Dolphins draft notable QB in seventh round

The seventh round continues to include quarterbacks coming off the board. Texas product Quinn Ewers has been selected by the Dolphins at No. 231 overall.

Ewers was among the passers facing the high expectations entering the 2024 campaign. The Longhorns succeeded as a team, reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. Individually, though, Ewers struggled to remain healthy and did not produce as hoped. That hindered his draft stock, but the fact that he remained on the board this late into Saturday still comes as something of a surprise.

Ewers shows a lot of traits that have become popular in NFL quarterbacks of late, boasting a quick release and the ability to throw out of multiple arm slots. He has excellent ball placement on short and intermediate throws and uses his eyes well to throw defenders. He also displayed an interesting intangible by delivering some of his most impressive performances in raucous road environments.

A lack of mobility likely hurt Ewers’ draft stock. He’s not much of a threat to run and, when rushed out of his spot, can struggle to see the field when scrambling. Ewers also struggled to protect the ball at times, throwing 12 interceptions and fumbling the ball 10 times in 2024; in three years as a starter for the Longhorns, he threw 24 picks and had 20 fumbles.

The Dolphins were certainly in need of a QB3. They currently roster only starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Zach Wilson. Ewers isn’t likely to challenge Wilson for the QB2 role, but with Tagovailoa’s frequent injury history, it makes sense to add a potential impact passer behind Wilson. Wilson has also struggled in a starting role in the past, so Ewers is actually in a decent position to see time as a starter relatively soon in his career.