Garrett Nussmeier entered the 2025 college football season widely-regarded as a First Round draft pick. Unfortunately, his final season at LSU didn't go as planned, as he battled an abdominal injury all season long that eventually cut his season short.
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Nussmeier's draft stock took a hit, but an MVP performance at the Senior Bowl last month has his stock back on the upswing. Nussmeier is now regarded as a mid-round gem, and with the right development, has the potential to make an impact on Sundays down the road.
Nussmeier is Miami bound in latest NFL Mock Draft
In the latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft from Saturday Blitz, Nussmeier is slated to be picked in the 3rd round with the 87th overall pick by the Miami Dolphins. Saturday Blitz's Nicholas Rome has Nussmeier as the third quarterback coming off the board, following Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (1st overall to the Las Vegas Raiders) and Alabama's Ty Simpson (21st overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers).
Rome notes that the offseason is going to be a tough one for the Dolphin's new regime. Mike McDaniel is gone, and the Jeff Hafley era is set to begin. The quarterback position figures to be a prominent focus for Hafley in the coming months. Tua Tagovailoa was benched for the final three games of the regular season, and Quinn Ewers' performance as the starter doesn't warrant much confidence that he is a franchise QB for Miami.
Nussmeier was one of the best passers in the country in 2024, throwing for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and a SEC-high 337 completions. The Lake Charles native chose to forgo the 2025 NFL Draft in order to return to Baton Rouge for one more college season. He played through an abdominal injury early in the year but ultimately missed LSU's final three regular season games as well as the Texas Bowl against Houston. On the season, Nussmeier threw for 1,927 and 12 touchdowns.
The Dolphins most likely won't be able to land a QB in the First Round, but they could find themselves in a position to draft a player worth developing on Day 2. Nussmeier could fit that bill, as his Senior Bowl MVP performance figures to give NFL scouts more confidence in his ability coming off an injury-riddled senior season. Nussmeier has the potential to be a steal on Day 2, and Tiger fans are sure to support him wherever he ends up.