntley said in December that the Dolphins conveyed they wanted to re-sign him but that hasn’t happened, suggesting they could try to find a third quarterback in the draft.
Then there was Grier’s stern warning after the season that Tagovailoa not doing enough to protect himself from injury is “unacceptable to us.”
Tagovailoa’s contract extension last summer means the sides will be married at least two more seasons. A divorce before 2027 has significant financial consequences.
The Dolphins hope that Tagovailoa is their starter well into the next decade. But if the Dolphins opt to invest in another young arm, here would be the options in rounds two through five (picks 48, 98, 116, 135, 150, 155), presuming Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart joins Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders as first-round picks and also keeping in mind that Miami likely has too many needs to use 48 on a quarterback:
▪ Alabama’s Jalen Milroe: A Crimson Tide combo in the Dolphins QB room?
Miami interviewed him earlier this offseason and has shown interest.
The production was somewhat underwhelming last season, including a mediocre 16-to-11 TD-to-interception ratio. And his deep ball metrics were poor last season: 22 for 56 on passes thrown 20 or more air yards. That 39.3% was well behind Ohio State QB Will Howard’s 57.4, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (56.3), Syracuse’s Kyle McCord (52.6) and UM’s Cam Ward (45.3).
But in a league where many of the top quarterbacks are mobile, Milroe would add that dimension; he led Alabama with 726 rushing yards last season on 4.8 per carry and his 20 touchdowns were eighth in FBS and second among quarterbacks.
He won the William Campbell Trophy, known as the Academic Heisman, and he has a high football IQ.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said Milroe “is an explosive athlete who is very capable outside the pocket, but he lacks accuracy, touch and decision-making when he’s inside the pocket. A lack of anticipation and timing leads to interceptions and contested throws to intermediate areas of the field. He has an NFL arm, but he might need to fine-tune his footwork and delivery to improve accuracy on all three levels.
“He’s built like a Will linebacker, runs like a receiver and is a threat to hit the home run on called runs and scrambles. Milroe was a much better deep-ball passer in 2023, but his 2024 regression makes it harder to project success from the pocket at a high enough rate to become a capable NFL starter. A strong arm and elite speed will have teams intrigued, but if he doesn’t make it as a starter, it’s incumbent upon his team to find a way to get the ball in his hands with packaged plays.”
Most evaluators project him for the second round.
▪ Louisville’s Tyler Shough: Both Shough and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord would be intriguing options if available at 98, which is high debatable; Reuter projects Shough 83rd overall and McCord 104th.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Shough is “big and strong, has a lot of arm talent. One of the things with him is pocket awareness stuff. He bails too much instead of just sliding, shuffling, finding space within the pocket.”
Shough, who once backed up Justin Herbert at Oregon, had 23 touchdowns and six interceptions but his age will work against him with some teams; he turns 26 in September. His injuries also are a concern; he was hurt three consecutive years at Texas Tech before staying healthy in his one year at Louisville. And he completed just 36.7% of throws traveling at least 20 air yards.
“He’s a talented passer with a live arm who is capable of making pro throws both intermediate and deep but battles inconsistency,” Zierlein said. “His size and passing talent will be enticing, but durability and mobility concerns are impediments he will need to overcome.”
▪ McCord: After a 24-touchdown, six-interception season at Ohio State in 2023, McCord was even better in his one year at Syracuse, closing with an FBS-leading and ACC-record 4,779 passing yards with 34 TDs and 12 interceptions. He had a 120.4 passer rating on throws of 20 yards or longer.
Jeremiah said he reminded “me a lot of Derek Carr at Fresno. Quick fit, quick eyes, accurate, got touch down the field, can gas it up and give you some velocity when needed. He played real aggressive and was a little frenetic at times and ran himself into some sacks.”
But Zierlein is among analysts who view him as likely nothing more than a NFL backup, comparing him to Bears disappointment Mitchell Trubisky.
Zierlein said McCord “was too inconsistent at Ohio State, relative to the talent around him, but he proved to be confident and productive last season at Syracuse without that same level of supporting talent.
