This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 9:49 AM.<\/p>\n
At two positions — wide receiver and edge rusher — the Dolphins have gone from having one of the league\u2019s better groups (on paper) to one of the league\u2019s worst.<\/p>\n
With Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both gone, Miami almost certainly needs to draft an edge rusher with at least one of its seven picks in the first three rounds.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind that the Dolphins are shifting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 base, but coach Jeff Hafley has said the Dolphins will still use some 3-4 and give teams multiple looks.<\/p>\n
Among outside linebackers and defensive ends, Texas Tech\u2019s David Bailey assuredly will be gone by pick 11. UM\u2019s Rueben Bain might not get past the Bengals at 10, despite some teams having concerns about the length of his arms. (No edge player with arms as short as Bain\u2019s has ever been selected in the first round).<\/p>\n
The next group of edge rushers includes UM\u2019s Akheem Mesidor, Texas A&M\u2019s Cashius Howell, Auburn\u2019s Keldric Faulk, Missouri\u2019s Zion Young and Clemson\u2019s TJ Parker.<\/p>\n
But none are projected to go as high as 11. Miami could trade down a bit and likely have a choice of several of those five. Faulk or Howell or Parker or Mesidor also could be available with Miami\u2019s pick at No. 30, which was acquired from Denver in the Jaylen Waddle trade. It would be a bit of a surprise if Young is there at 30, but it\u2019s not out of the question. And some draftniks have Parker falling to Miami\u2019s range at 43.<\/p>\n
Some feedback on those five players:<\/p>\n
\u25aa Young has added value, according to ESPN\u2019s Mel Kiper Jr., because he\u2019s effective as a run-stopper, besides his pass rush skills. He had 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season. The Dolphins brought him in for a pre-draft \u201830\u2019 visit.<\/p>\n
NFL Network\u2019s Daniel Jeremiah says he\u2019s \u201ca big, powerful rusher with excellent length and competitiveness. He destroys tight ends assigned to block him. He lacks an elite get-off, but he has a knack for finishing once he gets to the top of his rush. He capped off a solid season with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl. Overall, Young isn\u2019t the most dynamic athlete, but he\u2019s a physical presence on the edge and has three-down value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Texas A&M Howell, who had 11.5 sacks last season is 6-2 1\/2, a bit shorter than the prototype for an edge rusher.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah, who ranks the 253-pound Howell 21st among all draft prospects, says he \u201clacks ideal length, but it didn\u2019t cause him problems in the games I studied. As a pass rusher, he wins in a variety of ways. Against the run, he can roll his hips and utilize leverage to set the edge. I know he lacks prototypical measurements, but a smart team will set that aside and add an energetic force off the edge.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa UM\u2019s Mesidor (12.5 sacks) helped his stock during UM\u2019s playoff run. But Kiper said he\u2019s hearing he could fall to Round 2, even though \u201cMesidor can get into the backfield quickly and finish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeremiah ranks him the 20th best player in the draft, noting \u201che never stops working his hands and refuses to stay blocked. Against the run, he has enough length and a powerful enough base to firmly set the edge against OTs and consistently annihilate TEs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Faulk is somewhat polarizing because of the limited production; he had just two sacks and five tackles for loss last season, down from 7 and 11 in 2024 for Auburn.<\/p>\n
\u201cFaulk is a tough evaluation,\u201d said Jeremiah said, who ranks him 28th among all draft prospects. \u201cHe has great size and is a smooth athlete, but I\u2019d like to see him play with a little more urgency. The upside is tremendous.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a pass rusher, he doesn\u2019t have an elite get-off but still finds ways to win with a swooping arm-over or steady pocket push. He doesn\u2019t always have a plan, which impacts his production. Overall, I was hoping he would play with more ferocity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Projections for Parker vary widely, from the 20th range to the second round. Considered by some to be a potential top 10 pick before last season, Parker saw his tackles for loss drop from 19.5 in 2024 to 9.5 last season, and his sacks plunge from 11 to 5.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a rugged pass rusher with a powerful shake\/bull move coming off the edge,\u201d said Jeremiah, who rates him No. 32 among prospects. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have an elite burst when rushing outside, but his quickness plays better when he rushes inside. Against the run, he can generate knock-back power at the point of attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other possibilities<\/p>\n
A look at some of the defensive linemen and outside linebackers who could be in play for the Dolphins with their one pick in the second round (43rd overall) or their four picks in the third round (75, 87, 90, 94):<\/p>\n
