Top NFL Draft Prospect Scheme Fits for Dolphins' Biggest Needs

The Miami Dolphins aren’t expected to spend much money in free agency next week, so it’s even more important to focus on the draft.

With that in mind, we’re discussing ideal scheme fits for Miami’s top needs. For the purposes of this article, we’re counting QB, Edge, CB, and guard as the team’s top needs.

This is not to imply that other positions aren’t an issue. Wide receiver, offensive tackle, tight end, safety, and linebacker all could use some new bodies. They're just not as dire based on what we know now.

Quarterback: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

We wrote about Nussmeier’s fit with the Dolphins already, and it’s clear that he checks a ton of boxes. With the Dolphins pivoting to Bobby Slowik at offensive coordinator, they’re expected to run a more traditional Shanahan-Style scheme.

That involves a lot of middle-of-the-field throws with anticipation and pre-snap processing. For all his faults, Nussmeier is pretty good at those things, and he’s worked some under-center stuff before.

Additionally, Nussmeier is an excellent conductor of the offense. If Slowik wants to take some inspiration from his one year with Mike McDaniel and keep some of the motions and ball-handling responsibilities in the offense, Nussmeier should be capable of handling that.

Nussmeier likely gets a lot of that from his dad being an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints, but it’s readily apparent on his tape.

Edge: Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Dolphins fans don’t seem to like Faulk much, but before you get upset, this isn’t an article about where players should get drafted — we’re simply talking about scheme fits.

Faulk is pretty much the prototype edge rusher that the Packers liked when GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and HC Jeff Hafley were there. Faulk is 6-6, 276 pounds with 34-inch arms. Hafley likes to use bigger, more powerful edge rushers, and Faulk fits that perfectly.

He would be the perfect complement to a smaller, speed rusher like Chop Robinson, and Faulk is just 20 years old. For a team looking to start its rebuild with a defensive-minded head coach, that has to be pretty appealing.

Again, it’s understandable that nobody wants to reach on Faulk. His pass-rush profile is a work in progress, but there’s no denying his potential fit in Miami’s defense.

Cornerback: Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

This is another prospect who draws the ire of Dolphins fans but is undoubtedly a good fit for the team’s defense. McCoy is coming off a knee injury that forced him to miss the 2025 season, but he’s been cleared to return already.

Still, it’s hard to deny that he’s built exactly like what Green Bay’s prototype was with the Packers. If you look at their history of drafting cornerbacks in the first two rounds, the team wants someone at least 5-11, 192 pounds with 31-inch arms.

McCoy meets most of that criteria, coming in at 6-1, 188 pounds with 31 ¼-inch arms. For reference, the other top cornerback in this class, Mansoor Delane, does not meet the arm length requirement and is one pound lighter than McCoy.

So, it’s close, but McCoy just speaks it out. On the field, McCoy’s athletic ability and man-coverage chops project pretty well to Hafley’s defense.

Guard: Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

Lastly, we’ll touch on Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State. He’s a well-built guard prospect, checking in at 6-4, 320 pounds with 32-inch arms. All of those are above average, so he should meet any physical thresholds.

The second half of the equation is play style. The Dolphins want to be aggressive but will still be a mostly outside zone team, meaning they need swift movers who also pack a punch.

Ioane fits into that mold perfectly. He can handle himself on an island and pass protection, and should be capable of making reach blocks in the running game. He’s also more than powerful enough to generate displacement.