The Miami Dolphins have two first-round picks, a second-rounder, and four Round 3 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft after trading away star wideout Jaylen Waddle. What a field day (er, three days) first-year GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is about to have in April.
Sullivan is ruthlessly gutting the roster, sparing only stud tailback De'Von Achane and precious few others. He's setting the stage for a massive 2026 rookie class.
This embarrassment of draft capital riches should lead Sullivan to double-dip at some positions. In fact, one draft guru believes the long-tenured Packers exec will draw inspiration from Green Bay to ensure his new quarterback, Malik Willis, has some fun new weapons to throw the ball to.
Bucky Brooks' insightful take on Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan could foreshadow Miami Dolphins draft strategy
On the Move the Sticks podcast that he co-hosts with NFL Media colleague Daniel Jeremiah, draft expert Bucky Brooks cited GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's background to give broader context on how the Dolphins may approach building depth through the draft at wide receiver:
"Up until last year when they took Matthew Golden, first round pick, they've always been able to find receivers outside the first round. Well, now you talk about Waddle. Significant salary, you have to redo this. Why not jump-start that process by, hey, let's get younger, and let's just always bring one or two receivers in every year. And because Jon-Eric Sullivan, who is the son of Jerry Sullivan, one of the best wide receiver coaches that we've ever seen in the National Football League, they may feel like they can crack the code when it comes to finding a wideout."
Yeah, can't say yours truly knew a lick about Jerry Sullivan until Brooks revealed that tidbit. Good knowledge to have, y'all! Jerry Sullivan was a wide receivers coach in the NFL for about, oh, a quarter-century? Mighty interesting. Juicy plot-thickening in real time.
Brooks noted that this year's crop of incoming college wide receivers is flush with talent in the second and third rounds, and even into the fourth. That's really the wheelhouse where Miami has most of its draft assets.
"[That] might be why they were good with letting Tyreek Hill go and Jaylen Waddle go. When the outside world was saying, 'Oh, you let two of your premier receivers go,' they may feel like they can develop guys that can give them that kind of production down the line. […] I feel like this class may not have the superstar wide receivers that we talked about the Ja'Marr Chase's and the like. But day 2, early Day 3, there's going to be a run of wide receivers that are going to end up being very, very good players in this league for a long time."
We could very well see Sullivan get creative by trading up or trading back. He has all the ammunition in the world to move wherever he wants after the first round. In fact, imagine if he trades back from the 11th overall pick in Round 1 in exchange for more third-round picks, or perhaps just another second- or fourth-rounder?
Who could the Dolphins target on Day 2 of the draft, you ask? Brooks offered up Clemson slot receiver Antonio Williams — I don't dig him, but whatever, you do you, Bucky — and Georgia State's Ted Hurst (I dig him). Brooks' main point was that the Fins could nab two different types of receivers with ease.
To tie this back to the Packers during Sullivan's time there, they had great success drafting two receivers apiece in 2022 with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, and in 2023 with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks.
Watson and Reed were second-rounders. Doubs went in the fourth; Wicks went in the fifth. And shoot, last year's draft saw Green Bay draft TCU WR Savion Williams in Round 3 after taking Matthew Golden on Day 1.
That Packers front office was volume shooting to help Jordan Love. Maybe Sullivan will do the same in Miami for Willis. Here's who I like for the Dolphins by the rounds they should be ready to come off the board:
- Round 2: KC Concepcion (Texas A&M), Chris Bell (Louisville), and Germie Bernard (Alabama)
- Round 3: Bryce Lance (North Dakota State), Skyler Bell (UConn), and Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee)
- Round 4: Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State), De'Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss), and Jeff Caldwell (Cincinnati)
Medical red flags could knock KC Concepcion and Chris Bell into early Day 2. Bernard is better than advertised, and I believe the league will realize that. Bryce Lance and Chris Brazzell II are big-bodied, long-speed deep threats with route-running savvy who could easily work their way into the second round. Great fits for Willis — and just the physical prototype the Packers often covet.
Skyler Bell can play inside or outside and seems like a great fit/movable chess piece of a playmaker in Bobby Slowik's West Coast-style offense.
De'Zhaun Stribling might be the most underrated receiver in the draft. Strong hands. Super explosive after the catch. Strong production at three different programs in Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss. Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline reported Stribling clocked a 6.9-second 3-cone drill after running a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. Quite the change of direction ability for someone who's 6'2", 207 pounds. What am I missing?
Brenan Thompson is an absolute burner, just very undersized for a predominantly boundary wideout. Complete opposite for Caldwell, who ran a 4.31 40 at the Combine and had a 42-inch vertical at 6'5", 215 pounds.
Anecdotal parallels between Dolphins' 2026 draft and the Cleveland Browns of yesteryear
The Dolphins' 2026 draft could very well resemble the Moneyball approach the Cleveland Browns tried beginning about a decade ago. They made 26 total picks across the 2015 and 2016 drafts, and then had five first-round selections in the subsequent two years.
I'm pretty sure Sullivan and this new Miami brass will have a better batting average (to continue the Moneyball analogy). Yes, it's a shot at Paul DePodesta (IYKYK) than the Browns did.
It's a fine line. You don't want to go too young, too cheap, and too inexperienced. Otherwise, you end up like Cleveland, going 1-31 in a two-season span. The Browns hit on maybe five of those 26 aforementioned 2015-16 draft picks. Browns gonna Brown.
No but really, Sullivan should be in better shape. The cupboard isn't that bare in Miami.