\u201cThey can play,\u201d Sullivan said of the 2026 draft class. \u201cDon\u2019t ever mistake that. We\u2019re not going to bring guys in here that we don\u2019t think can play on the field, but then when you talk about the wiring of the individuals, we feel like we accomplished what we set out to accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three names that immediately yielded questions were Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas. While each has the opportunity to prove himself in Miami, it would be a lie to say they were popular picks.<\/p>\n
Although Proctor checks the size and toughness<\/a> boxes, the Dolphins had a chance to select two of the draft\u2019s top prospects in Ohio State safety Caleb Downs or Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr. before trading the No. 11 pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for No. 12. Proctor, conversely, was pegged as a late first-rounder due to concerns about his weight and inconsistent technique despite his apparent strength and athleticism.<\/p>\n Sullivan, however, banked on Proctor\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n \u201cI could feel his conviction and his desire to be a good football player and do the things that he needs to do to be the best pro that he can be,\u201d Sullivan said of when Proctor came to South Florida for a 30 visit. He simply chalked up the weight issue to the ignorance of youth. \u201cAll I can tell you is that there wasn\u2019t another one in the draft like him, period.\u201d<\/p>\n The second-round selection of Rodriguez does. He was undoubtedly the best linebacker in college football last season, walking away with the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Lombardi Award and Butkus Awards in addition to being named a first-team unanimous All-American and Big-12 Defensive Player of the Year. His cultural fit \u2014 \u201coutgoing, a leader, sets the example,\u201d per Sullivan\u2014 has no doubt.<\/p>\n Still, edge rushers such as Mizzou\u2019s Zion Young and Michigan\u2019s Derrick Moore were still available in the second round, both of whom would\u2019ve filled positional needs. Linebacker wasn\u2019t necessarily a huge hole considering the presence of two returning starters in the All-Pro Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson. Sullivan, however, noted that the physicality of the game can shake a roster at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can have an embarrassment of riches in a room and then you got a hamstring and an ankle, and now you\u2019re going to your emergency board,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cWe took the players that we felt like were the best for the Miami Dolphins. That\u2019s no shot at anybody that didn\u2019t end up here. I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll go on to have wonderful careers and we wish him nothing but the best. But we\u2019re very happy with who we took and who we wound up with.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Douglas. Taken in the third round, the 6-4 receiver has a huge 79-inch wingspan that he pairs with 4.39 speed. He, however, was believed to be a Day 3 pick due to drops and perceived inability to play through physicality. The availability of players such as LSU safety A.J. Haulcy and Tennessee receiver Chris Brazzell II, both of whom were ranked higher by several evaluators.<\/p>\n Miami seemingly redeemed itself nine picks later with Chris Bell. Prior to tearing his ACL in November 2025, the Louisville wideout was considered one of the better receivers due to his unique blend of size and speed. Sullivan hopes Douglas and Bell can form a competitive bond that pushes both wideouts to be great.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a mutual respect and bond that happens with young players as they go through the rigors of the NFL, especially within their first year and they do it together,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cIt\u2019s a brotherhood. You hear players all the time talk about family, brotherhood. I would foresee that developing between those two. They\u2019re both good kids, and they\u2019re both competitors, but I think they\u2019ll have a mutual respect for each other and appreciation for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n The vision for other players remains a bit clearer.<\/p>\n San Diego State\u2019s Chris Johnson, taken 27th overall, has the size and coverage chops to potential start at cornerback from day one. Will Kacmarek, a third-round pick out of Ohio State, can immediately contribute as a blocking tight end, a huge asset in the run game.<\/p>\n Two of Miami\u2019s fourth-round picks in Texas\u2019 Trey Moore and Pitt\u2019s Kyle Louis both have a bit of scheme flexibility. Moore could potentially line up on the edge or at inside linebacker alongside Louis, whose man-coverage ability flashed at the Senior Bowl to the point that some packages could see him at safety.<\/p>\n In the fifth round, the Dolphins drafted its first true safety in Texas\u2019 Michael Taaffe, a former walk-on who ended his collegiate career as both a two-time captain and All-American. Similar to Rodriguez, he possesses rare intangibles despite his lack of size. Mizzou wideout Kevin Coleman Jr., a fifth-round pick, brings versatility as a slot receiver but also a return specialist.<\/p>\n The final three players taken \u2014 Mississippi State tight end Seydou Traore, Texas guard DJ Campbell and Iowa edge Max Llewelyn \u2013 in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds, respectively, all bring size to their position groups.<\/p>\n Regardless of what even the most respected evaluator\u2019s perception of a player is, anything could happen. Proctor could grow into the Dolphins\u2019 tackle of the future. Rodriguez might follow in the footsteps of fellow Red Raiders that dominated in South Florida. Douglas and Bell could even be the next Marks Brothers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Miami\u2019s mantra has been clear since the Dolphins\u2019 roster reset began earlier this offseason. Everyone will get a shot to start. If these players are who the Dolphins\u2019 top brass expected them to be, it will show.<\/p>\n
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