7 Combine Questions That Will Shape Dolphins Draft Board

The 2026 NFL Combine is under way, and the Miami Dolphins have many questions to answer.

The team has massive holes at a bunch of positions, a new football leadership group, and five top-100 picks. With that in mind, we’re covering the seven questions that will likely shape the Dolphins’ draft board.

1. Which Edge Rushers Meet Dolphins’ Size Thresholds?

We sort of got the answer to this question Thursday when the edge rushers worked out, but it’s still worth paying attention to.

While Jon-Eric Sullivan was with the Green Bay Packers, the team tended to draft bigger, longer, and thicker edge rushers. This is also consistent with the types of players brought in when Jeff Hafley was the defensive coordinator.

Edge is one of the Dolphins’ biggest needs, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take multiple of them, including one in the first or second round.

One big name who won’t meet the team’s thresholds is Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. He’s talented enough to merit consideration, but he’s a gigantic outlier.

Here are some names that officially met the team’s size thresholds: Keldric Faulk (Auburn), T.J. Parker (Clemson), Zion Young (Missouri), Malachi Lawrence (Central Florida), and Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State).

2. How Athletic Are the Interior Offensive Linemen?

The Dolphins have spent a lot of time talking about becoming a tougher team, and the team has a significant need at the guard position after cutting James Daniels.

They can become tougher up front and fill a need by spending a top-50 pick on one of the guards at the combine. However, the team will likely want a player with at least adequate movement skills.

Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik likely will run a version of the Shanahan offense this season, which means investing in guards with some quickness will still be important for Miami.

The drill to pay attention to when the offensive linemen test is the 10-yard split. Any guards who test well there and also show power on tape should be toward the top of Miami’s board.

3. Can the Big Receivers Separate?

We wrote about Sullivan saying the team wants to invest in bigger receivers earlier this week, but it’s important to draft bigger receivers who can separate.

The last thing anyone wants is for the Dolphins’ receiver room to look like it did before the team invested in players like Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill — the goal should be balance.

The 40-yard dash will get all of the TV time, but try to keep an eye on which players participate in the three-cone and shuttle drills. The on-field drills could also answer how well some of the bigger receivers will change directions and separate.

4. How Deep Are the Cornerback and Safety Groups?

Cornerback and safety are two more gigantic needs for the Dolphins. Rasul Douglas and Jack Jones are free agents, while Minkah Fitzpatrick is on the trade block. If none of them return this season, that’s three starters the team has to replace.

The combine is an excellent place to see just how many of these players meet size thresholds and which ones move well in open space. Pay attention to the on-field drills and how players flip their hips and change directions.

The Dolphins will have to attack the secondary throughout the draft, given their many needs. Figuring out if the team can wait a bit on safety or cornerback could go a long way to how Miami attacks its five top-100 picks.

5. Do We Get a Medical Report on Jermod McCoy?

Speaking of cornerbacks, one name Dolphins’ fans should pay attention to is Jermod McCoy. He won’t test this week, but that was never the most important thing for him.

McCoy isn’t testing because he didn’t feel like he had enough time to train after recovering from his ACL injury suffered in January 2025. The real question was whether his long-term medical outlook would check out.

He can still test at Tennessee’s Pro Day, and a lot of top prospects opt out of drills these days, so his missing the combine itself isn’t the biggest deal. What matters is what the doctors say about his recovery.

If he gets good reviews (that’s expected) and tears up his pro day, you’ll continue to see him mocked to Miami.

6. What is the “Price” of the QBs?

This is a question the team should answer without looking at a single thing that happens on the field in Indianapolis. The combine is largely an information-gathering event, and the Dolphins are among many teams in the QB market.

That market is rich with demand but low on supply. Getting a good sense of how high other teams are on the perspective QB class, what free agents will cost, and how expensive QB trades are will allow them to navigate this market effectively.

The Dolphins likely won’t find their next franchise passer this offseason, but Sullivan said the team plans on drafting a quarterback, and there are “solid” options available on the trade market.

Finding out the correct price point for all of their options is really the only chance Miami has at hitting a surprise home run at QB this offseason.

7. Do Any of Miami’s “Smaller” Needs Separate Themselves?

We put edge, cornerback, safety, offensive line, and wide receiver at the top of this list because those are likely the team’s biggest needs. And four of those positions are considered premium spots.

However, Miami has “smaller” needs that could be addressed if a specific prospect stands out. Spots like tight end, linebacker, and interior defensive line could use some upgrades.

Miami’s top contributors at tight end (Darren Waller, Greg Dulcich, and Julian Hill) are free agents, Tyrel Dodson is a replacement-level player, and Miami doesn’t have any good one-gapping defensive tackles.

The Dolphins have bigger problems, and some of these could be addressed in free agency, but seeing how deep these position groups look could change how they stack their board.