Imagining an Alternate 2026 Dolphins Draft

What could the Miami draft have looked like had they gone in a different direction with their 13 picks

Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. on the SiriusXM NFL Radio set during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins ended up with a league-high 13 selections in the 2026 NFL draft, picking three wide receivers, three linebackers, two offensive linemen, two tight ends, and one cornerback, one safety and one edge defender.

Because of the nature of the draft and the NFL, it'll be at least a couple of years, if not three, before we'll know whether the Dolphins picked the right players or whether they should have gone with a different prospect at each spot.

With that in mind, we decided to break down every pick and see who else could have made sense for Miami, you know, something to look back on to see if the Dolphins maximized their selections. The hope is that the Dolphins made the right choice more often — way more often, actually — than not.

EXAMINING THE OTHER OPTIONS FOR EACH DOLPHINS PICK

Round 1, 12th overall

The pick: T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama (after trading down from 11)

Other options: S Caleb Downs (staying put at 11), DE Reuben Bain Jr., G Olaivavega Ioane

Analysis: There are a lot of Dolphins fans who wanted the team to take local hero Bain, though the arm length issue was a factor (and the reason he went 15th). Ioane was viewed as one of the cleanest prospects in the draft and positional value was the only reason he lasted until 14. If the Dolphins end up using Proctor at guard for his career, it says here that Ioane should have been the pick. But from this vantage point, the best move might have been to stay put and just take Downs as a foundational piece on defense.

Round 1, 27th overall

The pick: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State (after trading up from 27)

Other options: WR Omar Cooper Jr., EDGE Keldric Faulk, EDGE T.J. Parker

Analysis: Absolutely zero issue with this pick because we think he'll become a high-end starter, but we'll be keeping an eye on the two edge defenders because that position is equally important. Cooper would have been a luxury at this spot in the draft.

Round 2, 43rd overall

The pick: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

Other options: EDGE Zion Young, DT Lee Hunter, CB Aveion Terrell

Analysis: An argument could be made that Young would have represented better positional value, but Rodriguez was a cleaner prospect with high character marks (whereas Young had a DWI arrest in December). Had the Dolphins gone with another pick at 27, then Terrell would have made sense here too.

Round 3, 77th overall

The pick: WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

Other options: QB Drew Allar, S A.J. Haulcy, WR Ted Hurst

Analysis: This is the one pick that most draft experts questioned, and we'd agree even based solely on other wide receivers available. Allar would not have been our choice here, but getting Haulcy at this spot seems like that should have been the play.

Round 3, 87th overall

The pick: TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State

Other options: G Emmanuel Pregnon, EDGE Jaishawn Barham, S Jakobe Thomas

Analysis: In terms of value, Barham would have been the play here, particularly since the Dolphins hadn't drafted an edge defender to that point. Thomas also is a very good safety prospect. Pregnon is a mauler. Maybe the best choice here would have been Thomas.

Round 3, 94th overall

The pick: WR Chris Bell, Louisville

Other options: TE Eli Raridon, G Gennings Dunker, CB Julian Neal

Analysis: Nailed that pick from this vantage point. Nothing to overthink.

Round 4, 130th overall

The pick: LB Trey Moore, Texas

Other options: S Genesis Smith, WR Bryce Lance, LB Kyle Louis

Analysis: Louis would have been a better at 130, but the Dolphins managed to get him anyway at 138 ... so no harm, no foul. From a need standpoint, Smith might have been the play here.

Round 4, 138th overall

The pick: LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

Other options: S Kamari Ramsey, OL Sam Hecht, TE Justin Joly

Analysis: Since we've called this our favorite pick of the draft for the Dolphins, we clearly wouldn't change anything.

Round 5, 158th overall

The pick: S Michael Taaffe, Texas

Other options: FB Max Bredeson, CB Chandler Rivers, CB Charles Demmings

Analysis: Bredeson might have been an option here had the Dolphins not drafted Kacmarek in the third round, and an argument could be made for either of the two cornerbacks. From this end, Rivers would have been the pick.

Round 5, 177th overall

The pick: WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri

Other options: QB Cole Payton, QB Taylen Green, G Anez Cooper

Analysis: As we've mentioned before, the selection of Coleman felt like a little bit of overkill at wide receiver, and this is where taking a shot at the uber-athletic but very raw Green might have made sense. Or the Dolphins could have pleased the fan base to some extent by taking Cooper from the University of Miami.

Round 5, 180th overall

The pick: TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State

Other options: QB Taylen Green, G Anez Cooper, T Dametrious Crownover

Analysis: Same as the previous pick. This is where we would have drafted Green. The Dolphins had more than enough selections in this draft to swing big in the final rounds.

Round 6, 200th overall

The pick: G DJ Campbell, Texas

Other options: G Logan Taylor, DT Uar Bernard, LB Harold Perkins Jr.

Analysis: In keeping with the theme of taking shots in the later rounds with this high a number of picks, we offer Bernard, the Nigerian who has never played organized football but whose workout at the IPP Pro Day in March drew headlines because of how insane he moved and jumped for someone his size. Perkins, meanwhile, looked like a first-round prospect when he first got to LSU before a knee injury sidetracked his college career, but he started to look a bit like his old self in the 2025. We threw in Taylor because he played at Boston College. But we would have liked Bernard or Perkins here.

Round 7, 238th overall

The pick: EDGE Max Llewellyn, Iowa

Other options: DT Uar Bernard, QB Garrett Nussmeier, WR Deion Burks

Analysis: Llewellyn might be a long shot to make the 53-man roster, so why not take a flyer on Bernard here? Nussmeier and Burks would have represented value picks, considering both were expected to be drafted much earlier.