Miami Dolphins fans are looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft for their nearest source of hope, after the organization dismissed Chris Grier amidst the latest mediocre campaign. What does the data from the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator say about their preferences?
Why Do Dolphins Fans Want To End the Tua Tagovailoa Era With Dante Moore, Fernando Mendoza?
It hasn’t been the year many hoped for from the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins ran it back with Tua Tagovailoa, Mike McDaniel, and Grier after a frustrating 8-9 2024 season. Now, after their latest loss to Baltimore, they’re 2-7. Grier has been let go, and McDaniel’s future is not guaranteed beyond the rest of the 17-game schedule.
Amidst all of this, the Dolphins’ situation with Tagovailoa is the most concerning aspect. The team signed Tagovailoa to a four-year extension worth $212.4 million, with $167 million guaranteed, in July 2024. Not even two years later, his status with the team is deteriorating almost as fast as his play on the field.
Tagovailoa’s deal was the most lucrative in the Dolphins’ franchise history, and now serves as perhaps the biggest headache. Per Spotrac, the Dolphins will face $99 million in dead cap if they release Tagovailoa in the 2026 offseason. If they wait until his contract out in 2027, they’ll still have to shell out almost $35 million.
It’s not a good situation to be in, but the opinion of Dolphins fans is clear: just end it, move on, and accept the cost that you have to incur to get it done.
After a summer in which cornerbacks dominated Dolphins users’ selections in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator, QB has now surged to the top spot, with a pick percentage of almost 40% — over twice that of the next closest positions.
Fernando Mendoza — who himself went to Columbus High in Miami, Florida — is the Dolphins fans’ top choice at 14.7%, but sitting at No. 4 overall, Miami might not be able to acquire him if the Saints or Jets get to him first. Dante Moore is the next-highest preferred QB for Dolphins fans at 11.1%, but they’re not in the driver’s seat for him, either.
Ty Simpson is the Dolphins’ most likely QB acquisition if the pecking order remains as it is now, and Dolphins fans are starting to recognize that. Simpson has a 5.3% pick percentage among Miami users, and it’s rising fast.
There are other positions on Dolphins users’ radars, as the possibility of a full organizational rebuild becomes increasingly prescient.
Rueben Bain Jr. has a healthy 10.2% pick percentage, and Peter Woods is also present at 7.5%. Caleb Downs fills out the top five with a rate of 6.8%, while Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, and Jordyn Tyson all appear as well.
Nevertheless, QB is clearly the primary focus for Dolphins fans. As for which QB best fits the Dolphins schematically, that won’t be known until a regime change occurs, or if McDaniel somehow receives more time to redeem himself.
Mendoza is the strong-armed gunslinger with a reliable in-structure process and peak accuracy. Moore is a natural passing talent with dual-sided distribution and driving ability. And Simpson is the clutch, mechanically sound dual-phase operator with universal platform appeal.
All three have their positive qualities, but to have their pick of the litter, Dolphins fans will, unfortunately, need more losing from their favorite team. Based on Miami’s most recent trajectory, that shouldn’t be an enormous ask.