Miami Dolphins build for future, so who's the pick in 2027 NFL draft?
· Yahoo Sports
We are still more than a week away from the first NFL regular season games. So what better time to roll out a mock draft, right?
The college football season was christened with Week 0 this past weekend, and practically everyone who has yet to kick off will do so this weekend. This exercise not only brings to light some of the possible top prospects for April's NFL draft — a list that is guaranteed to change over the next few months — but also gives an insight on a projected finish for the upcoming NFL season.
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With that in mind, and with a full-fledge rebuild underway with the Miami Dolphins, next spring could bring about their next franchise player.
Whom should they take?
Jeremiah Smith: No. 2 pick in NFL mock draft
According to USA TODAY's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, the Dolphins take Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 2 overall. It would be a homecoming for Smith, who was born in Miami Gardens and starred at Chaminade-Madonna, he was rated the No. 1 player in the nation in the high school class of 2024. In his two seasons with the Buckeyes, he has 163 receptions for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns over 29 games. He is the cover man for this year's EA Sports college football video game.
Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote: "Might Miami be among the teams clawing to the front of the pack for a quarterback early in the draft? With the team's teardown leaving several serious deficiencies, the Dolphins shouldn't have much trouble getting into striking distance of a top signal-caller. Yet the team's current setup might not be conducive to plucking a prized passer and dropping him into a rather barren talent landscape."
Miami Hurricanes in NFL mock draft
There are several Miami Hurricanes listed in this mock draft. The ACC favorites and last year's national runners-up, Da U may be back when it comes to acquiring top talent.
At No. 8 overall, this draft has the New York Jets taking Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah, the transfer from Duke who is following in the footsteps of Cam Ward and Carson Beck as transfer QBs. And at the bottom of the first round, the Browns (via the Rams) take Miami defensive lineman Justin Scott.
Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote: Competence could come at a cost this fall, as a Jets team that looks to have several solid pieces in place might end up with a record that puts the organization just far back enough in the draft order to miss out on the clear-cut top quarterbacks. Yet the class has a good chance to become more robust if someone can make a Fernando Mendoza- or Cam Ward-like leap. A strong candidate to enjoy such a rise could be Mensah, who can be a highly efficient distributor when he finds a rhythm. Jumping to join the Hurricanes could accelerate his upward trajectory.
Other local connection in USA TODAY NFL mock draft
As far as the other NFL teams in Florida, the Jaguars are slated 17th in this mock draft and Middlehurst-Schwartz has them taking Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone, because "(t)hough Stone is still coming into his own with just two starts to his name, his blend of jolting power and quickness to shoot gaps is something the Jaguars would surely love to weaponize."
At Pick 18, the Buccaneers get LSU tight end Trey'Dez Green: "If Mayfield does re-up, Tampa Bay could equip him with one of college football's most difficult matchups in the 6-7, 242-pound Green. He likely would require some creative usage as a detached option, but his knack for hauling in heaves would no doubt come in handy for a receiving corps charting a new course without former franchise mainstay Mike Evans."
The Houston Texans sit at No. 30 and take Florida running back Jadan Baugh: "The 6-1, 225-pound Baugh can be the battering ram that team leadership seems to covet while adding new dimensions with his every-down capabilities."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins build for future, so who's the pick in 2027 NFL draft?