The Miami Dolphins Draft

The Draft

The Dolphins are now in a rebuild, and this is the first wave of the rebuild, alongside bringing in QB Malik Willis as either a bridge QB for the next year or three. The Dolphins currently have close to 180 million in dead cap space, and it will take a couple of seasons to clear the entire space. The ability to fuel the team with free agents is impossible, and the team will continue to be a lacking roster for the future. 

With 13 picks in the 2026 NFL draft, the Dolphins made some good picks and some meh picks. Let's go through each pick in order. 

Kadyn Proctor - Pick 12 - OT

Kadyn Proctor was a fine pick at 12. The issue comes from the fact that the Dolphins decided to trade back from 11 to give the Cowboys… Caleb Downs. The offensive line is a position of need, but this defense is about to be a wet paper towel. Caleb Downs and others, like Ruben Bain Jr., were better picks here. I feel like the Dolphins could have traded back and gotten more value. Proctor comes from Alabama, which makes him the 4th Alabamian player selected by the Dolphins in the 1st round in the last 8 years. He is going to fill a hole in the O-Line of Miami. If I had to give my own grade, I would give my Miami Dolphins a B+ for the pick but a C+ for the management of the 11th overall pick. 

Chris Johnson - Pick 27 - CB

This was one of the best picks Miami made. The Miami Dolphins cornerback room is weak and needs aid. Chris Johnson didn’t suffer an insane injury unlike Jermod McCoy who suffered a horrible injury in his Junior Season and hasn’t played since that Junior year. The selection of Chris Johnson was a good pick. The only issue with Chris Johnson is that he played at San Diego State University and so his ability to translate to the next level could be a little difficult.

Jacob Rodriguez - Pick 43 - LB 

This was one of the best selections by the Miami Dolphins. Jacob Rodriguez placed 5th in Heisman voting as a defense player. He was originally going to be a quarterback and then he converted over to linebacker. Rodriguez was a pivotal piece of the extremely good Texas Tech defense. Last year he recorded 4 interceptions and 128 tackles. He will be a pivotal piece in Jeff Hafley’ defense in Miami. 

Caleb Douglas - Pick 75 - WR

This was a reach at this pick. There were better wide receivers on the board. Caleb Douglas is also from Texas Tech. He had back to back 800 yard seasons and throughout his career he had an average of 15 yards per catch. He is a deep threat physical receiver. The issue is that he can be a very varied player in his performance. I personally feel like there were better players

Will Kacmarek - Pick 87 - TE

With the exit of Darren Waller, the Miami Dolphins’ tight-end room is lacking talent. Selected from Ohio State, Will Kacmarek is more of a blocking tight-end. He isn’t much of a receiver or deep threat but he can still catch in the short game. His place on the team will be as an extra offensive linemen to keep Malik Willis upright. Not a bad pick but Kacmarek will not be a superstar player but rather a soldier in the trenches.

Chris Bell - Pick 94 - WR 

Another offensive weapon and a steal at pick 94. Chris Bell was going to be a early 2nd-rounder or a late 1st-rounder before his ACL injury. He is an explosive receiver at 6’2”, 220lbs. Bell comes from Louisville and would have been a thousand-yard receiver this past season if he had not been injured. If he returns to his pre-injury level of play, then Miami will have a clear WR1. He joined a wide receiver room with another Louisville alumni, Tutu Atwell. This was a great pick, and if Chris Bell ends up the type of player he was, then this was a steal and one of the best picks of the draft. 

Michael Taaffe - Pick 158 - S

We are now getting to the later rounds, and so there is less hype around these players. Michael comes from Texas and has had 7 interceptions across his career. He is a fine pick at 158, but I feel like safety Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina is a better fit as a safety. The question is whether he will see some playing time soon or if he will start a game. In the fall, we will see the answer. 

Kevin Coleman Jr - Pick 177 - WR

Coleman was a journeyman in college. He started at Jackson State, went to Louisville, then Mississippi State, then Missouri. He was drafted due to his ability to return, and he is a pretty good return man. Coleman might see some WR3 action during the next season, but we will likely see him as a punt returner for the Dolphins.