C-
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins robbed the room for Rivers. Final grade: C-.
by dagray08 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 19 picks
· 15 steals
· 0 reaches
You build a draft on nights like this. Eric Rivers had no business being available in Round 7, Pick 4, and the Dolphins did the only sane thing and turned in the card.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. They punted on linebacker, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
Hit on Kenyon Sadiq and the swing picks, and this ages a lot better than it grades today.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 26 they get a press-man option on the boundary, and a steal at that. More want than need.
In slot 30 they get a mismatch in the passing game at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
Dillon Thieneman at pick No. 39 is money in the bank, a safety taken below his worth. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A quiet steal in the Round 2 slot: Omar Cooper Jr. for less than the market said. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They will replay Joshua Josephs at Round 3, Pick 11 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Lee Hunter in the 87th pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Somehow Jake Slaughter was still sitting there in the 90th overall pick, and they pounced on premier offensive lineman value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jadarian Price at No. 91 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It fills a real need, too.
Taking Jake Golday in Round 3, Pick 30 is close to grand larceny; an edge rusher that good had no business lasting this long. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A wide receiver of that caliber at No. 112 is the definition of value, full stop. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Michael Trigg is a better player than the Round 4 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jack Endries at pick 130 is the proof. The roster fit checks out.
Hezekiah Masses in the 146th pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A reasonable price with a little left over, CJ Daniels in slot 149. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Dametrious Crownover at the 151st overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Drew Allar at pick No. 177 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A tidy bit of business in Round 5, Pick 40, where Albert Regis graded well above the range. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They barely believed it either: Eric Rivers still on the board at the 220th pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Fair-plus on Thaddeus Dixon, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Stacking talent where they were already deep.