The NFL Draft has always been an exciting event, and this year will be no different. It’s amazing to me that we were excited about it all through the Chris Grier years when every year all we got was disappointment. Part of that issue was Chris Grier, and the other part of the equation was the Head Coaches chosen by Chris Grier. This year I think it will be different as we have to two men mostly in lockstep in regards to what they want to do with this team, and the image they want to create here in Miami. After years of frustration, disappointment and agony of poor draft choices, countless trade-ups for the wrong players, I believe the 2 gentlemen pictured above are going to bring us a very successful draft haul in 2026, and beyond.
One thing I feel quite certain about is we won’t be squandering any picks, and I still believe it’s possible that we have another trade of a player on the roster now for either picks in this coming 2026 NFL Draft, or for a 2027 NFL Draft pick or two. Yes, they have said Achane is off the market, but as soon as someone offers the right price, likely a late 1st RD or early 2nd RD pick in this draft, or a 1st RD in 2027, Achane is as good as gone. I also believe ILB Jordyn Brooks may go to Dallas, especially if the Cowboys are targeting a LB that they can’t get in RD 1, and that would likely end up being a 2nd RD pick, which I’d gladly welcome. I know there was talk about having too many draft picks is a bad thing, but it’s certainly won’t be if you choose the right players. A good deal of players drafted within rounds 1-3 will be starting somewhere in the NFL. Keep in mind if the GM and HC are on the same page, and I believe that to be the case here in Miami, HC Jeff Hafley will already have an idea how they plan to use that player and how to get that player where he needs to be in order to be ready to help the team immediately. That’s the thing, we’re not only building the roster, but many of the players drafted will be counted on to play NOW!
When building a team, you don’t look to a WR or a RB, sorry! I don’t care how much you think we need a WR, we’re not taking one at #11, and probably not at #30 either. I’ll say this, I wouldn’t be angry at #30, but I will flip if they choose a WR at #11. Is there a possibility we trade back? That would require a team to really want a player at our spot, and an agreement on either a player or draft capital to switch spots. I think that’s possible, but what I truly don’t see is us moving up and trading away picks to do so. Now I wouldn’t object to trading up using a player, such as the previously mentioned ILB Jordyn Brooks or RB De’Von Achane, but I wouldn’t bet us using precious draft capital to move up. I could also see trading back to acquire future draft picks, especially 2027 NFL Draft picks considering the QB talent available in 2027.
I’m always excited about the NFL Draft, I was commiserating with my coworker who is a Jets fan. It’s amazing that both of us love the draft so much even though when all it’s done is bring us misery. It makes me completely understand and empathize with Charlie Brown as he goes to kick that football each and every time knowing Lucy is going to snatch it away at the very last second and end up on his backside. We’ve been doing it forever, it’s annual rite of passage or punishment as it turns out. I really do feel differently this year, I am so confident we’re going to do things right that if Sully and Haf screw this up, instead of just falling on my backside I might get a C-c-c-c-con-cussion. I think we’re going to be just fine though, fixing the O-line, finding a pass rusher or two, a CB that can start immediately, maybe a S to pair with S Dante Trader, and if we do trade Jordyn Brooks, an ILB that will potentially be a here for the next 5-10 years like Sonny Styles.
GO SULLY! GO HAF! GO DOLPHINS!!!
Finsmob Unleashed 
Piggy – Can you photoshop the names on the top of the screen and on the desk plaques that say Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel please? Didn’t notice it when the image was small. LOL
First
Dammit, MikeE you can’t be 1st. That’s illegal!
😂
I agree on the possibility of trading Brooks but the only problem is Dallas doesn’t have a 2026 2nd round pick.
Then they could give us their 2027 1st, that’s about the same value
I agree
Thanks for the new blog, Mike, and I totally agree about RB or WR in the first round. In my opinion, there are no elite WRs worthy of the top 20. Tate and Lemon are good, but not top 20 good. Tyson may have the best physical talent, but I wouldn’t touch him on Day 1 or Day 2 with that injury history. I will immediately question our GM if Tyson is picked in the first round. All I see is Yatil Green when I see Tyson. NO THANK YOU!!!
LOL – I hear ya Rich! Concepcion and Brazzell I think can be exciting players, but I think Brazzell can be had in the 2nd, not so sure about Concepcion though
IF Sonny Styles should make it to #7 and for some reason N.O. chooses to trade with us vs. drafting Styles, I would make that trade in a second. I would even throw in a mid-round pick if necessary. Styles is the kind of young player you build your defense around. Caleb Downs too, if he falls to #11.
