B-
Miami Dolphins
A solid, sensible weekend for the Dolphins: B-.
by pj_doucette ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The Dolphins spent real capital to be 42 picks early on Cade Klubnik, and the board is going to hold them to it.
Landing Golday that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. They went 8 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Value over need was the throughline, for better and worse.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
A premium they did not need to pay, Monroe Freeling a notch or two before his time. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
In slot 30 they get a ballhawk on the outside. More want than need.
Nice patience on Dillon Thieneman, who had no business lasting to pick 43. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Circle this one: Eli Stowers at pick No. 75 is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jake Golday at the 87th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Steal is underselling it; Connor Lew at the 90th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Cade Klubnik at slot 94 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
By-the-book stuff, Chris McClellan at Round 4, Pick 30 squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kaytron Allen at the Round 5 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Nothing to complain about; Zavion Thomas went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Value with a capital V on Aiden Fisher in pick 238, a genuine coup. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.