A-
Miami Dolphins
Nobody dealt better than the Dolphins this weekend: A-.
by [email protected] ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 5 steals
· 3 reaches
The Dolphins ran the phones like sharks, prying loose value on deal after deal until the ledger was lopsided. The board rewarded a patient, disciplined weekend with a A-.
If Fa'amoe pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The Dolphins indulged a want in Scott while a need in edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots stayed open. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Getting Washington Jr. where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
Bottom line, they left the weekend a clearly better team, and they earned every bit of it.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 30 they get a cornerstone up front, though they paid up to get him. A real need, handled.
Chris Johnson in the 41st overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Dillon Thieneman in the 43rd pick. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose cornerback. Keionte Scott in pick No. 74 leaves edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots for later.
No edge and no loss on Elijah Sarratt in No. 75; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Zakee Wheatley adds a safety and leaves edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots untouched.
No drama and no debate, Ja'Kobi Lane went about where he belonged in pick 91. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Mike Washington Jr. at slot 94 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A surprising call. With edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots still to address, they spent slot 130 on Davison Igbinosun, a cornerback they were not short of.
Drew Allar in the 151st overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Louis Moore at the 168th pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Keagen Trost in No. 189 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
By-the-book stuff, Pat Coogan at the Round 6 slot squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Fa'alili Fa'amoe well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
They paid sticker price for Aiden Fisher in Round 7, Pick 11, and that is fine. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A big swing on Logan Taylor at pick 238, well ahead of any board in the building. It patches a soft spot without any drama.