The Miami Dolphins entered the draft with 11 selections. They exited with 13. Jon-Eric Sullivan had no problems navigating the draft landscape in his first run as an NFL GM.
The Dolphins trade back once in round one, then back up from 30. Overall, his moves were calculated, but not everyone agrees with his choices, especially since the BPA approach left many fans scratching their heads.
Despite some questionable decisions, like Caleb Douglas at the top of round three, some of his picks were home runs, at least on paper. Here are the winners and losers following the Dolphins' first draft under the new regime.
Miami Dolphins handled their first draft well under Jon-Eric Sullivan and the team will benefit as a result
Winner - Jeff Hafley
There is no question that Sullivan took care of his head coach. He gets a top CB prospect in round 1, then one of the best LBs in Jacob Rodriguez in round two. That alone would be a victory for any coach on one side of the ball, but Kyle Louis in round four may become the steal of the NFL Draft. All three players could be day-one starters or contributors, but Sullivan gave his defensive-minded HC the pieces to lay the groundwork for a solid future.
Loser - Austin Jackson
Drafting Jadyn Proctor in round one sent the clearest message yet that Jackson's days in Miami are numbered. It's unclear how soon Proctor will jump outside, but even if he starts his NFL career as a guard, Jackson is one injury away from being done in Miami.
Winner - Quinn Ewers
The Dolphins reinforced their previous statements about the second-year QB by not drafting a quarterback to directly compete with him. Ewers will get one year to prove his value to the team as their backup to Malik Willis.
Loser - Tyrel Dodson
It's hard to imagine Dodson sticking with the Dolphins after they drafted Rodriguez and Kyle Louis. He may get through this season, and should, but with $3 million in cap room savings if he is cut, his future is far from guaranteed after the 2026 Draft
Winner - Caleb Douglas
Caleb Douglas, by any stretch, is a massive reach. Sullivan loses here, and hopefully, he will learn that having a big grade doesn't mean you have to take them far and above their draft range. Douglas was a consensus late-day three pick that Sullivan could have waited on. The GM's confidence in his metrics rating system got the better of him. A lot of pressure will be on Douglas to learn quickly, but clearly, his bank account will be much happier after being drafted in what likely could have been three rounds earlier than he should have.
Loser - Malik Willis
The Dolphins didn't add a quality receiver to the roster until late Day 2 when they took Bell. Douglas is and will be a reach until he proves he can contribute. The Dolphins didn't get him a tight end who can disrupt the defense as a pass catcher. Overall, Willis left the draft with little help.
Winner - De'Von Achane
Jordyn Proctor sent a message to Achane immediately after being drafted. Achane should be running on clouds, given the fact that he just got a massive lead blocker on the boundary, but it didn't stop there. Will Kacmarek is one of the top blocking tight ends in this year's draft class, and the Dolphins added him in round three. The two of them together are not going to be kind for defenders, and Achane is going to love it.
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