Every year in the months preceding the NFL Draft, fans wake up each day to new mock drafts that sprout like weeds. The rationale is sensible. In an effort to build as much anticipation as possible, the NFL has drawn out the draft process, leaving us hungry and anxious to find out how it will all unfold. Naturally, we fill the time hatching scenarios that could theoretically happen, but predicting the draft is ultimately nothing more than a crapshoot.
One team always seems to make the shocking pick of the year, rendering most mocks null within the first five picks or so. If only there were a way to know which draft expert's picks proved most prescient, fans could weigh that exercise more heavily in their minds as they wait for the dust to actually settle. Well, you're in luck. The fine folks over at FantasyPros went through the arduous process of determining the most accurate mock drafter of 2025.
Using a comprehensive formula that includes varying point values for matching a team to a player, predicting the position that a team selects, the ever-difficult draft slot match, and the order a player is drafted relative to his counterparts at the same position, a "champion" was crowned. Ben Wasley of The Fantasy First Down wound up accumulating 181 points, the most of any draft expert in 2025.
On the eve of draft day, he published his final mock draft, and while it's nothing personal, Dolphins fans may desperately hope he is not nearly as predictive in 2026 as he was in 2025.
Mock draft expert ties Miami Dolphins to surprising first-round targets
Dolphins shock the world with offensive line pick at No. 11
If the Dolphins opt for an offensive lineman with their first selection, it wouldn't be the biggest surprise in the world. In fact, I've advocated for the strategy, specifically as it relates to University of Miami mauler Francis Mauigoa. While there is cause for some concern with his newly-reported back injury, the prognosis is solid. No team is in less of a rush than the Miami Dolphins in 2026. If he needs to be eased in coming off surgery, so be it.
In his mock, Wasley has the Dolphins selecting Alabama's Kadyn Proctor, with Mauigoa still available, no less. Proctor is truly gigantic, standing 6'7" and tipping the scales at 352 lbs. He is nonetheless the No. 19 player on the consensus big board, and that's only after a recent surge that saw him jump from No. 26. He is not nearly the prospect Mauigoa, Penn State offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane, or Ohio State safety Caleb Downs are considered to be, yet he is the pick with the aforementioned players still on the board.
It wouldn't be the worst pick in the world, but more than a few Dolphins fans would be upset to see it come to fruition. With the first pick of the Jon-Eric Sullivan era, the Dolphins desperately need to get a contributing player with as few red flags as possible. Proctor is highly thought of, to be sure, but his limitations would make him a head-scratcher at No. 11.
At pick No. 30, the Dolphins opt for a trendy position, even if the player is more of a surprise
Many have pointed to the cornerback position as it relates to the Dolphins' second first-round pick. In fact, five of the last 10 No. 30 overall selections were cornerbacks. It seems to be a position where teams like to take a swing on a toolsy player who is a fringe first-round prospect. The Dolphins were actually burned by this strategy when they took Noah Igbinoghene 30th in 2020.
In any case, Wasley mocks San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson to the Dolphins at the No. 30 slot. At just over 6'0", Johnson fits Miami's new apparent height requirement at the position. He also performed admirably at the NFL Combine, running a 4.40 40-yard dash and leaping 38 inches on his vertical jump. These marks boosted his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) to 9.84, a score that ranks 51st out of 3,075 cornerbacks since 1987.
Despite an elite 91.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025 (which ranked second in the country out of 908 qualifiers), they nonetheless peg him as their No. 46 overall prospect. They question his adaptability to non-zone schemes, which in turn hurts his draft stock. Among the available prospects at the time were wide receiver K.C. Concepcion, cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Aveion Terrell, as well as EDGE rushers Zion Young, T.J. Parker, and R Mason Thomas.
Dolphins fans might be more comfortable with Johnson as the team's second-round pick, opting for a higher pedigree player at this spot instead. At the very least, they could opt to prioritize positional value with an EDGE defender rather than reaching for a second straight pick.
Wasley's track record speaks for itself. He was able to outpace national experts, including Mel Kiper Jr., Peter Schrager, and Daniel Jeremiah, in 2025. Despite this, Dolphins fans may be hoping he's not nearly as predictive in 2026. This first-round draft haul would underwhelm many, and the Dolphins can do better.
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