A-
Miami Dolphins
Nobody dealt better than the Dolphins this weekend: A-.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 21 picks
· 5 steals
· 10 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Dolphins spent pick No. 244 on Eric Gentry, a name the board had a full 108 spots lower. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.
They banked enough surplus on Golday to cover a lot of smaller sins. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The Dolphins paired the rookies with proven help, Graham Barton leading the way.
It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
A strong weekend's work, and a rare one to find this little fault with.
Pick-by-Pick
No edge and no loss on Gabe Jacas in pick No. 45; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nice patience on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who had no business lasting to pick 63. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jake Slaughter at the 70th pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. The roster fit checks out.
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Jake Golday in Round 3, Pick 20, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Devin Moore in the 90th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A minor itch, scratched.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Keylan Rutledge well ahead of where he belonged. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Malachi Fields at pick No. 94 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board had cheaper options than Markel Bell at the Round 3 slot, and it noticed. It fills a real need, too.
Michael Trigg at the 97th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Dametrious Crownover in the 106th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Mason Reiger this early at pick 116. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nyjalik Kelly at slot 130 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board had DeMonte Capehart higher than No. 151, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Drew Allar in Round 5, Pick 15 is fair value, right on his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jeff Caldwell. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They took Robert Spears-Jennings at par in the Round 7 slot, which is nothing to complain about. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
By-the-book stuff, John Michael Gyllenborg at Round 7, Pick 13 squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A big swing on Jack Kelly at the 238th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Eric Gentry at No. 244 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Adam Randall. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A wild overpay on Deven Eastern in pick 248, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.