\u25aa Oklahoma edge player R Mason Thomas: He had 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss and would seemingly be in play at 43 if he\u2019s on the board. He visited team headquarters but doesn\u2019t count as a 30 visit because he attended high school at Cardinal Gibbons.<\/p>\n
The Athletic\u2019s Dane Brugler said he lacks ideal size at 6-2 and 249 pounds, but \u201chis first-step burst and violent play style\u201d are assets.<\/p>\n
Jeremiah slots him No. 39 on his big board, adding that he\u2019s \u201can instinctive and physical edge defender. He lacks ideal height\/length for the position, but he is a difference-maker. He plays with maniacal energy and effort. He was asked to drop into coverage at times and looked stiff in his change of direction. Overall, Thomas doesn\u2019t fit the prototype, but I believe he\u2019ll be a valuable NFL starter right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa UCF\u2019s Malachi Lawrence: He had seven sacks last season, but Kiper said he\u2019s a pass rush specialist and not an every-down player. Kiper said Lawrence \u201ccan fly off the edge, with really solid closing speed\u201d But Miami needs to find starting edge players, not just rush specialists.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Penn State defensive end Dani Deni-Sutton: He has 8.5 sacks each of the last two seasons, and a combined 25 tackles for loss over those two seasons.<\/p>\n
NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein said he\u2019s a \u201cbase defensive end with toughness. He\u2019s effective against the run, but he has limited pass-rushing upside\u201d and has \u201caverage upside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Ohio State defensive end Caden Curry: He blossomed last season, with 11 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss.<\/p>\n
Zierlein said \u201cthe tape doesn\u2019t quite match the production, but with only one season as a starter,\u201d Zierlein said. \u201cHis rush lacks explosiveness\u2026. Curry is athletic dropping into space and fits the mold of a stand-up edge with special-teams value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Alabama defensive end LT Overton: Zierlein said he\u2019s \u201ca slow-twitch end with impressive power and a consistently rugged demeanor.\u201d But he has only seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss in four college seasons (two at Texas A&M, two at Alabama).<\/p>\n
\u25aa LSU outside linebacker Harold Perkins Jr.: Perkins had 35.5 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and eight forced fumbles in four years of college. Zierlein said he had \u201csolid 2025 production but less in-game impact than he showed in 2022 and 2023 before his ACL tear in 2024.. Perkins is at his best when deployed in a scheme that allows him to play free and attack the line as often as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Tennessee outside linebacker Joshua Josephs: He had just 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in 48 games for the Volunteers.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a \u201clong, upright edge defender with an NBA-caliber wingspan and room to continue filling out his frame,\u201d Zierlein said. \u201cHowever, he needs to get bigger and stronger to better support the run against NFL blocking. Josephs could deliver much more consistent production than he\u2019s provided so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Michigan outside linebacker Jaishawn Barham and Derrick Moore: Zierlein compares Barham to the Dolphins\u2019 Chop Robinson, noting: \u201cBarham logged most of his snaps at off-ball linebacker, but his 2025 tape showed explosiveness that will attract teams. He projects as an impactful future starter once his technique catches up.\u201d Barham had four sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season.<\/p>\n
Zierlein says Moore, who had 10 sacks for Michigan last season, is \u201can edge pro. He projects as a starter capable of racking up pressures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Auburn edge player Keyron Crawford: He had five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss last season, his second at Auburn.<\/p>\n
Zierlein said he\u2019s \u201ca stand-up rush linebacker prospect with plus athletic traits, but he\u2019ll need more seasoning to reach his potential… Crawford has special teams and situational rush value now, but his best football is still to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Texas Tech\u2019s outside linebacker Romello Height: He had 10 sacks and 11.5 tackles in his one year in Lubbock, after playing earlier in his career at Auburn, Southern Cal and Georgia Tech, where the production was more limited.<\/p>\n
Zierlein\u2019s take: \u201cAn edge defender with a lean, angular frame, Height will need a heavy dose of weight-room work to compete at the pro level. Height needs to improve his skill level and refine his approach if he\u2019s going to make an impact as a designated pass rusher, but he has the talent to cause some chaos in the pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among others who could be in the mix on Day 2: Defensive end Ethan Burke (Texas) and Jack Pyburn (LSU) and outside linebackers Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Madame Tucker (Western Michigan), George Gumbs Jr. (UF) and Cian Slone (NC State).<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s our look<\/a> at draft-eligible cornerbacks.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 13, 2026 at 9:49 AM.<\/p>\n
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