MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins drafted 13 players in the first NFL Draft led by first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
The Dolphins touched on needs at offensive line, cornerback and wide receiver in the first three rounds.
Later, Miami tried to hit on needs at tight end, edge, linebacker, safety.
Sullivan caught a few bad breaks, with players that would surely have been ideal picks snapped up just ahead of Miami, especially in Rounds 1 and 3.
“You can’t fall in love with players,” Sullivan said. “You’re not going to get everybody you want. And oftentimes when you maybe want one guy — and, we’re always looking at guys that we have equal value. For whatever reason maybe you go this way and he gets picked and you pivot back to this one, and then all of a sudden, it’s a blessing in disguise.”
The Dolphins entered the draft with a very thin roster and they added players who are tough, competitive and aggressive. That’s a step in the right direction, even if Sullivan knows Miami has a long way to go in roster-building.
Sullivan’s decision to pass on safety Caleb Downs and edge Rueben Bain for giant offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor will be assessed in years to come.
It’s not easy to grade a draft instantly, but we’ll offer Sullivan a ‘B’ for his efforts.
Dolphins overall draft grade for 2026: B
Sullivan wanted to add size and add players with character and positive traits and good character. It appears to be a solid overall draft, on first glance.
We can’t truly offer final grade of a draft for at least two or three years. But Sullivan, like all general managers, is hoping the volume of picks here gives Miami a real advantage toward the number of players who find success.
Here were our instant grades on the players selected in Rounds 1-5 (we chose not to grade 6th or 7th-rounders and undrafted players), based on scouting reports, need, fit and where they were projected to be selected:
Round 1: OL Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, B-
Round 2: CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State, B+
Round 2: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, B
Round 3: WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech: C+
Round 3: TE Will Kacmarek, Texas: C+
Round 3: WR Chris Bell, Louisville: B+
Round 4: LB/Edge Trey Moore, Texas: B-
Round 4: LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh: B
Round 5: S Michael Taaffe, Texas: B-
Round 5: WR Kevin Coleman, Missouri: B
Round 5: TE Seydou Traore, Mississippi State: B
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins final draft grades: Why Miami’s 13 picks make ‘B’ draft class
Reporting by Joe Schad, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