BBMike – I only went first to ask Piggy if he could help with the pic. I hate that Grier and McDaniel’s names are on there, I really do!
MikeE, I think it was Rock who came up with a trade scenario where the Dolphins trade 11, 30 and Brooks for 12, 20 and 92.
I can’t remember the exact result, but I tried it on draftbuzz and it wouldn’t accept the trade. I had to take less in return.
Nope! Not me. Maybe MF13?
I think the first CB off the board will be at pick #9 to the Chiefs. Have to keep in mind they traded CB McDuffie to the Rams.
Of course, the Chiefs could draft a CB at #29 they got from the Rams. They also just signed free agent CB Kaiir Elam. Who knows
I don’t have photoshop anymore Mike
I haven’t heard anyone mention Spencer Fano at all
what do you guys think of Fano
I’ve read that he’s ideal for a zone blocking scheme
that he moves well
that he has short arms and projects to be OG
a lot of those things are pretty good for us
if Mauigoa is off the board as well as those other defensive players mentioned before
is he the BPA for us?
I hear teams who have met with have worked him out all over the OL to include Center.
I took Fano in a couple of mock drafts and some guys on here lambasted me for it. LOL At least for when I took him in the 1st.
It wasn’t me. I think he is a talented OL.
Fano is very versatile, which Sully and Hafley really like. He is projected to maybe move inside to the guard position while also helping at tackle for a few games if needed. The other projection has him moving to center, with some feeling he could be a Pro Bowl player at that position.
^
Well one good thing is with 11 picks they surely cannot go to commercial EVERY time we pick this year….(or could they?)
oh really
looking at our depth chart
if we were in a competing for a playoff spot mode, yikes
on O I see QB, RB, LT, C, RT as good enough starters
the next 5 ok, but need to be upgraded
then there’s Jonah, he can’t play like last yr and even expect to stay as a starter, so an upgrade from last yr
On D the front 7 decent starters, that’s being a bit homerish, but…
S seems below avg, but not Colonblow bad
CB I have no clue what we’re doing there
I had hopes on CB Darrell Baker Jr they signed until I looked at his ranking. He ranked like 88 out of 114 CB’s.
Mike E,
Nice write, bud. Thanks for everything you do here!
Thanks M!
DAMN! In this mock I had Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Monsoor Delane fall to #11. What to do? What to do?
No Trades
11. Sonny Styles LB Ohio State
30. T.J. Parker EDGE Clemson
43. Emmanuel Pregnon OG Oregon
75. Bryce Lance WR North Dakota State
87. Jalon Kilgore S South Carolina
90. Max Klare TE Ohio State
94. Tacario Davis CB Washington
130. Logan Jones OC Iowa
151. Keagen Trost OT Missouri
227. Eric McAlister WR TCU
238. Sawyer Robertson QB Baylor
If these guys fuck up this draft I am going to spin
I would have taken Styles also. Nice draft!
me too. I would take that draft in a heartbeat.
Center is far more dependent on brains than any other OL or really any position other than QB. A guy needs to be able to read fronts and diagnose stuff on the fly. That is a hard thing to assess just by watching a guy play tackle or guard for years. I’d much prefer to draft a guy who’s played center his whole life.
There are plenty of good tackle prospects in this draft. I’d still take a guard first but we need tackles too.
Rockphin
says:
April 3, 2026 at 1:55 pm
Won’t his size be a detriment when matching up with tight ends and RB’s out of the slot? I don’t like him at all. I never liked Brent Grimes and his big mouth wife either.
————
Man, I couldn’t stand Miko Grimes! And she still has me blocked on Twitter/X after all these years!
LUV Ponds as a player and I think he’s best suited at the nickel in the NFL. No, I wouldn’t count on him to matchup against TEs and bigger RBs, but that’s strictly a guess on my part… however, we’ve seen some nickels really surprise.
I do believe he could man the boundary in a pinch due to injury or spot duty, but unless he’s Brent Grimes Part 2, I wouldn’t want him out there too often in the NFL.
Grimes was an extraordinary and unique athlete. His battles with MEGATRON are now a thing of legend, being Grimes usually came out on top. Ponds may surprise everyone when it’s all said and done, but the statistical chances of him (or anybody of such physical stature) becoming the next Brent Grimes is extremely remote.
Why is that? Because Grimes studied film like nobody’s business. Just like Zach Thomas, Grimes had to have it together from the neck-up in order to compensate for his size deficiency at the position.
