B-
Miami Dolphins
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Dolphins.
by [email protected] ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Mikail Kamara at slot 91, a reach of 61 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
Spending an early pick on safety with interior defensive lineman, running back and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. The interior defensive lineman hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
That Dixon pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Job largely done: quarterback settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 11 they get a potential shutdown corner at fair value. More want than need.
In the Round 1 slot they get a building block for the line, reach and all. A real need, handled.
Emmanuel Pregnon at pick 43 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The roster fit checks out.
They jumped the gun on Ted Hurst, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A market-rate safety, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Zakee Wheatley. A minor itch, scratched.
Value said wait; Mikail Kamara in the 91st pick says they were not listening. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A surprising call. With interior defensive lineman, running back and other spots still to address, they spent pick 94 on Bud Clark, a safety they were not short of.
They paid a round early for CJ Daniels in the 130th pick, more than the board wanted. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid sticker price for Drew Allar in the Round 5 slot, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No edge and no loss on Aamil Wagner in pick No. 168; it is a wash and a sensible one. It fills a real need, too.
Riley Nowakowski in slot 220 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Thaddeus Dixon slid further than he should have, and Round 7, Pick 11 is lovely value for the cornerback. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Andre Fuller in the 238th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.