The Miami Dolphins went in an unexpected direction with their seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers 231st overall.
Ewers sits at QB3 on the depth chart in the aftermath of the draft, behind established starter Tua Tagovailoa and recent free-agent signing Zach Wilson. While Ewers bears the burden of proof ahead of training camp, there's reason to believe he could climb the ladder quickly in South Beach.
After a turbulent junior campaign in Austin, Ewers eschewed the transfer portal in favor of going pro. That decision has not aged perfectly, but he wound up in a promising situation: The Dolphins don't have a glaring need at quarterback, but given Tagovailoa's worrisome injury history, the window of opportunity can open at a moment's notice.
The Dolphins offense is notoriously intricate, but it's also a free numbers boost for whomever commands it. Miami's scheme is extremely reliant on timing and execution. Ewers brings NFL arm talent to the table; he just needs to clean up his turnovers and operate with more poise under pressure. He shouldn't face too much pressure behind a stout Dolphins O-line and with two fleet-footed receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
If Ewers can get a handle on the playbook early on, Mike McDaniel might favor him over Wilson when finalizing Miami's QB room.
Quinn Ewers could bump Zach Wilson off the Dolphins roster in record time
Zach Wilson arrives in Miami at a critical juncture in his career. He was awful for the New York Jets, but can we really hold that against him? Jets football has been a hellscape for all involved in recent years. Wilson was not surrounded with the necessary support system, and his production faltered because of it.
In his first season out of New York, Wilson was buried on the Denver Broncos depth chart for reasons beyond his control. Sean Payton had nothing but praise for Wilson in training camp and throughout the regular season, but Bo Nix was a top-12 pick and the Broncos weren't going to let him ride the bench. Nix took the QB1 job by the horns and Jarrett Stidham incurred QB2 duties by default, which meant Wilson did not see a single regular-season snap.
He inked a new one-year deal in Miami with designs on being the primary backup to Tagovailoa, an injury-prone starter who has only eclipsied 13 games played in a season once since his debut in 2020. It was a chance for Wilson to realistically get a few pinch starts, if not much else. NFL teams need to see him in a positive offensive context before he can realistically restore his value.
Now comes Ewers, though, which means Wilson's image rehab may once again get derailed by a rookie. Ewers was only a seventh-round pick, but the Dolphins have every incentive to invest in their rookie and develop him as Tagovailoa's primary backup — maybe even his successor. Wilson is still the odds-on favorite to claim QB2 duties going into the season, but it's not hard to imagine Ewers flashing his arm talent in training camp and kicking Wilson to the curb.
Wilson has never lacked athleticism and raw talent; he just needs to prove that he can think the game well enough to command an NFL offense. The Dolphins provide a great system for his skill set, but if Ewers excels, Wilson could be riding the pine (or out of a job completely) for the second straight season.