Is Ponds a film-junkie? I haven’t the answer… at least not yet.
Fano is the most athletic OL in the draft. He’s going to start somewhere on the OL because he’s also very competitive.
I agree, Fano is very versatile. Don’t know if he’s the best player at any given position on the O-Line in this Draft class (possibly Center), but he’s very good.
Definite fit for our OZB/ZBS scheme.
That being stated (and I LIKE Fano!), I will become unglued if he’s our selection @ R1P11.
Take him after a slight trade down? Yeah, I could accept that… but I still think Vega Ioane would be preferable.
I’m not going to go crazy about any prospect we draft because they do it for a living and we don’t know their plan. The final roster and how we look on the field is most important.
I’ve gotten much better about such matters over the years, as I’m hoping you’ve noticed. All I’m sayin’ is that IMO, Fano is NOT worthy of a top-11 selection. Or in other words, I’d be genuinely shocked if he’s our selection @ R1P11.
Piggy – Bummer! I hate that it says Grier and McDaniel and I also hate that you can’t photoshop. Do you miss it?
@Mike E – Names removed (just refresh page).
😂 👍
I’ve seen a lot of comments hear about losing your shit if we draft this guy or that guy or if we trade picks to move up. Don’t you think you’re setting the stage for you to lose your shit? Sully better seek counsel with this blog before doing anything. 😂
Yes
Twice! Thanks so much! Thanks so much!
It truly pained me to see those hideous names, I feel like it was bad juju having them in any way associated with this draft. lol
Tim,
There will ALWAYS be critics, no matter what one does. So it really doesn’t matter what anybody thinks (including ME!) regarding instant reactions come Draft day.
The success of any given draft class can only be measured by time, not instant reaction.
I’m sure there were critics back in ’83 when we drafted Marino, for example. Can’t please everybody in real time, ya know?
Now follow me as we take a journey back in time, to whom may have been the very first critic of another’s work…
😂🤣
Exactly! The issue for me is teams have different grades on players than the mocksters do and that’s where fans get their information from or you like some guys because you’ve watched them play. But you didn’t scout them at a high level. We’ve all been through this before and the results are all over the place. Plenty of us have liked guys who have become busts and others we weren’t so high on became good players.
That sounds kind of like what GMs picks turn out to be…
Right but the GM gets criticized and mocksters and fans just move on after they busted. You really do have to give it a few years.
Tim,
I have the same mindset (kind of).
I’ve always felt we need to give young players time to develop. The problem is you really may not get that second shot or 3 years to show what you can do. If Jonah was a 5th round pick, he probably never would’ve gotten a whole season to suck….and there’s no way he’d just step into that role this year….which it appears he is.
Some guys get more leeway….just the way it is.
Jonah isn’t guaranteed anything, Hafley made that clear.
like I’ve said, he won’t be as bad this yr, because the leash won’t be that long
Tim – Like I said, it takes two things to have a good player. One you have to take the right player for your needs, and you have to have coaches that can develop that player and use him in the best way to help the team. This is why I feel pretty good about Sully and Haf. Sully knows and understands what Haf needs, and will find the players that meet that criteria. Now hopefully, Haf is up to the task, along with his coaches to bring them along properly to have them succeed in the ways they want to use them.
I agree I’m talking about the players they may like that we fans aren’t high on. For instance Keldric Faulk may be the kind of DL that Hafley likes for his defense. He can play a few positions across the DL and he gives you length in passing lanes.
I’m not really worried about who they take. I think the one thing that would really disappoint me is taking a WR or TE at #11. Otherwise I’m not going to be bothered by who they take. I think we both agree that EDGE, CB, OL, S and maybe if the right player falls to the point where you have to take him at a different position. I would also not prefer any trade ups, but I’d also have to see who the player is we do it for.
besides RB we have no long term stars, therefore all positions besides RB are positions of need, BPA all day
It’s being reported that QB Taylen Green will have a top 30 visit with the Dolphins.
Booooo!
They said he had a worse day throwing at his pro day recently than he did at the combine which was not good either. Dude has no accuracy and can’t read a defense.
