Fins draft update: Potential draftees to keep an eye on

With Week 4 kicking off Thursday evening, the vibe around the league has started to shift. And while it isn’t so much Miami moving the needle, a handful of teams have gotten off to abysmal starts that have them joining the top of the draft considerations.

While the Fins were almost unanimously penciled in for the number one spot in the 2027 NFL Draft, the 0-3 start is true to that trajectory.

Where the room gets crowded is that along with Miami the teams in Tennessee, Tampa Bay, Houston and, perhaps most surprisingly, the Chargers have also been unsuccessful in securing a W in their first three outings.

Along with the Jets perennially picking toward the top of the class and Arizona holding the second to worst point differential (with Miami at No. 1), there now seems to be no shortage of teams beginning to eye what that top pick could look like in their hands.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some key prospects to keep an eye on heading into this weekend and next weekend’s slate of College Football action.

 

QB- Arch Manning, Texas

The odds-on favorite to go No. 1 regardless of who picks there is the redshirt junior out of Texas with the legendary last name. With prototypical size and a legendary pedigree, his footwork and speed is serviceable to accentuate his powerful arm and quick release while drawing comparisons to Justin Herbert.

He’s comfortable with the deep ball and shows NFL-ready confidence stepping up in the pocket and commanding his line, things that can pay immediate dividends once he hits the league.

One of his few weak spots, he is earning a reputation for missing some of the easier passes he looks at and can eye the deep ball a little too intensely, but he clearly has more than enough tools and tape to be one of the first names off the board come April.

 

WR- Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Over the last 10 years, the top pick has gone to a quarterback eight times, with the remaining two slots going to edge rushers.

You would be hard pressed to find a GM that is willing to use pick number one on a wideout, which makes things interesting for Miami should they end up drafting somewhere between 3-5.

Smith is considered one of, if not, the premiere wide receiver prospect in recent memory. For those unfamiliar with his game, think Jamarr Chase or Justin Jefferson and you have the level of expectations that will be placed upon his shoulders.

6-foot-3, 223 pounds with a 4.32 second 40-yard dash. The top recruit in the country coming out of high school. Explosive at the top of his routes. Great eyes on his vertical runs. Happy to get physical with his yards after the catch. Proven against other top programs and an instant upgrade for almost any receiving room out wide.

ESPN’s Todd McShay called Smith the highest-graded receiver since Calvin Johnson.

What does this mean for Miami? If the top signal caller or two are off the board by the time the Fins are on the clock, Smith could fit perfectly into the long-term plans.

Adding a premiere wide-out and clearing the books will allow the front office to add a handful of upgrades throughout the roster.

That would most likely eliminate the chance for the top pick in 2028 but with a much more rounded roster, the frenetic need to hit the jackpot on a quarterback dissolves into looking for the best fit in the system.

 

QB- Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss

Chambliss showed his ability to handle pressure with the team’s win over LSU. As a 6^th-year senior, the echo chamber begins to shout concerns about his age but those should be disregarded.

Chambliss is as calm and cool as they come, especially playing against some of the best defenses in the country week in and week out.

A touch undersized, he has had issues with his passes getting batted down. Thankfully he is more than athletic and mobile enough to make plays his legs or simply extend the play until he can find a target and deliver with accuracy.

The combination of top-end speed with deep-ball accuracy is encouraging to see on tape with consistency and he has shown that he can be trusted to keep from turning the ball over.

He could stand to gain a touch of beef and add some power to his arm but those should be light concerns to what is a next-level competitor in every sense of the word.

 

QB- Darian Mensah, Miami

For those who love the hometown hero, keep tuning in to watch the Miami Hurricanes. From Tulane to Duke to Hard Rock Stadium, Mensah has not slowed down despite the continued increase in difficulty.

He is able to adjust the ball for the route he is looking for, showing a unique level of touch and instinct.

Mensah can light up the scoreboard and make it look easy. Compared to Chambliss, Mensah looks just a touch more the part at 6-foot-3 but can also stand to beef up as he enters the league.

He is also been great at keeping the turnovers low and trading one shade of orange for another would be an engaging storyline for Miami fans to follow for years to come.

 

DE- Colin Simmons, Texas

After being an integral part of the 2023 back-to-back state champion powerhouse team at Duncanville High School that went 29-1 and fielded the likes of Alabama’s Keelon Russell, Oregon’s Dakarion Moore, Florida’s KJ Ford and LSU’s Caden Durham, Simmons has continued causing havoc after the move to Austin.

Seeing as edge rusher has become the only position that can compete with quarterback for being sought after, Simmons looks to have cemented his status as a top pick with a 5.5 sack outing against Tennessee.

An obviously effective pass rusher, Simmons features an ability to pressure the quarterback like very few athletes in the country.

Scouts praise his ability to get off the ball and bend while remaining solid in his gap play and run support.

He is considered to have a very strong motor, eye for the ball and blend of speed and power.

For a young defense that has some quality talent, adding Simmons into a rotation with Chop Robinson and Josh Uche, along with Jordan Phillips and Zach Sieler inside, could instantly overhaul the Dolphins’ front line into a game-changing unit.

 

Game times:

#1 Texas- BYE

Oct. 10: vs. Oklahoma, 12:30 p.m.

ESPN

#5 Ohio State- vs. #14 Iowa

2:30 p.m. Saturday

CBS

#4 Miami- vs. Clemson

6:30 p.m. Saturday

ABC

Ole Miss- BYE

Oct. 10: vs. Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m.

ESPN