Miami Dolphins fans have officially entered the part of the season where we start looking at draft prospects instead of playoff scenarios.
At 0-5, the Dolphins are still searching for their first victory coming off of the bye week. Fortunately, they got a little help on Sunday without even putting on their helmets. The Cam Ward led Tennessee Titans finally won a game, beating the Indianapolis Colts 26-20 and leaving Miami and the Los Angeles Chargers as the NFL’s only winless teams.
And while the Chargers
currently hold the top spot in the projected draft order at 0-6, don’t be surprised if Miami eventually overtakes them.
In fact, the Dolphins look like the favorites to land the first overall selection in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The Chargers have too much talent to stay this bad
Let’s start with Los Angeles. The Chargers have Justin Herbert at quarterback, talented young playmakers like Ladd McConkey and Oronde Gadsden Jr. and an established head coach. Despite their miserable start, there’s enough talent on that roster to believe they’ll eventually stumble into a victory or two.
Of course, the Chargers are currently 0-6, so apparently stumbling into a victory is easier said than done. They just lost 22-6 to Kansas City, and their Mike McDaniel coached offense couldn’t turn a trip to the Chiefs’ 1-yard line into a touchdown. Man, that sounds famliar…
Los Angeles has a stronger foundation than Miami at several key positions. However, the Chargers also face a difficult schedule, which keeps them firmly in the conversation for the first pick.
But eventually, talent has to count for something. Right?
The Titans already ruined their chances
Tennessee entered Week 6 alongside Miami and Los Angeles as one of the National Football League’s three winless teams. Then the Titans ruined a perfectly good tanking party by rallying from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts.
Congratulations, Tennessee fans! Your reward is a 1-5 record and a slightly worse chance at drafting the player who could change your franchise’s future. (cough, cough… Jeremiah Smith)
The Titans still have plenty of problems, but that victory gives Miami some breathing room in the race for the bottom. Is Tennessee done winning, or can they continue to build momentum and sneak out another victory or two?
The Dolphins are built for this
Here are the cold, hard facts — the Dolphins simply don’t have enough proven talent to consistently compete with most NFL teams right now.
The quarterback situation remains murky. The roster has holes at multiple positions, and as a result, the coaching staff is trying to build something while dealing with the consequences of a difficult transition.
Miami could certainly win a game or two, especially since they’ve been playing closer games as of late. The NFL is unpredictable — just ask my betting slips — and even the worst teams occasionally find a way to win.
But the Dolphins have a legitimate argument as the league’s least complete team. If Los Angeles eventually gets a few wins from Herbert and his supporting cast, Miami could find themselves alone at the bottom.
And for a franchise that desperately needs an infusion of star quality talent, that top selection could be enormously valuable.
The race is on
Listen, I know… nobody wants to watch their team go winless.
But if the playoffs are already out of reach, Miami needs to find a way to make this season count for something.
Continue to develop the rookies. Continue to evaluate the young players. Figure out which veterans belong on this team in the future. And, yes, keep an eye on the draft order.
It’s not the kind of race any fan wants to win before the season starts. But after five weeks without a victory, Dolphins fans might as well start rooting for the one thing this team can still accomplish — earning the number one pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
