{"id":595697,"date":"2026-04-20T14:45:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/595697\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T14:45:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:45:16","slug":"the-dolphins-first-draft-under-jon-eric-sullivan-lives-up-to-early-promises-to-build-inside-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/595697\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dolphins’ first draft under Jon-Eric Sullivan lives up to early promises to build inside-out"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve reached the week of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Miami Dolphins are facing a pivotal weekend. Who will they take? <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"3
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 7, 2026; The 2026 NFL Draft logo is displayed atop the NFL Draft countdown clock.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEthan Morrison \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The most important week of the Miami Dolphins<\/a>\u2018 offseason has, finally, arrived. The 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> is just days away and with it comes the chance for Miami to add nearly a dozen new players to their ranks. It\u2019s an exciting chapter for the Dolphins as they embark in a new direction. <\/p>\n

Who will they take? Is there any trade magic on the way? Here\u2019s our final Miami Dolphins 7-Round 2026 NFL mock draft of the cycle. <\/p>\n

Miami Dolphins 7-Round 2026 NFL mock draft delivers on promise to build inside-out<\/p>\n

\"OctOct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55).Rob Gray-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

11th overall \u2013 OL Spencer Fano, Utah Utes<\/p>\n

The Miami Dolphins need plenty of positions. But the change to add a strong scheme fit with position flexibility to their offensive line? That\u2019s a great launch point for the start of a new regime. The selection of Fano helps this team short-term to improve the guard spot and long-term to improve right tackle. He\u2019s a great insurance policy against the ongoing contract negotiation with Aaron Brewer<\/a> at center, too. The Miami Dolphins are getting a plus pass protector who, with a little extra bulk on his frame, can be a stellar bookend with Patrick Paul. <\/p>\n

\"\"Dec 7, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers defensive end T.J. Parker (3).<\/p>\n

30th overall \u2013 EDGE TJ Parker, Clemson Tigers<\/p>\n

The Miami Dolphins\u2019 pass rush group has plenty of juice and speed. It is interesting to note that the team did have veteran defensive end AJ Epenesa in on a visit to the facility this past week. He\u2019s a very different style of defensive end than Miami\u2019s other EDGEs. Parker fits a similarly different tone \u2014\u00a0he wins with power and length as a pass rusher and profiles as an effective run defender as a point of attack defender. He\u2019d be an excellent change of pace to the rest of the group. <\/p>\n

\"GeorgiaAug 31, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Donavon Greene (3) tries to make a one handed catch behind South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Brandon Cisse (15) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

43rd overall \u2013 CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina Gamecocks<\/p>\n

\u2026have you seen the Miami Dolphins\u2019 cornerback room? It\u2019s a work in progress to say the least. Adding a cornerback like Brandon Cisse would give the team a physical, feisty, combative cornerback who has the physical ability to play in both press man and in zone coverage. He plays the run with ambition, too. Cisse is young. But one has to imagine that head coach Jeff Hafley would love to work with his skill set. <\/p>\n

\"\"Nov 1, 2025; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies wide receiver Skyler Bell (1).<\/p>\n

75th overall \u2013 WR Skyler Bell, Connecticut Huskies<\/p>\n

Amid the rise of Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst into a new stratosphere of projections for the this year\u2019s draft, Bell has become my preferred wide receiver option at No. 75 overall. Bell is a plus athlete and would give the Miami Dolphins a firm shot in the arm in the way of twitchiness and run after catch in their wide receiver room. <\/p>\n

\"USCUSC safety Kamari Ramsey247Sports<\/p>\n

87th overall \u2013 SAF Kamari Ramsey, USC Trojans<\/p>\n

The Dolphins need a fresh infusion of talent into their safety room. Head coach Jeff Hafley expressed his preference to call a game through his safety room. Ramsey has played various different roles for the Trojans secondary over the past few seasons, including this year playing more in the slot. He\u2019s better when he\u2019s free to move around on the back end \u2014 and the Dolphins have no one standing in his way from doing that. <\/p>\n

\"NovNov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils running back Anderson Castle (4) celebrates a touchdown with offensive lineman Brian Parker II (53) during the second half against North Carolina at Kenan Stadium.William Howard-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

