A-
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins fleeced the room on the phones and earned a A-.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 23 picks
· 5 steals
· 9 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Eric Gentry at the 252nd pick, a reach of 101 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.
Stukes at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Stukes pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher still on the board.
Bottom line, with Kenyon Sadiq leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 31 they get a seam-stretching tight end, outstanding value to boot. A clean fit for the roster.
Nothing to complain about; Omar Cooper Jr. went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Good price on Emmanuel Pregnon in pick 43, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Eli Stowers in Round 3, Pick 10 is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jake Slaughter at slot 77 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Keionte Scott in the 87th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
The board had cheaper options than Ja'Kobi Lane at the 90th overall pick, and it noticed. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A curious use of the Round 4 slot. Edge rusher needed the pick; a cornerback in Treydan Stukes did not.
Drew Allar in Round 5, Pick 11 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Zxavian Harris at pick No. 160 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Demond Claiborne in slot 163 is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A straight-up fair deal on Domani Jackson at pick 169, value and slot in agreement. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Lander Barton at No. 227 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They paid sticker price for Owen Heinecke in the 229th pick, and that is fine. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Adam Randall, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
No drama and no debate, Isaiah Jatta went about where he belonged in Round 7, Pick 18. A need, and now a little less of one.
A conviction pick on Nolan Rucci at pick No. 238 that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
They paid a round early for Robert Spears-Jennings in pick 246, more than the board wanted. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Daevin Hobbs at the 251st overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Eric Gentry at the Round 7 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. The roster fit checks out.
Joshua Braun at No. 255 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Enrique Cruz Jr. in slot 256, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached a country mile for Micah Morris at slot 257, and the board is aghast. A need, and now a little less of one.