Here\u2019s what eight analysts<\/a> said about Chris Johnson.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 11:37 PM.<\/p>\n
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said about his selection of offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 and cornerback Chris Johnson at 27:<\/p>\n
\u25aa He said Proctor was \u201cour guy\u201d all along and someone that Miami would have drafted ahead of safety Caleb Downs, whom the Dolphins could have drafted if they hadn\u2019t traded the 11th pick to Dallas. (Miami received two Cowboys fifth-round picks in exchange for moving down one spot.)<\/p>\n
He said Proctor can play tackle or guard but will allow the coaches to decide that: \u201cHe has the unique ability to play all four spots at a really high level… We\u2019ll get the best five out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sullivan said Proctor\u2019s \u201cability to move large men coming off the ball in the run game speaks for itself. Every Saturday, he played good ball. Go watch the tape. I\u2019ll watch tape with any of you. There wasn\u2019t another one in the draft like him. Period. He\u2019s unique. He\u2019s rare. The athletic traits for a man his size are through the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n
He made clear the Dolphins couldn\u2019t have traded down from 12 and picked him later.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know one team in particular was trying to come up to our spot to get him,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cThere was another that was calling, and I have a pretty good sense that they were to. The things we value are the size, athleticism, ability to play bully ball. You can\u2019t play through him. He\u2019s hard to play around. He can play four spots. He\u2019s versatile. We felt he\u2019s a unique, rare guy. There\u2019s not another one in the draft like him, period.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Downs and UM edge player Rueben Bain, both of whom the Dolphins bypassed when they traded the 11th pick, \u201care marvelous players. Those guys will be very successful. We thought Proctor was rare – his height, weight, speed, production, the things he can do on the field for a man his size, he\u2019s an outlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not many like him. That\u2019s no shot at Caleb Downs, a phenomenal player; he will have a great career. We would have loved to have him here. But we had a lot of conviction on Proctor being a unique player and one we can build around for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the Dolphins \u201cwant to keep Malik [Willis] healthy\u201d and \u201cthat was part of the conversation as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there are \u201cno apologies\u201d about the pick and being able to get two fifth round picks – along with Proctor – was \u201cfree money… We are thrilled with the pick. We have a lot of faith in the person.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said \u201cour coaches loved him, our scouts loved him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sullivan was impressed by Proctor\u2019s answers during his 30 visit to team headquarters: \u201cIt was a real honest direct conversation with substance. We asked him to walk us through the time at Alabama, the lessons he learned, the weight. He talked about his growth and the things he learned. We have resources at \u2018Bama who have been with him recently and we have really good relationships there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the feedback from Alabama was that he\u2019s \u201ccompetitive, prideful, never wants to be embarrassed, leads the conditioning runs. I don\u2019t need to name the coach by name but there was a coach there at one point who was militant about weights and he didn\u2019t worry about Proctor\u2019s weight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa He said Proctor\u2019s past weight issues shouldn\u2019t be held against him: \u201cYoung people make mistakes. They have bumps in the road. You can\u2019t bury them because they stubbed their toe along the way. A guy who battled his weight a little bit and played reallyt good football.. You\u2019ve got to give a guy their due… We did our due diligence [on his weight]. We feel really good about where he is with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Proctor \u201cis a naturally large human being, but he\u2019s not a fat guy. You will see that pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On cornerback Chris Johnson, the pick at 27 after a trade up from 30:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the versatility and upside\u201d that motivated Miami to trade up: \u201cHe can play nickel or he\u2019ll play corner. Depending on how this thing goes, he can play safety because of the ball skills and the instincts. I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll end up doing that. He\u2019ll play corner, play nickel. We had a lot of conviction on him….<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got great feet. Great body control. He\u2019s a big corner. He\u2019ll tackle. He\u2019s physical. And he\u2019s got upside. He\u2019s about the right stuff, the kind of guy we want to infuse in his locker room, as is Proctor. They both have edge to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he liked the tape at San Diego State, and he felt ever more strongly after watching him at the Combine: \u201cYou are always looking for traits. You watched him play in the fall, and he had the feet, the balance, he\u2019s instinctive, the ball skills, but then you\u2019re like, I want to see how he measures up with those corners in the SEC. [At the Combine]. he ran real fast, jumped high and it helps you come to a conclusion; this guy is exactly what you think he is.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only is the film really good and the upside really good, but all the traits you want in the world for a guy who has to cover players at this level, he\u2019s got them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got recovery speed, short area quickness. It shows itself on tape and he validated it at the Combine, which gives you peace of mind… His care factor is high. He was a team captain there. The intangibles along with the athletic traits and the fact he\u2019s a good football player leads to the conviction. It\u2019s important we add the right kind of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On potentially improving the trenches with Proctor: \u201cYou follow the board. You always, the way I was taught, you want to build it from the inside out. But you are not going to reach on guys. You\u2019ve got to follow the boards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Overall, he said, \u201cI think the Dolphins got better today.\u201d He said \u201cI take responsibility for every player we pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa He said a team\u2019s needs \u201ccome into play\u201d on day 2 if two players are similarly graded. \u201cThere comes a point where you\u2019re trying to fill holes, but you\u2019re not going to not follow the value of board.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what nine analysts said<\/a> about Proctor, including some interesting comments from Saban.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what eight analysts<\/a> said about Chris Johnson.<\/p>\n This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 11:37 PM.<\/p>\n
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