The Dolphins enter days two and three of the NFL Draft with 11 more picks, at least three gaping holes and reaffirmation of the universal belief that everything with this franchise isn’t going to be fixed in one draft.
The Dolphins have four picks on Friday night — one fewer than they began the draft with. Miami has one second-round pick (at 43) and three third-round picks, at 75, 87 and 94.
The 90th overall pick, acquired from Houston during last year’s draft, was dealt to the 49ers in a draft trade-up (from 30 to 27), so Miami could pick San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
Miami has three position groups that are among the worst in the league — safety, receiver and to a lesser extent, edge. Which of the three will be addressed at 43, with Miami’s only remaining top-70 pick, likely will be dictated in part by the decisions made by the 11 teams that pick before them tonight.
It would be a disappointment if the Dolphins don’t emerge with one of the half dozen best receivers in the draft, but they’re now very much at risk of that. Already off the board are five of players widely ranked among the top six: Carnell Tate (Tennessee), Jordyn Tyson (New Orleans), Makai Lemon (Philadelphia), KC Concepcion (Cleveland) and Omar Cooper (Jets).
The Dolphins like Washington’s Denzel Boston and brought him in for a 30 visit, but it’s highly questionable he lasts until 43. In a new mock draft this morning, ESPN’s Matt Miller has him going 35th to Buffalo.
If Boston is gone, Alabama’s Germie Bernard (64 catches, 882 yards, 7 TDs) is likely the next best available receiver, though Louisville’s Chris Bell — off a torn ACL — has some supporters.
Miller mocks Bernard to Miami, noting “the Dolphins made it out of Round 1 without adding a wide receiver, despite it being the team’s biggest need. Bernard is a bit of a gadget-guy thanks to his ability to create yards from the backfield or wide receiver, but his big-play ability is sorely needed in Miami.”
Other receivers likely to be available at 43: Louisville’s Bell (72-917-6 TDs, coming off a torn ACL), Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields (36 catches, 630 yards, 5 TDs), Georgia’s Zachariah Branch (81 catches, 811 yards, six touchdowns), Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II (62-1,017-9 TDs) and Clemson’s Antonio Williams.
Most of those players are projected to go after 43, some well after.
Georgia Southern’s Ted Hurst likely would be an option at 75, 87 or 94.
Miami brought him to team headquarters for a 30 visit and his size (6-4), speed (4.42 in the 40) and immense production (15 TDs in two seasons) make him intriguing and a possibility with one of Miami’s three picks in the third round. “He can run, can build speed, track the ball, had a really good Senior Bowl,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said.
Other options with the three picks in the third round include North Dakota State’s 6-3 Bryce Lance (51-1,079-8 TDs), USC’s 6-4 Ja’Kobi Lane (49-745-four touchdowns), Baylor’s Josh Cameron; Texas Tech’s Reggie Virgil; Oklahoma’s Deion Burks; Georgia Tech’s Eric Rivers; Missouri’s Kevin Coleman Jr.; LSU’s Barion Brown; Mississippi State; Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt.
Phillips/Waddle postscripts
The Dolphins got four good years from Jaylen Waddle and parts of 3 ½ good years from Jaelan Phillips. But Miami’s handling of the 2021 Draft will end up going on the long list of mistakes.
Instead of drafting franchise cornerstones in JaMarr Chase or Penei Sewell, ex-GM Chris Grier outsmarted himself.
On Friday, the Dolphins using the prime pick they acquired from Denver for Waddle to move up three spots to take cornerback Johnson. And so the Phillips trade with Philadelphia and the Waddle deal with the Broncos can now be synthesized into these terms:
Miami traded Waddle, Phillips, the 111th pick and the 90th pick (acquired from Houston) for Chris Johnson, the 87th pick (from the Eagles for Phillips), the 94th pick (from Denver for Waddle) and the 130th pick (from the 49ers).
That’s a somewhat disappointing overall haul, but the pain is mitigated by the fact that Miami wasn’t able or willing to pay Phillips the type of deal that Carolina gave him (four years, $120 million with $80 million guaranteed).
This and that
▪ Here are Miami’s remaining picks: 43, 75, 87, 94, 130, 138, 151, 177, 180, 227 and 238.
▪ The Dolphins have now selected five first-round rounders out of Alabama, the most they have plucked from any school. The five: Kadyn Proctor (12th overall on Thursday), Tua Tagovailoa, Waddle, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Don McNeal.
▪ Proctor is the third-highest drafted offensive tackle in Dolphins history, behind Jake Long (first in 2008) and Richmond Webb (ninth in 1990).
▪ Receiver J.R. Tolver (fifth round, 2003) was the only previous San Diego State player that the Dolphins drafted before selecting Johnson on Thursday
▪ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was elated that the Dolphins were willing to flip picks so that they could take Caleb Downs. “He was a prize for us sitting there with the [fifth-rounders] or without them. … We had every reason to think another team would [move up] to try and get him… We’ve changed the face of the defense” with Downs and edge player Malachi Lawrence.
This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 10:33 AM.
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.