The Biggest Winners And Losers From the Dolphins' 2026 Draft

Which returning players benefited the most from the 13 selections and which stand to lose the most?

Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers drops back to pass against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins made an NFL-high 13 selections during the 2026 draft with the hope of bolstering their roster, but those picks also will have repercussions for some players already on the team.

The impact will be positive for some, and for some others not so much.

Here then is a look at the biggest winners and losers of the 2026 Dolphins draft among returning players:

THE DOLPHINS DRAFT WINNERS AND LOSERS

WINNER — QB QUINN EWERS

The 2025 seventh-round pick came into the draft as the likely backup to free agent newcomer Malik Willis, and that's exactly how he left it. And this was not a given considering GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's comment about drafting a quarterback every year or every other year.

LOSER — WR TAHJ WASHINGTON

The 2024 seventh-round pick had a rough first two seasons in the NFL, spending all of his rookie year on IR and then coughing up a fumble in prime time in 2025 in one of his rare opportunities. Washington, who did show flashes in training camp last year, had to watch the Dolphins draft three wide receivers, which isn't going to help his chances of making the 53-man roster, particularly after they already had signed UFAs Tutu Atwell and Jordan Tolbert.

WINNER — S DANTE TRADER JR.

Trader showed some promise as a rookie fifth-round pick in 2025 and, after the Dolphins neglected the safety position until the fifth round again this year, finds himself in the position where he has to be viewed as a strong contender for a starting job next season.

LOSER — TE BEN SIMS

Sims is among the large number of free agents the Dolphins signed this offseason and the idea was that he would replace Julian Hill as the blocking tight end. Enter third-round pick Will Kacmarek, viewed almost universally as the blocking tight end in the draft. And now the question isn't what kind role Sims will have on offense, but simply whether he'll end up making the 53-man roster.

WINNER — QB MALIK WILLIS

We figured all along the Dolphins weren't going to draft a quarterback for the sake of doing it after making a commitment to him in free agency, but they also made it a point to provide help with significant help with premium picks. The Dolphins got another piece for the offensive line with Kadyn Proctor, more blocking help with Kacmarek and the three wide receivers — Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. — to boost what previously was a pretty underwhelming group.

LOSER — LB WILLIE GAY JR.

The usage of Gay was a big storyline last year after he shined in training camp but then barely got on the field on defense, and it looked like that might change after he re-signed as a free agent. But then the Dolphins drafted Jacob Rodriguez in the second round and Kyle Louis in the fourth, and now we're back to wondering exactly where Gay fits in and what kind of role he might end up having.

WINNER — RB DE'VON ACHANE

When we mentioned the additions of Proctor and Kacmarek, we clearly needed to add Achane to those who will benefit from their presence because the run blocking figures to be improved with those two around.

LOSER — WR THEO WEASE JR.

After arriving as an undrafted free agent last year, Wease showed some promise down the stretch and his size gave him something that could help him land a roster spot in 2026. But the arrival of the 6-foot-4 Douglas and the 6-2 Bell certainly didn't help.