Even with the 2026 NFL Draft now in the books, some have already turned to the 2027 NFL Draft and how flat-out loaded it could be at the quarterback position. That was going to be the case for 2026, but there were some players who opted to return to school for another season.
That left this year's class quite weak overall. Even with two quarterbacks going in Round 1, Ty Simpson, for example, was not exactly a slam-dunk first-round pick. This left some teams still without any sort of plan at the position.
But there could always be the 2027 NFL Draft that swoops in and fixes things. In fact, these five teams could already be preparing to take a big swing on a Round 1 quarterback in next year's NFL Draft.
Looking at five teams that could have a QB in mind in Round 1 of the 2027 NFL Draft
Miami Dolphins
If nothing else, the Miami Dolphins had a metric-ton of NFL Draft capital this year, as they got more closer to the draft by trading Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. Even with the Dolphins being in a clear rebuilding scenario, the front office paid up for Malik Willis.
The Dolpins could be banking on Willis perhaps taking the route of other cast-off quarterbacks who broke out on new teams, but that would absolutely be off the table if Miami had a top-5 pick in 2027. Willis could be a functional starter for them, but they had that with Tua Tagovailoa.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals were stuck in no man's land in the NFL Draft. Arizona stood pat at pick three and selected Jeremiyah Love. They also beefed up the offensive line by signing Isaac Seumalo and drafting Chase Bisontis. On paper, the Cardinals offense is coming together, and it's clear that the front office wants to build up that side of the ball, so, ideally, they could 'plop' a rookie quarterback right into the room in 2027 and suddenly have an encouraging group.
Whether it's Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, or Carson Beck starting games, there really isn't much of a chance that the team gets nearly good enough quarterback play this year.
New York Jets
Another team obviously looking toward the 2027 NFL Draft for the quarterback of the future is the New York Jets, who truly got aggressive this offseason. What sticks out about the Jets is the sheer amount of young talent this offense suddenly has.
New York managed to get into the first round three times in 2026, taking David Bailey, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. The offensive line is rather set in stone and spilling over with youth, and existing players like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Mason Taylor are all key pieces of this operation.
More than other teams on this list, the Jets might truly be that quarterback away from actually competing and playing winning football. General Manager Darren Mougey is also strapped with a whopping three first-round picks in next year's draft.
Mougey could surely be willing to move some of those picks in a package to move up in Round 1, if the Jets aren't picking high enough. With a ton of draft capital and dwindling roster needs, the Jets are not as far off as you might think.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns sport a playoff-caliber defense and did get some nice returns from their 2025 rookie class last year. This could bode well for 2026 and the class that GM Andrew Berry brought in. As we all know, the Deshaun Watson trade blew up in this team's face, and unless Watson figures out how to play football again, the Browns will indeed be in the market for a rookie quarterback.
Cleveland took a risk by tossing aside Baker Mayfield and trading for Watson, and you can't really fault the front office for taking a shot. It didn't work, and it's almost time to find a viable solution.
Atlanta Falcons
Signing Tagovailoa this offseason, the Atlanta Falcons figure to start him or Michael Penix Jr, but unless one of them breaks out in a major way, the Falcons will almost certainly be in the market for a rookie quarterback next year.
Penix could have the talent, but he's got a concerning injury history, and Tagovailoa not only has an injury history, but is, at best, the 14th-best quarterback in the league, which simply isn't going to be good enough.
The Falcons may need to make a bold move to land a quarterback in next year's draft, as this team is still good enough to win 7-9 games.