C-
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins land in the muddy middle: C-.
by Kev05555 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 7 reaches
Nobody else had Xavier Nwankpa anywhere near the 43rd pick. The Dolphins did, by 203 spots, and that gap is the whole story. It nets out a thoroughly average C-.
Mendoza falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Quarterback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
A perfectly average weekend, for better and for worse.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 11 they get an anchor for the offensive line, though the board says they badly overpaid. A clean fit for the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Christen Miller in the 30th overall pick, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Xavier Nwankpa. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
The board fumbled Fernando Mendoza all the way to the 75th pick, and they scooped it up. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Emmett Johnson well ahead of where he belonged. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A wild overpay on Jack Endries in slot 90, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Brian Parker II in the 94th overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A need, and now a little less of one.
Aaron Anderson at pick No. 130 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A straight-up fair deal on Skyler Gill-Howard at Round 5, Pick 11, value and slot in agreement. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Toriano Pride Jr. at slot 227 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Cole Payton at pick 238 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.