“He has enough arm to make window throws and push the ball around the field. McCord seeks to attack coverages vertically instead of operating as a ‘Checkdown Charlie.’ While he can hit chunk throws, his decision-making and ball placement aren’t always good fits for his gunslinger mentality. His mobility inside and outside the pocket is average. McCord has good size, adequate talent and commendable resilience. He could find a home as a backup quarterback with modest upside.”
▪ Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel: NFL.com’s Reuter predicts the Dolphins will take him 116th, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler forecasts Miami to take him at 135.
He was a third-team All-American, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and third in Heisman Trophy voting after an exceptional year at Oregon in which he was second in FBS with a 72.9 completion rate, seventh with 3,857 passing yards, tied for eighth with 30 passing TDs vs. six interceptions and seven rushing touchdowns.
Last season, he had eight TDs, one interception, that elite 56.3 completion percentage and 131.6 passer rating on passes thrown at least 20 yards.
He set the FBS record with 188 career total TDs and 63 career starts at QB, topping Bo Nix’s 61.
His age (24) and more so, his size (5-11) work against him.
Zierlein calls Gabriel “an older and smaller QB prospect” who “offers a tremendous amount of game experience and productivity. He operates with poise and confidence from the pocket. His field vision is average, but he typically takes care of the football. …
“Gabriel’s accuracy and timing is accurate on shorter throws, but the placement becomes erratic when pushed outside of his comfortable range. Gabriel requires a very specific offensive fit, but he’s a gamer with enough good tape to have a chance to become a decent backup.”
▪ Ohio State’s Will Howard: Surrounded by elite talent, the Kansas State transfer was plenty good enough in helping guide Ohio State to a national championship.
He ranked second in the FBS with 73.0 completion percentage (309 for 423), fourth with 35 passing TDs (compared with 10 INTs) and sixth with 4,010 passing yards. He was named offensive MVP in the national championship game, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 57 yards on 16 carries. He had a 123.9 passer rating on deep balls, aided by All-World receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Jeremiah said “he’s a touch thrower, quick to get to No. 3 in his read. The big question is going to be the arm strength.”
Zeirlein said the 6-4 Howard “brings outstanding size and toughness to the table. He showed good improvement over the last three seasons. [But] unless he proves he can play chess against NFL defenses, he might not have enough in the tool box to become more than an average backup.”
▪ Texas’ Quinn Ewers: A somewhat polarizing prospect who had 31 TD passes last season (tied for sixth in FBS) but also 12 interceptions, too many questionable reads and limited escapability.
Jeremiah’s take: “I know he wasn’t healthy, but he did not take the step I was hoping he would take. Still young at 21. Quick feet quick release. “Got into a lot of bad habits. Not trusting what he’s seeing. Got real sloppy with his feet.”
Zierlein said “Ewers’ arm talent and game flashes are enticing, but he hasn’t learned to play the game with a high enough level of consistency. The raw talent and upside will be alluring for pro-style passing attacks, but it’s fair to wonder if he will ever be able to rise above the talent on his roster and the ability of his play-caller to create favorable terms.”
▪ Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard: The Duke transfer threw 21 TDs and 8 INTs and also ran for 906 yards (4.9 per rush) and 17 touchdowns while being named the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl MVP.
Zierlein said: “Leonard has adequate size and is an above-average competitor with good toughness. However, he fails to hit the mark as a pro-caliber passer. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who falls more firmly on the side of grit than gifted.... He needs a solid running game and advantages at the skill positions to function on a pro level, but even then his play might be more dependent on his legs than his eyes and arm.
▪ Indiana’s Kurt Rourke: After five years at Ohio, he transferred to the Hoosiers and set school single-season record with 29 passing TDs. He was eighth in FBS with a 69.4% completion rate, tied for 10th with 29 passing TDs and threw just five interceptions. He did it playing on a torn ACL all season, which required surgery in January.
Zierlein’s view: “Rourke earns a draftable grade because of his size, experience and production. He’s coming off an ACL tear, but the injury might not have a major impact on his draft slotting since his game isn’t built on mobility. While he can make pro throws, the accuracy and placement is average.”
The view here: The Dolphins simply have too many needs to pick a quarterback at 13, 48 or 98. But 116 could be justified if they have a conviction on someone.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM.
