Athlon Sports Mock Draft Has Dolphins Picking No. 5 — And Taking…
NFL Draft reporter Luke Easterling of Althon Sports released his latest 2027 NFL Mock Draft, with Miami selecting 5th overall and taking a quarterback.
Round 1, Pick #5: Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (FL)
“Malik Willis isn’t the problem in Miami, but if the Dolphins have the opportunity to land their franchise quarterback of the future with this pick, I don’t expect his presence to keep them from making that selection. Arch Manning has been the popular pick to be the first signal-caller off the board, but Mensah has been the most impressive quarterback I’ve seen so far this season, and he’s got all the physical and mental traits to be a successful starter at the next level.”
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Draft Profile: Bio
Tulane was Mensah’s only FBS offer out of high school. He redshirted in 2023, then broke out as a redshirt freshman in 2024, throwing for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns and leading the Green Wave to a nine-win season.
That production drew an eight-million-dollar NIL deal from Duke, where in 2025 he threw for 3,951 yards and 34 touchdowns against six interceptions, second nationally in both categories. A contract dispute and settlement followed, and he transferred to Miami for 2026 to replace Carson Beck.
The move produced a historic start. Through his first four games as a Hurricane he threw fourteen touchdowns against just twelve incompletions, the first FBS quarterback in three decades with more scoring passes than misses that early, and he completed 24 straight against Wake Forest on the way to an ACC-record 35-completion streak.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Accurate, high-volume passer; 34 touchdowns against just six interceptions in 2025
- Touch passer who varies arm speed and drops the deep ball with placement
- Processes with timing and anticipation, working through reads from a clean platform
- Set a Duke single-season record with 3,973 yards as a first-year starter
- Closed the Sun Bowl as MVP, 327 yards and four scores
- Named ACC Newcomer of the Year after a productive Tulane-to-Duke jump
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Slight at about 205 pounds, with real durability questions for the position
- An average arm by NFL standards; the ball dies on the longer outside throws
- Turnover-worthy plays ran high despite the clean interception total
- Put the ball on the ground too often earlier in his career
Scouting Report: Summary
Mensah is an accurate, quick-processing passer who wins with timing rather than physical traits, varying his arm speed, dropping the deep ball with placement and reading out the field from a clean platform with the patience to rarely beat himself. His touch and short-to-intermediate placement are among the more advanced in the class. However, he is slight at around 205 pounds with only average arm strength, so the ball dies on the longer outside throws, and he will force throws into coverage under pressure more than the tidy interception total suggests.
Overall, Mensah has the placement and process of an NFL starter, and a historically accurate start to 2026 at Miami has strengthened the case, leaving the arm strength and durability as the real questions against tougher fronts. He projects as a potential NFL starter, with the ceiling of a quality starter and the floor of a backup if the durability or the deep ball give way.
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Pros for Darian Mensah
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Mensah throws a beautiful deep ball, showcasing a clear understanding of how to change arm speeds, and impressive ball placement
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There is a great feel from Mensah as a processor, showing the talent to throw with timing and anticipation
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He has some easy movement in the pocket, allowing him to buy time to navigate the field and his reads/progressions
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Mensah throws with conviction, and he has no problem testing some smaller windows
Cons for Darian Mensah
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While Mensah does a good job of throwing down the field, his arm strength is just average for NFL standards. The ball can die a bit when testing smaller windows to the intermediate level of the field.
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Mensah is a smooth athlete, but has little upside as an extender or runner on the NFL level
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When forced off schedule, Mensah’s decision-making tails off dramatically, leading to a troubling process
Background
When Mensah came out of San Luis Obispo (Calif.) St. Joseph in the 2023 recruiting class, he was ranked between a three and a two-star player. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Mensah ranked as a two-star, the No. 2,672 overall player, the No. 161 quarterback, and the No. 383 player from the state of California for the 2023 class. Tulane was the only FBS program that offered Mensah coming out, while Idaho State had offered him on the FCS level. Other schools like Arizona State, Boise State, San Diego State, and San Jose State also showed some interest, but never offered him.
After serving as a backup as a freshman in 2023, Mensah had a breakout season for Tulane in 2024. Following that success with the Green Wave, he utilized the transfer portal and landed with the Duke Blue Devils. During his two years on the college level, Mensah has thrown for 6,696 yards and 56 touchdowns. He added another two touchdowns on the ground, throwing just 12 interceptions and completing over 66 percent of his passes. Mensah transferred to Miami following the 2025 season after initially considering entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
Player Evaluation
During the course of the last couple of seasons, Mensah has been one of the more productive passers in all of college football. He has continued to trend upward as a player, leaving a lot of optimism for what he can accomplish for Miami in 2026. Mensah is a touch thrower who has shown some tremendous flashes when pressing vertically. He throws a beautiful deep ball, showcasing a clear understanding of how to change arm speeds and impressive ball placement. There is a nice feel for Mensah as a processor, showing the talent to throw with his timing and anticipation. He has some easy movement in the pocket, allowing him to buy time to navigate the field and his reads/progressions. Mensah throws with conviction, and he has no problem testing smaller windows as a passer.
While Mensah does a good job of throwing down the field, his arm strength is just average for NFL standards. The ball can die a bit when testing smaller windows to the intermediate level of the field. That could hurt his ability to work the middle of the field. Mensah is a smooth athlete, but has little upside as an extender or runner on the NFL level. When Mensah is forced off schedule, his decision-making tails off dramatically, leading to a troubling process.
There is some upside for Mensah to become a low-end starter on the NFL level. His fit into an offense that prioritizes getting the ball out of the quarterback’s hand will be essential. If not, Mensah probably ends up as a high-end backup with a spot starting baseline.