Just Screwing Around Mock Draft – traded #11 for #34, #65, 2027 1st and 2027 4th
30. Blake Miller OT Clemson
34. Malachi Lawrence EDGE UCF
43. Chris Johnson CB San Diego State
65. Ted Hurst WR Georgia State
75. Josiah Trotter LB Missouri
87. Jalon Kilgore S South Carolina
90. Rene Konga DT Louisville
94. Kaelon Black RB Indiana
130. Jalen Farmer OG Kentucky
151. Jake Slaughter OC Florida
227. Jeff Caldwell WR Cincinnati
2027 ARI 1st
2027 ARI 4th
did you know I was lurking😜
2027 1st is what makes this ok, if its the right team and I believe it was, since #34 belongs to Cardinals
if Mauigoa is there at 11 no way would I trade out
Did the Raiders really just give Kirk Cousins a 5YR/$172M contract? WTF?
YOU LIKE THAT??? YOU LIKE THAT?????
😂
no. It’s really a one year deal worth $20 million guaranteed
That’s what we should have given Tu-ugh! 6YR/$212M – $20M guaranteed.
Kirk Cousins is the smartest mofo in the NFL. He parlayed average talent and skill into elite paydays by playing the NFL like a fiddle.
^
Forget the booth or coaching when he retires. He needs to become an agent.
Of course, he should never have to work again anyway.
dolphins re bringing Makai Lemon in for a visit
I know a bunch of you hate that
but he’s a realistic pick at 11
I can see us taking him at 30, because we need someone who can be a volume receiver, and his floor is high enough, he wouldn’t Iggy it
his ceiling could be St Brown type of WR, kind of softening up to him, but not at 11
at worst he’d be a safe pick, whenever taken
Agreed
4.46 so quicker than fast
his best trait is he’s just a football player, he likely LOVES football
Yeah, he’s been on the list for a while. As far as what’s been reported either by the Dolphins or the player themselves, of WR’s, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Ted Hurst and Jordan Hudson have made or are making a top 30 visit.
Almost like one potential target for each of the first 4 rounds. Maybe???
Chad Reuter NFL.com new 5 round mock for the Dolphins.
11 Carnell Tate WR Ohio State
30 Keldric Faulk Edge Auburn
43 Keionte Scott CB Miami
75 Jalon Kilgore S South Carolina
87 Oscar Delp TE Georgia
90 Kaytron Allen RB Penn State
94 Jalen Farmer OG Kentucky
130 Hezekiah Masses CB California
151 Markel Bell OT Miami
I certainly don’t like the pick at #11 and I think #43 and #75 are a little reaching, maybe Scott more of a reach than Kilgore.
I am actually ok with taking a RB.
#94 is probably where you will have to take Farmer.
Per Matt Miller: From GM’s, coaches and scouts, the feedback I received from teams was that Jermod McCoy is back in the running for CB1 after his pro day.
his pro day was incredible don’t makes sense
I think he’s in the running 11
I didn’t think he was a couple of weeks ago
I hate that draft. Reuters sucks! lol
He forgot the O-line!
Waited too late for sure.
Bijan Robinson is due an extension along with Achane. If they are going to extend Achane, they best do it before Robinson gets his.
While I compare the two, Achane has only 1 season in the Robinson stratosphere, and even so, it’s not as good as Robinson
I agree, but Robinson will set a high market
Dolphins offseason program starts this Tuesday, 7 April. Voluntary Minicamp is 2 weeks after that 21-23 April. Then OTA’s start 4 weeks after that.
BBMike – I agree that if we’re going to sign Achane, we should getter done quick
Steve and BBMike
I think the possibility of Lemon at 11 is strong
I would much prefer him at 30 – if we wanted to take him
honestly I don’t want to take a WR too early
but we have 7 picks in the first 3 rounds
And he may be the BPA at 11 if guys like Delane, Downs and Mauigoa are off the board
Why rush to sign Achane to anything? Can’t we play out the contract and tag him if need be? I don’t like paying a RB a ton of money for one year, but better that than a crazy contract. Let the market set his value and then get picks if it’s too rich. Is that how it works?
Damn WordPress. I agree – play him this year, tag him next year. Then he can play on the tag or get traded.
yes you can do that
it’s probably smart given the longevity of most RBs careers
but if he continues his trajectory, you are going to end up paying him more to keep him
Randy – Actually, you’e 100% right. I had been thinking that when all the trade talk began for Achane. Let him play out his contract and then tag him and se what he’s got left at that point. No need to pay him big money before we need to
you could always tag Achane and then trade him as well.
