This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 2:33 PM.<\/p>\n
If Dolphins general manager Jon\u2013Eric Sullivan were put under a bright light in a dark room \u2014 I\u2019m not quite sure why anyone would do this to him \u2014 and pressured to answer draft questions honestly, these would be high on my list:<\/p>\n
Is this Ty Simpson draft visit simply due diligence or there is a serious interest in the Alabama quarterback if he slides? And is there a scenario where you would bypass far greater needs and take him if he slips to pick No. 30 or even later? The answers, of course, are as closely guarded as Colonel Sanders\u2019 original fried chicken recipe.<\/p>\n
NFL Network\u2019s report that Simpson is visiting the Dolphins wasn\u2019t shocking because Sullivan said Monday that the team signing Malik Willis to a three-year deal \u2014 with $45 million guaranteed \u2014 does not make it any less likely that he would draft a quarterback.<\/p>\n
But it is notable because Sullivan also made clear that Willis is \u201cour guy\u201d and not a \u201cBand-Aid,\u201d and the Dolphins view him as a long-term solution at the position and someone they want to \u201cbuild around.\u201d<\/p>\n
So why waste time with the player considered the draft\u2019s second-best quarterback? Perhaps there\u2019s an extent of subterfuge here, but these are serious people running the Dolphins and my sense is that they at least want to learn more about him in case he takes a big draft slide. I doubt they\u2019re going to waste one of their maximum 30 predraft visits on a player they don\u2019t like.<\/p>\n
The notion of drafting Simpson with the 11th pick is unfathomable. But if he falls to late in the first round, the Dolphins are among the teams that could have interest at No. 30, ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter said recently. (No national reporter has more Dolphins sourcing than Schefter.)<\/p>\n
While it seems somewhat unlikely that Simpson would fall to 30, nobody can rule it out because he\u2019s a polarizing prospect. For two months, ESPN\u2019s Mel Kiper Jr. has rated him 25th on his Big Board of prospects. ESPN\u2019s Field Yates rates him 29th in his top 50. ESPN\u2019s Matt Miller has the Jets picking him at 33 with the first pick of the second round.<\/p>\n
Kiper says it\u2019s conceivable he could fall to Round 2, though it would be a stretch to think he gets to Miami at 43.<\/p>\n
Among the reasons drafting Simpson might cause Dolphins fans to riot:<\/p>\n
1). They have already made a commitment to Willis and have a half dozen more pressing needs.<\/p>\n
2). Simpson had two stinkers in key games, throwing for just 212 yards, one TD and one pick, on 19-for-39 accuracy, in a dismal 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship.<\/p>\n
Then he threw for just 67 yards in the 38-3 playoff drubbing against Indiana, leaving the game with an injury early in the third quarter with his team down 24-0. He threw two interceptions (and no TDs) in a win against Eastern Illinois.<\/p>\n
3). He lost six fumbles during a five-game stretch.<\/p>\n
4). Kiper said Simpson \u201cdoesn\u2019t have an elite trait. He doesn\u2019t have [a huge arm], doesn\u2019t have the elite size. Doesn\u2019t have Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen running ability.\u201d<\/p>\n
But there are just as many reasons why he\u2019s in the first-round discussion:<\/p>\n
1). His overall production in his first year as a starter (27 TDs, five interceptions) was very good.<\/p>\n
2). He played very well during regular season wins against Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee.<\/p>\n
3). Kiper said \u201chis arm strength is already good enough. He comes through in the clutch. He\u2019s a tough, gritty competitor. He\u2019s smart, he throws with anticipation, good processor, he can move, he can get you a first down on third down with his legs.\u201d<\/p>\n
4). Greg McElroy, ESPN\u2019s No. 2 college football analyst, said Simpson is \u201cthe most NFL ready of all the prospects right now. Why? Because he understands matchups. He has great feel for protections and audibles. That\u2019s what quarterbacks have to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s playing NFL level offense already. Yes, he\u2019s had to deal with a couple of ups and downs and the protection has always been a little bit dicey. But he\u2019s going to make a clear and easy transition to the pros. He has that kind of upside.\u201d<\/p>\n
After projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza and Simpson, Kiper\u2019s next three QBs are Penn State\u2019s Drew Allar, LSU\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier and UM\u2019s Carson Beck. All would be possibilities in Round 3 if the Dolphins decide to supplement a room with Willis and Quinn Ewers, whom Sullivan praised this week.<\/p>\n
Beck will visit Dolphins headquarters and won\u2019t count as a 30 visit because he went to school in South Florida.<\/p>\n
Kiper\u2019s 5-through-10 quarterbacks: North Dakota State\u2019s Cole Payton, Clemson\u2019s Cade Clubnik, Arkansas\u2019 Taylen Green (a dual threat QB who played for new Dolphins QB coach Bush Hamdan), Illinois\u2019 Luke Altmyer and Baylor\u2019s Sawyer Robinson.<\/p>\n
Green visiting<\/p>\n
Green, a dynamic athlete whose visit to the Dolphins was reported by former scout Bo Marchionte, spent two years at Boise State and the past two at Arkansas.<\/p>\n
He possesses enticing NFL attributes \u2014 size (6-6), a strong build at 227-pounds and speed (a 4.36 in the 40). He ran for 777 yards (on 5.6 per carry) and eight touchdowns in 2025 but must improve as a passer (19 TDs, 11 interceptions, 61 percent completion rate last season).<\/p>\n
.\u201dIn-game consistency has been a sticking point,\u201d NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein said of Green. \u201cHe has a long, unorthodox delivery and tends to baby too many throws. He can generate enough velocity and distance to stress defenses over the second and third levels. Green puts the ball in harm\u2019s way at an alarming rate, which will translate to greater trouble against more talented defenders and more complicated coverage reads.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis ability to win with his legs on called runs or pocket breaks pushes his value beyond his passing profile. Green\u2019s upside will be tantalizing, but his ceiling will only track with his growth as a passer.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for, Simpson there\u2019s no unanimity about him. ESPN\u2019s Dan Orlovsky is alone on an island insisting he\u2019s better than Mendoza \u2014 a view shared by nobody else publicly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a tough evaluation,\u201d Kiper said, calling him \u201ca more athletic, faster version of Mac Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dolphins don\u2019t need that, not with Willis already under contract, and not with the 2027 draft offering better options if Willis bombs. Even at pick No. 30, investing in Simpson would be dubious, in our view, because other positions must be addressed and Willis deserves an extended chance.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s hope Sullivan is merely doing due diligence.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s my Wednesday Dolphins 6-pack<\/a> with Sullivan and Jeff Hafley discussing Malik Willis, the team\u2019s long-term strategy and various other issues.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 2:33 PM.<\/p>\n
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