B-
Miami Dolphins
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Dolphins.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 5 steals
· 7 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Dolphins spent slot 227 on Keaten Wade, a name the board had a full 144 spots lower.
Landing Slaughter that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Job largely done: quarterback settled and 7 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 11 they get a featured back, and a steal at that. A real need, handled.
Nice patience on Sonny Styles, who had no business lasting to pick No. 30. The roster fit checks out.
Fair-plus on Emmanuel Pregnon, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Eli Stowers in pick 75 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It fills a real need, too.
Jake Slaughter at Round 3, Pick 27 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
Circle this one: Jacob Rodriguez at the 94th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Ted Hurst at the 118th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No edge and no loss on Eli Raridon in slot 128; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Dametrious Crownover at the Round 4 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid sticker price for Drew Allar in Round 5, Pick 11, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They liked Domani Jackson enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 157. A minor itch, scratched.
They jumped the gun on Jeff Caldwell, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Marvin Jones Jr. at No. 205 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Keaten Wade this early at the 227th overall pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Isaiah Jatta in the 238th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Nolan Rucci in pick 239 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A reach on Logan Taylor in the 241st pick; the board had better options right there. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.