90th overall \u2013 OL Brian Parker II, Duke Blue Devils<\/p>\n

The Dolphins\u2019 offensive line already got one investment in the way of Spencer Fano earlier in this mock but the Dolphins\u2019 need a group of No. 1 through No. 8 to feel good about. Fano, Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer, Jonah Savaiinaea, Austin Jackson, Jamaree Salyer, and Parker would be a start. Parker II is a college tackle who projects as an interior player in the pros. <\/p>\n

\"SepSep 6, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Army Black Knights wide receiver Samari Howard (27) is tackled by Kansas State Wildcats safety VJ Payne (7) during the third quarter at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium.Scott Sewell-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

94th overall \u2013 SAF VJ Payne, Kansas State Wildcats<\/p>\n

If Jeff Hafley\u2019s going to run his defense through his safeties, a double-dip probably isn\u2019t a bad idea. Payne is a big safety with some intriguing versatility. He\u2019s got coverage upside, the size and length to play and match against tight ends, and the aggressiveness to play the run as an impactful defender. Between Payne, Ramsey, the new veterans in the room this offseason, and second-year safety Dante Trader Jr? We\u2019ve got some good competition at safety. <\/p>\n

\"\"Oct 25, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack tight end Justin Joly (7). Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

130th overall \u2013 TE Justin Joly, North Carolina State Wolfpack<\/p>\n

The Miami Dolphins have reportedly shown interest in Joly in the pre-draft process. He\u2019s an athletic flex tight end who has great ball skills. Miami has a pass catcher in Greg Dulcich at tight end already, but this is a position room that\u2019s growing more legs across the league amid the rat race to play big and stress defensive personnel. <\/p>\n

\"\"Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver CJ Daniels (7).Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

151st overall \u2013 WR CJ Daniels, Miami Hurricanes<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s wide receiver room overhaul took a backseat to double-dips at safety and offensive line in this mock. But a chance to get hands on CJ Daniels on Day 3 makes plenty of sense to offer some upside. Daniels, of course, played college ball with Malik Willis at Liberty back in the day. <\/p>\n

\"NovNov 30, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6).Chris Jones-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

227th overall \u2013 QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas Jayhawks<\/p>\n

Daniels has been my preferred draft target for Miami ever since the signing of Malik Willis was finalized. He\u2019d be a logical skill-adjacent quarterback to have in the room behind Willis in 2026 as Miami\u2019s prized free agent tries to establish himself as a long-term starter. <\/p>\n

\"\"Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg (99).<\/p>\n

238th overall \u2013 IDL Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets<\/p>\n

\u2026have you seen the Pro Day numbers on van den Berg<\/a>? At 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, he ran sub 5.0s in the 40 yard dash, logged 35 reps on the bench press, posted a 4.19s short shuttle, 9\u201911\u201d in the standing broad jump, and 36\u2033 in the vertical. That\u2019s the kind of athletic profile you bet on late in the draft. <\/p>\n

Mocked Undrafted Free Agents: <\/p>\n

SMU WR Jordan Hudson<\/p>\n

Oregon OL Alex Harkey<\/p>\n

Michigan FB Max Bredeson<\/p>\n

USC TE Lake McRee<\/p>\n

Kentucky OG Joshua Braun<\/p>\n

Stanford CB Collin Wright<\/p>\n

Clemson LB Wade Woodaz<\/p>\n

Oklahoma EDGE Marvin Jones Jr.<\/p>\n

Iowa K Drew Stevens<\/p>\n

Syracuse P Jack Stonehouse<\/p>\n

These projected UDFAs were leftovers from the player pool for the A to Z Sports NFL mock draft simulator. If you think you can do better, prove it! <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\"A\t\t<\/p>\n

Miami Dolphins News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019ve reached the week of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Miami Dolphins are facing a pivotal weekend. Who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595698,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[68019,20199,254239,1322,228596,174575,349,99],"class_list":["post-595697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-dolphins","tag-dolphins-news","tag-miami-dolphins","tag-miami-dolphins-news","tag-mock-draft","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595698"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}