'Killed It,' Dolphins' Draft Class Hyped by Rival Exec After 2026 NFL Draft

The Miami Dolphins may be staring at a rebuilding effort after losing Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason, but some around the league believe they laid an impressive foundation to that process with their efforts in the 2026 NFL draft.

"They killed it," an NFC executive said of Miami, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "They got a mix of talent and culture guys, and all of the moves made sense."

It was new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan's first draft with the team, and the NFC executive praised fourth-round linebacker Kyle Louis as "a good starter in the league" and third-round wide receiver Chris Bell as a steal.

Fowler noted the Dolphins also see first-round cornerback Chris Johnson and second-round linebacker Jacob Rodriguez as "culture-builders."

Jacob Rodriguez highlights

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Yet not everyone loved Miami's draft.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department gave the AFC East team an overall "C+" grade for its efforts and docked points for the decision to take Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 after trading the No. 11 pick to the Dallas Cowboys.

"With their first pick in the draft, the Dolphins grabbed Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor," the grade breakdown explained. "The problem is that Miami passed on Caleb Downs, arguably the safest pick in the draft, to take one of the class' biggest boom-or-bust prospects.

"While the Dolphins added some solid value on Day 2 and may uncover a few gems from their plethora of Day 3 picks, their misstep on opening night casts a sour shadow over the class as a whole."

Dallas ended up taking Downs at No. 11 and could have an All-Pro safety leading its defense for years to come as a result.

Talent is not the issue for Proctor, and he was an All-American during his final season with the Crimson Tide. Fowler noted "questions persist about whether he'll maximize" that talent, which isn't exactly what a team wants to hear when it comes to a first-round pick who is supposed to be a foundational cornerstone.

But if he does maximize that talent and some of the potential late-round steals work out, the Dolphins could look back at the 2026 draft as an important one in their road to eventual contention.