A-
Miami Dolphins
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Dolphins a A-.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 31 picks
· 10 steals
· 11 reaches
Nobody had Micah Morris this high, and it is not close. The Dolphins reached 67 spots to get him at pick No. 257.
Klare at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own.
The quarterback spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The future picks help the war chest more than the win-now roster.
Bottom line, with Jake Slaughter leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Nice patience on Jake Slaughter, who had no business lasting to Round 2, Pick 31. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Taking Josiah Trotter in pick 82 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Somehow Jake Golday was still sitting there in the 87th pick, and they pounced on premier edge rusher value. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jacob Rodriguez at pick No. 90. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached into another round for Caden Curry, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Mason Reiger in the 94th overall pick, miles early. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Devin Moore at the 95th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Max Klare in the 111th overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Michael Trigg in the Round 4 slot. A need, and now a little less of one.
No edge and no loss on Mike Washington Jr. in pick 115; it is a wash and a sensible one. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board had Ted Hurst higher than slot 125, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Bryce Lance in pick No. 130 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A tidy little value on Dametrious Crownover in Round 5, Pick 6, a step better than break-even. The roster fit checks out.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Isaiah World in No. 151. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jalen Farmer in pick 163 lands just on the right side of the ledger. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A straight-up fair deal on Domani Jackson at pick No. 170, value and slot in agreement. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
By-the-book stuff, Marlin Klein at the 174th pick squarely in line with his ranking. It fills a real need, too.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 6 slot, where Jeff Caldwell graded well above the range. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Charles Demmings this early at Round 6, Pick 25. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
A reach for Eli Heidenreich in No. 221; a little patience would have been rewarded. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Isaiah Jatta in slot 227 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Trey Zuhn III in the 238th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Nolan Rucci in the 243rd overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid up for Logan Taylor at the Round 7 slot when waiting would have done the job. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They reached a country mile for Tristan Leigh at No. 246, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They paid sticker price for Robert Spears-Jennings in pick 249, and that is fine. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They liked Daevin Hobbs enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 251. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A real head-scratcher, Adam Randall in Round 7, Pick 36 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Fair-plus on De'Zhaun Stribling, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Joshua Braun at the 256th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.
Micah Morris at pick No. 257 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.