A-
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: A-.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 26 picks
· 9 steals
· 10 reaches
The Dolphins looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Eric Gentry at Round 7, Pick 37 regardless, 99 picks early.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. The Moore steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
In short, they turned a good board into a better roster, and it shows.
Pick-by-Pick
Gabe Jacas at pick No. 43 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Caleb Banks at slot 49 is the proof. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Keionte Scott at the 71st overall pick. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Eli Stowers at the Round 3 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A offensive lineman of that caliber at the 80th pick is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
Mike Washington Jr. in Round 3, Pick 18 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Chase Bisontis at the 87th overall pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jacob Rodriguez at No. 90 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Ted Hurst. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
You do not let a cornerback like Devin Moore reach pick No. 120 and blink. They did not. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Dametrious Crownover at pick 147 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It fills a real need, too.
A straight-up fair deal on Zxavian Harris at slot 151, value and slot in agreement. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Drew Allar at Round 5, Pick 14 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No drama and no debate, Demond Claiborne went about where he belonged in the Round 5 slot. The roster fit checks out.
Taylen Green at the 160th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Domani Jackson in the 165th overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Jeff Caldwell at Round 6, Pick 1 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Ar'maj Reed-Adams in slot 191 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Fair-plus on VJ Payne, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Isaiah Jatta in No. 220 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Bryce Foster at the Round 7 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A real head-scratcher, Joshua Braun in pick No. 229 is miles ahead of his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Enrique Cruz Jr.. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Micah Morris, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Riley Mahlman in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Eric Gentry in pick 253, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.