2026 NFL Draft Notebook: Dolphins eye No. 1 pick, Notre Dame WR under pressure

The NFL season has just begun, but early draft storylines are already taking shape. The Miami Dolphins look like a team headed for plenty of struggles, a big concern has surfaced in Kansas City, and several prospects are trending up or down.

In this week’s NFL Draft Notebook, we break down those developments and highlight some of the top 2026 NFL Draft prospects, including a quarterback flying up draft boards, another whose stock is slipping, and North Carolina making a petty move.

Miami Dolphins’ number one pick

There is no doubt who the most disappointing team in the NFL was last week: the Miami Dolphins, who were beaten 33-8 by the Indianapolis Colts. If the Dolphins don’t start playing better soon, they could end up with a top-five pick, or even the number one overall. Should that happen, the most logical choice is LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, the top quarterback on my board. He would likely be the replacement for Tua Tagovailoa, who struggled in the season opener and remains a major medical risk even when playing.

If Tagovailoa turns things around this season and Miami decides to pass on a quarterback, another top-ten option that would make sense is Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.

Ravens expose Chiefs’ draft need

In Kansas City’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, one glaring draft need was revealed—safety. The Chiefs’ secondary struggled throughout the second half as Baltimore consistently found success attacking the middle of the field. Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks were repeatedly targeted and gave up key completions. Ideally, Kansas City would love to land Caleb Downs in the first round, but it’s unlikely he’ll still be on the board when their pick comes up. A more realistic mid-round option is Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, who led all Big Ten defensive backs with 104 tackles in 2024.

Notre Dame wide receiver needs to step up

One player who must raise his game in Week 3 is Notre Dame wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, who has yet to record a catch this season. That’s a disappointing start considering he topped 100 receiving yards against both Ohio State and Penn State in last year’s College Football Playoff and led the team in receiving yards, yards per catch, and touchdowns. As a pro prospect, Greathouse has good size and excels at making contested catches, which earned him a fourth-round grade on my board heading into this season. If Notre Dame is going to knock off Texas A&M, Greathouse will need to play at that level again.

Seeing his NFL Draft stock soar

One quarterback whose NFL Draft stock has skyrocketed in the first two games of the season is Oregon’s Dantre Moore. He entered the year with a sixth-round grade on my board but is already playing his way into first-round consideration.

The low grade last season came from his lack of experience, as he threw just eight passes all year. Now, he is showing high-level traits, including impressive accuracy, athleticism that makes him a threat as a runner, and strong decision-making. While his early success has come against weaker opponents, the real test will be when Oregon faces teams like Penn State on September 27. If he continues to perform at this level, Moore could become the third straight Oregon quarterback drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

Seeing his NFL Draft stock fall

While Oregon’s Dantre Moore has seen his stock rise, the same can’t be said for Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt. The 2025 Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year is coming off one of the worst games of his career, throwing two interceptions (his first multi-pick game) and completing just 46% of his passes against Mississippi State. This week’s matchup with Texas State is critical, and he’ll also need a strong performance against Baylor on September 20 to get his draft stock back on track.

Upset of the week

In last week’s article, we correctly predicted Baylor’s upset win over SMU, powered by an elite performance from Sawyer Robertson. This week, the pick is Tennessee over Georgia. The Vols’ high-octane offense, led by quarterback Joey Aguilar, gives them a real shot. Aguilar has gone from being completely off the NFL radar to a potential Day 3 draft pick with his strong start. On the other side of the ball, Tennessee’s defense should be able to limit Georgia’s attack, even with possible first-round pick Jermod McCoy in the lineup.

What a start

Washington running back Jonah Coleman is off to a blazing start, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors in each of the first two weeks of the season. In his latest outing against UC Davis, he carried the ball just 15 times but racked up 111 yards and three touchdowns while breaking 10 tackles. The Huskies are off in Week 3, but Coleman will face a true test on September 27 when Washington takes on Ohio State. One area NFL scouts will want to see more from him is as a receiver. He finished last season with just 177 receiving yards and has only two catches so far this year.

Interesting concern

According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, NFL scouts have raised an interesting concern about Ohio State safety Caleb Downs: his coverage skills. One scout even suggested Downs could transition to linebacker, given how often the Buckeyes play him in the box. While there is no doubt he projects as a strong safety at the next level, he is more than adequate in coverage and shows the range needed to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety in the NFL.

Petty move

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick pulled one of the pettiest moves tied to the NFL Draft, banning New England Patriots scouts from campus. It looks like he’s still salty about how things ended in Foxborough, but this stunt does nothing except hurt his own players. Blocking scouts out of spite is not tough or clever, it’s selfish.