Or maybe just pay Achane and enjoy his awesome ability instead of treating him like he’s average.
he’s far from average. I don’t get the whole “injury prone “ narrative. He’s played 44 games in three seasons . He’s missed one game since his rookie season.
listen to the announcers voice in his highlights, that tells you all you need to know about what the national narrative is
same tone used on Tyreek
?? Was there supposed to be a video with this?
any highlight video
Isn’t overpaying players….especially before you have to….and doing all sorts of really unnecessary contract extensions and stuff like that how we got here in the first place? I thought we were gonna stop doing that? Lol
^^^
Every time I take a Safety @ R1P11 in mock drafts (whether it be Caleb Downs falling to us, or Dillon Thieneman), it totally throws a wrench in the rest of my/our(?) draft plans.
It’s to our understanding that Hafley loves his Safeties just as Nick Saban loved his Safeties (communication and vantage point). In and of itself, I haven’t a problem with that. However, is Safety THAT important to take @ R1P11 with so many more important needs?
I wanted Pearl Thomas very badly in 2010, but we had already built a great foundation on Defense and he could have put us over the top. IMO, Safety isn’t a position one builds a Defense upon.
The falloff on several important positions for us to address begins around R2P43. If we haven’t addressed CB, O-Line, or EDGE by then, it’s going to become slim pickings afterward. As always, JMO.
Oh yeah, and it’s a fairly DEEP Safety class.
They do have a top 30 visit scheduled with A.J. Haulcy and they had a private meeting with Jalon Kilgore after his pro day.
When I do my mocks, I usually target these 2 safeties. Doesn’t mean they will take either one though.
I REALLY like AJ Haulcy. He probably won’t last to R3P75, though.
I can absolutely see us moving up and down through this Draft to land the cats we really like.
I think it’s hard to pass on Downs if he falls to 11
but I agree – every a safety is the pick at 11 it really creates a problem
with the later picks
I think Theinnen might be great but I don’t like mocks that take him at 11. Same thing with EMW a little later
months ago when I was first doing mocks, I was taking safety and LBs pretty early but now I don’t really care for safety any earlier than the 3rd round, with the exception being Downs if he falls to 11
It’s been a deep safety class the last couple of years now and generally you can find good safeties on day 3
Earl Thomas is an interesting mention, he was drafted the same year as Kam Chancellor, who was a 5th round pick and one of the Seahawks best defenders in the legion of boom era
it has historically not been an easy position to evaluate for scouts
BBM,
Regarding ’30-visits’… I’ve become numb to them over the years. Why? We’ve (at least under Chris Grier) used them mostly as smokescreens.
Perhaps under Sully and Hafley, I should take them more seriously.
That’s something we should research: how often did the Packers FO draft players brought in for ’30-visits’ over the last several years?
Yeah, the top 30 visits under Grier was a waste of money.
M – just read your 9:16PM post, and my first thought was A.J. Haulcy
That’s something we should research: how often did the Packers FO draft players brought in for ’30-visits’ over the last several years?
———–
Unlike Grier, I think you can take their visits seriously and not just top 30 but also formal combine meetings. You also have to take into account the number of players they met with but got drafted by another team before they could get them. With that factored in the number seems quite high.
2025 – 3 of Packers 8 draftees, their 1st, 2nd and 7th round picks were top 30 visits.
2024 – 5 of Packers 11 draftees met with them prior to the draft. Their 2nd, 3rd and 5th round picks were top 30 visits. Their 4th and 7th round picks were formal private meetings at the combine.
2023 – 6 of Packers 13 draftees met with them prior to the draft. Their 5th, 5th, 6th and 7th round picks were top 30 visits. Their 1st and 2nd round picks were formal private meetings at the combine.
2022 – 6 of Packers 11 draftees, their 1st, 2nd, 4th and three 7th round picks were all top 30 visits.
M13, this was for you.
Mansoor DelaneCB LSU
30.
T.J. ParkerEDGE Clemson
43.
Caleb TiernanOT Northwestern
75.
Anthony Hill Jr.LB Texas
87.
Antonio WilliamsWR Clemson
90.
Ted HurstWR Georgia State
94.
Sam RoushTE Stanford
130.
Jude BowryOT Boston College
151.
Eli RaridonTE Notre Dame
227.
Jalen HuskeyS Maryland
238.
Patrick PaytonEDGE LSU
Draft Rankings from PFF
unlike youse guys, JES is a rookie at drafting, so expectations may need to be lowered
another reason to trade picks for future ones
I do like his mindset of saying we aren’t passing over good players to get more picks
…unless we know we’re getting something in return at those spots
I expect to be very happy at this time on April 25th. I think we’re going to have a great draft and just about every one of us will be really excited about what we did