Ranking the Dolphins' Draft Selections

It probably will be another two or three years before we know exactly how well the Miami Dolphins executed their first draft under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley, which is why we have resisted the idea of giving it a grade.

What we can do, though, is provide an assessment as to which picks — based on potential vs. draft position, positional value, risk factor — look like the most solid after the conclusion of this 2026 draft.

Before we start, Here's the recap of the Dolphins draft class:

Round 1, 12th overall — T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Round 1, 27th overall — CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Round 2, 43rd overall — LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Round 3, 75th overall — WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
Round 3, 87th overall — TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
Round 3, 94th overall — WR Chris Bell, Louisville
Round 4, 130th overall — EDGE Trey Moore, Texas
Round 4, 138th overall — LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
Round 5, 158th overall — S Michael Taaffe, Texas
Round 5, 177th overall — WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
Round 5, 180th overall — TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State
Round 6, 200th overall — G D.J. Campbell, Texas
Round 7, 238th overall — EDGE Max Llewellyn, Iowa

RANKING THE DOLPHINS DRAFT SELECTIONS

1. Round 4, 138th overall — LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh

The only reason the Dolphins were able to get Louis near the end of the fourth round was because of his lack of size, which limits exactly how he can be used in the NFL. But in a hybrid role that includes potentially some safety work, Louis' coverage ability should make him an asset for Hafley.

2. Round 3, 94th overall — WR Chris Bell, Louisville

The Dolphins were able to get Bell near the bottom of Round 3 because his November torn ACL might limit what he can contribute next season. Once he's fully back, Bell is talented enough to become a legit No. 1 wide receiver.

3. Round 1, 27th overall — CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State

Johnson looks like a rock-solid prospect with a very high floor as well as ceiling, and the only knock here is that maybe the Dolphins didn't need to trade up to get him.

4. Round 2, 43rd overall — LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech

An argument could be made that Rodriguez deserves to be higher in this ranking because he's a pretty clean prospect whose athletic testing at the combine matched his production at Texas Tech.

5. Round 1, 12th overall — T Kadyn Proctor, Alabama

This is the prospect with the highest ceiling, but then again that's how it's supposed to be considering he was picked 12th overall. His weight was too much up and down at Alabama, and at times so was his game last season. But the potential is through the roof.

6. Round 3, 87th overall — TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State

Kacmarek will bring physicality to the offense and he's got good hands, but we can't get past the idea of using a third-round pick on kind of a specialist and that's what keeps us from ranking him higher here.

7. Round 4, 130th overall — EDGE Trey Moore, Texas

The Dolphins got some versatility here with Moore, who can play the edge or a more traditional linebacker role.

8. Round 7, 238th overall — EDGE Max Llewellyn, Iowa

As a seventh-round pick, Llewellyn obviously has holes in his game (otherwise he wouldn't have been a seventh-round pick), but he's got enough pass-rushing potential to make this an interesting selection.

9. Round 5, 158th overall — S Michael Taaffe, Texas

The book on Taaffe is he's a bit limited athletically, but made up for it at Texas with great intangibles that include high football IQ and great work ethic. The question is what kind of ceiling he has in the NFL.

10. Round 5, 180th overall — TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State

A native of France who grew up in England, Traore is a bit of a project but a good athlete. It should be noted that he's part of the International Player Pathway program, which means he won't count against the 90-man roster throughout the offseason and also wouldn't count against the practice squad limit if he doesn't make the 53 and isn't claimed by another team.

11. Round 6, 200th overall — G D.J. Campbell, Texas

There's nothing that really stands out about this pick. Campbell is a bit of a limited athlete who'll have a fight on his hands to make the 53.

12. Round 5, 177th overall — WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri

Coleman was the third wide receiver selected by the Dolphins and it just felt a bit redundant at that point. He's a bit undersized and more athlete than polished receiver at this point.

13. Round 3, 75th overall — WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech

We assigned the lowest value for this pick mainly because there were other wide receiver prospects we liked better at that spot, including Chris Bell but also Ted Hurst and Elijah Sarratt, who were drafted later.

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