Five Position Battles That Got More Interesting After the Draft

Jon-Eric Sullivan has been preaching about competition time and time again since taking over as Miami Dolphins head coach, and that's exactly what he managed to add through the 2026 NFL draft.

The hope is that all 13 of the team's league-most selections will bring competition at their position, with some in line to actually make a push for key roles early, if not downright winning starting roles.

As one would expect, the draft selections most likely to have big roles as rookies were those taken the soonest, with first-round picks Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson both expected to start in 2026 barring unforeseen (and disappointing circumstances).

But some of the draft picks also figure on what should be some of the best competitions of the summer.

WIDE RECEIVER

This position still looks like a free-for-all, even after the Dolphins brought in several new pieces with third-round selections Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell along with fifth-round pick Kevin Coleman Jr.

They'll join newcomers Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, along with holdover Malik Washington, in the battle for playing time as well as starting assignment.

Because of his November knee injury, Bell is the only one of the five who doesn't appear to have much of a chance to earn a starting job, but any one of the other five could get the nod with a strong showing this summer because of the lack of clear-cut favorites.

CORNERBACK

What the addition of Johnson did was narrow the scope of the training camp battles to one outside spot because he more than likely will be a Day 1 starter.

The Dolphins also will have to decide on a nickel back, which almost is a starting position in itself given how often teams open in a nickel (5-DB alignment), though head coach Jeff Hafley has said that fourth-round linebacker Kyle Louis also could get snaps in that role.

As with wide receiver, this should be a wide open battle for the spot opposite Johnson with the list of contenders ranging from returning players Storm Duck and JuJu Brents along with newcomers Darrell Baker Jr., Alex Austin and Marco Wilson.

SAFETY

The addition of Michael Taaffe as a fifth-round pick added another contender to what admittedly might be the weakest position group on the team.

Heading into the draft, former second-round pick Lonnie Johnson Jr. and 2025 fifth-round pick Dante Trader Jr. looked like the probable starters, though neither one is proven enough to dismiss Taaffe as a possibility here.

Don't also dismiss the idea of the Dolphins adding a veteran at this position before the start of camp.

TIGHT END

The Dolphins brought back Greg Dulcich as a free agent after he showed promise last season, but he will face competition now from third-round pick Will Kacmarek, though they're different style players who might complement each other rather than battle each other for the starting job and for snaps.

It says here we should expect the Dolphins to open with two tight ends on offense from time to time in 2026, if not on a regular basis, because Jeff Hafley has said he wants a physical team and that's the area where Kacmarek is expected to contribute the most.

At this time, there really isn't another tight end on the roster who looks like a legiimate contender for a starting job.

RIGHT GUARD

This one is a secondary product of the draft, and that's the addition of Kadyn Proctor in the first round with the declaration from Sullivan that he'll start off at left guard.

Along with that, Jonah Savaiinaea will be switching to the right side after a tough rookie season and that should create a competition for the starting job between him and veteran free agent newcomer Jamaree Salyer.

Remember that Sullivan said that Proctor would "start off" at guard, we also have to consider what would happen if the Dolphins decided to go ahead and use Proctor at right tackle instead, in which case it likely would throw veteran Austin Jackson into the mix for one of the two starting guard jobs.

The likelihood, though, is Proctor will be the left guard and Savaiinaea and Salyer will do battle at right guard.

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