The Miami Dolphins are in for a big facelift in 2026. After firing general manager Chris Grier in October, head coach Mike McDaniel’s job is far from safe after the 6-9 Dolphins became the losers of two straight on Sunday.
To make matters worse, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in year one of a four-year, $212 million extension. Tagovailoa has now been demoted to third-string quarterback in what is hypothesized to be a last-ditch effort from McDaniel to prove he is willing to work with the new front office.
The layer of desperate air is thick in South Beach, which is why Pro Football Focus’s Gordon McGuinness believes the Dolphins could make a big splash with a head-turning draft day trade.
Dolphins Send Two Firsts and Two Seconds For Heisman Trophy Winner
First and foremost, it is important to note that in this situation, the team with the first overall selection is the New York Giants. The Giants, of course, are not a quarterback-needy team with Jaxson Dart showing promising signs.
PFF’s trade package is, “New York Giants send No. 1 overall pick to Miami Dolphins for No. 10, No. 44, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.”
Fernando Mendoza is this year’s college football Heisman Trophy winner. Mendoza will have another chance to add to his 2,980-yard season on New Year’s Day during the Rose Bowl.
PFF thinks the six-foot-five 22-year-old has a few traits that land him in the same conversation as the last two number one overall selections.
“With Tua Tagovailoa benched ahead of the Dolphinsâ Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, itâs obvious that Miami is in the market for a new quarterback. In this mock draft, they get aggressive to move up for one,” McGuinness wrote.
“Mendoza recorded a 6.2% big-time throw rate and a 2.3% turnover-worthy play rate this season, which compares well with recent No. 1 overall picks Cam Ward (6.3%, 3.3%) and Caleb Williams (6.2%, 3.6%).”
Mendoza is the consensus first overall pick in next year’s draft, but the question remains which desperate team will offer the best package to earn the first overall selection.
Quinn Ewers Still Has Time To Prove He Is The Answer
Quarterback Quinn Ewers earned his first career start in Week 16’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The 2025 seventh round selection was the team’s third string quarterback for much of the year, but jumped former second overall selection Zac Wilson to get the nod.
Ewers completed 20 of his 30 passes on Sunday, accumulating 260 yards through the air.
His Dolphins jumped out for a 14-10 second-quarter lead but were quickly outpaced by Joe Burrow’s offense, which strung together 35 unanswered points.
Ewers threw two interceptions in the loss, but certainly put several good things on tape.
He has been named the starter for the remainder of the season and will have two more outings to prove that his franchise does not have to go searching for a new gunslinger.
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