A-
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins fleeced the room on the phones and earned a A-.
by Fins1981 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 24 picks
· 9 steals
· 6 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on Keaten Wade; the Dolphins did not wait, grabbing him 125 spots ahead at the 246th overall pick. This is how you run a draft, and the A- reflects it.
That is an edge rusher worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
The Dolphins paired the rookies with proven help, Kyler Murray leading the way. Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
Bottom line, with Anthony Hill Jr. leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Somehow Anthony Hill Jr. was still sitting there in Round 2, Pick 29, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jake Slaughter at the 63rd pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Steal is underselling it; Eli Stowers at slot 75 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Mike Washington Jr. at No. 87 is the proof. A need, and now a little less of one.
Taking Chase Bisontis in pick 89 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They took Devin Moore at par in pick No. 90, which is nothing to complain about. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Jake Golday at the 94th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Sam Roush at pick No. 95 squarely in line with his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, Ja'Kobi Lane went about where he belonged in the Round 3 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Bud Clark at the 122nd overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A minor itch, scratched.
They read the board right and Julian Neal was the payoff at Round 4, Pick 29. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They went early on Isaiah World in slot 130, and the value did not follow. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached a country mile for Drew Allar at No. 131, and the board is aghast. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Taylen Green at pick 151 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Zxavian Harris at No. 155 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Demond Claiborne slid further than he should have, and Round 5, Pick 30 is lovely value for the running back. It fills a real need, too.
Domani Jackson in pick 171 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jeff Caldwell in slot 191. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Lander Barton in pick No. 227 is fair value, right on his grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A real head-scratcher, Eric Gentry in the 229th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Marvin Jones Jr. at the 238th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Keaten Wade in the Round 7 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Bryce Foster at pick 247 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The roster fit checks out.
No edge and no loss on Logan Taylor in the Round 7 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.