Dolphins receive exciting 20.1% NFL Draft projection from ESPN

The 2026 NFL season is a ways away, and for the Miami Dolphins, it's going to be a very long season. Even though they signed Malik Willis, this team isn't close to being competitive.

While the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are going to compete for the AFC East division title, the Dolphins and the New York Jets will compete for a different prize: the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

According to ESPN's Seth Walder, the Dolphins' battle with the Jets for the No. 1 pick in next year's draft currently favors Miami. Overall, the Dolphins received a 20.1% NFL Draft projection that's very exciting for the future of the franchise.

Dolphins have 20.1% chance to land No. 1 pick in 2027 NFL Draft

"So Miami has a 20.1% chance to earn the No. 1 pick, while the Jets are at 17.1%," Walder writes. "The Cardinals and Browns follow behind at 15.3% and 12.8%, respectively."

This projection from ESPN gives the Dolphins a 20.1% chance to come out of the 2026 season with the first-overall selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.

While this would mean they would finish with the worst record in the NFL, for a rebuilding Dolphins team, this would be some great news.

They could either take the top quarterback in the draft or trade down with a QB-needy franchise for a massive haul of draft picks and players to better set themselves up for a rebuild.

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Either way, the Dolphins are in a fantastic spot heading into the 2026 season to land the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL draft.

Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley are conducting a massive rebuild with this team, and landing that No. 1 overall pick, whether they make it or not, would be massive for the future of the franchise.

With their odds of a top-five pick at 66.3% according to ESPN, along with their one-in-five odds to land the top spot next year, Dolphins fans should prepare for a rough 2026 season, but a very promising future after that.

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