SerpApi.Org
It’s almost that time.
With NFL season around the corner, the Miami Dolphins’ rookies will report to training camp on Tuesday. The Dolphins drafted a league-high 13 players in April, and it’s no secret that they - along with the handful of undrafted prospects - are tasked with helping to resurrect a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.
“They can play,” general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said of the 2026 draft class. “Don’t ever mistake that. We’re not going to bring guys in here that we don’t think can play on the field, but then when you talk about the wiring of the individuals, we feel like we accomplished what we set out to accomplish.”
All eyes will be on the pair of first-round picks in offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson, who were selected No. 13 and No. 30, respectively. A 6-foot-7, 352-pound mountain of a man with a nasty streak in the run game, Proctor will likely initially start at left guard, forming a huge wall on the quarterback Malik Willis’ blindside next to tackle Patrick Paul. To say that Proctor’s pick was a surprise would be an understatement - both Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Miami edge Reuben Bain Jr. were available at No. 11 prior to the Dolphins’ decision to trade back - but the impetus was clear: the franchise wants to be an elite running team.
“I know that we’re going to run the [expletive] out of the ball,” Proctor said, later adding that it’s going “to feel so good” blocking for a talent like running back De’Von Achane. “Knowing that you’re blocking for a guy that makes your job easier, you just sustain your block for as long as you can and give effort and have that grit and toughness. He’s going to make plays. He’s a great running back, fast as hell and I can’t wait to block for him.”
Johnson provides the Dolphins with inside, outside versatility, something that be advantageous as new coach Jeff Hafley seeks to build his defense. Hafley thought very highly of the former San Diego State standout throughout the draft process, a good sign considering the coach’s career began in the secondary.
“This was one of my favorite guys in the draft that when we started talking about him, and it came time to pick him, I would not have been surprised if he was taken earlier,” Hafley said, praising Johnson’s size, length and love for the game.
Day 2 selections such as linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and Chris Bell should also prove useful - whenever they get the chance to take the field. Rodriguez will have to show out in training camp to take fellow linebacker Tyrel Dodson’s starting spot. Still, Rodriguez’s knack for takeaways - he had four picks and seven forced fumbles in his final season at Texas Tech - could make for quite the intriguing position battle.
“Iron sharpens iron,” Sullivan said, “and anybody in this building that is afraid of competition or doesn’t welcome it or embrace it shouldn’t be here.”
Meanwhile, Bell, who likely would have been a first-round pick if not for his torn ACL, remains in recovery.
“I’m not sure how you would define close,” Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said in May. “He’s running around. He’s with the strength and conditioning guys. He’s with our trainers, and he’s doing his rehab. When he’ll be ready, I’m not sure if there’s a timetable for that yet, coming off that surgery. He’ll be out there. You guys will get a chance to see him out there as well.”
As far as day three picks are concerned, look for Kyle Louis to potentially make an impact. The linebacker has the coverage skills - and size, for that matter - of a safety and could be featured in some dime packages. His outstanding performance at the Senior Bowl made him one of sleeper prospects of the draft, so much so that the Dolphins were able to grab him in the fourth round.
The projections for Louis, however, remain extremely high.
“This is the guy that’s your quintessential will linebacker,” ESPN NFL and college football analyst Louis Riddick said on the ACC Football Podcast, even comparing the star linebacker to Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks while simultaneously calling him “Day 1 starter” who possesses “Pro Bowl, All-Pro” talent. “He is just a baller, man, and he’s made for today’s game.”
Of course these aren’t the only selections from the 2026 draft. Other picks include safety Michael Taaffe, guard DJ Campbell, edges Trey Moore and Max Llewellyn, wide receivers Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. as well as tight ends Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore. The aforementioned eight picks could find their way onto the field; it’s just that they didn’t come as highly touted as some of the other prospects.
That, however, won’t matter come July 28, the date when training camp officially kicks off. The battle for who will make the final 53-man roster will begin and as much as projections are important, it won’t matter if the eye test doesn’t match.
