Dolphins 7-round mock draft is value-shopping masterclass by Jon-Eric Sullivan

Any Miami Dolphins seven-round mock draft is a gargantuan undertaking. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has the typical yearly supply of draft capital to spend within the first 94 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, including four in the third round and two on Day 1.

It stands to reason that Sullivan could pool together some of those assets and trade up for a prospect or two that he really likes. This scenario will explore one possibility in that vein, but will, for the most part, stick to the hefty allotment of selections this new regime has to work with.

So without further ado, let's dive in and see just how Sullivan will go about adding depth to a thin defensive unit while supplying quarterback Malik Willis with ample weaponry and protection.

Dolphins 7-round mock draft makes a big splash on Day 2 to secure second premier pass-catcher for Malik Willis

Round 1 | Pick 11: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Kicking things off with an offensive force multiplier here in Kenyon Sadiq, whose tenacity as a run blocker and massive upside as a pass-catcher are too good to pass up. Sadiq logged a 66.3 PFF run blocking grade despite a 241-pound frame that's on the slender side for his position.

Greg Dulcich is a solid option at tight end, but the rest of Miami's group at that spot could use a dynamic difference-maker. That's especially the case when you consider the current receiving corps headlined by Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Malik Washington. None of them is a transcendent playmaker. Sadiq has the ceiling (and the floor, to be honest) to be precisely that.

Round 1 | Pick 30 (via Broncos): Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

A native of Nigeria, Max Iheanachor played soccer and basketball in high school before transitioning to the gridiron in 2021 at East Los Angeles College. He's come a long way in such a short time to say the least, earning second-team All-Big 12 honors this past year.

If any team can afford to invest in a high-upside right tackle who'll require patience, it's the rebuilding Dolphins. They still have Austin Jackson under contract for 2026. He can serve as the ideal mentor to Iheanchor as a fellow late first-round pick.

Round 2 | Pick 43: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Head coach Jeff Hafley leans into zone coverages on defense. Chris Johnson registered a 91.9 PFF grade in zone coverage last season, yielding a 16.1 passer rating overall with zero TDs allowed and four interceptions. Johnson would enter Miami as the immediate CB1 on the boundary.

*TRADE* Round 2 | Pick 48 (via Falcons): Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State

• Falcons receive: 75th, 90th & 94th overall picks
• Dolphins receive: No. 48 overall pick

Quite a juxtaposition between the approach Miami's brass is taking at present and what the Falcons did over the last two drafts. They lit their 2026 first-round pick on fire to move up for James Pearce Jr., and spent their 2024 first-rounder on QB Michael Penix Jr. despite signing Kirk Cousins to a lucrative contract in free agency.

Long story short: The Falcons are desperate for picks. They only have three in the top 214 (Nos. 48, 79, and 122). Nobody can serve up better ones at a higher quantity on Day 2 than the Dolphins.

This trade results in Miami scoring a go-to perimeter target for Willis in Bryce Lance. His lethal long speed (21.2 yards per catch in 2025) pairs well with Willis' downfield passing prowess.

Round 3 | Pick 87: Genesis Smith, S, Arizona

In terms of raw coverage chops, Miami couldn't do much better in the third round than to select a true deep safety in Genesis Smith. Yes, his lack of physicality is a concern (19.8% missed tackle rate last year), yet he had an elite forced incompletion rate in his last college season at 26.1%. Those instincts would be put to great use by Hafley if Smith is the last line of defense in the Dolphins' secondary.

Round 4 | Pick 130: Beau Stephens, OL, Iowa

Speaking of Day 2 trade-ups in the draft, the Dolphins' daring stunt to acquire left guard Jonah Savaiinaea appears to have backfired. Savaiinaea was PFF's worst-ranked qualifying guard in pass protection as a rookie. Dating back to 2024, Beau Stephens allowed zero sacks, two QB hits, and nine hurries on 556 pass blocking snaps. Sounds like a potential upgrade to me.

Round 5 | Pick 151: Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas

Given JuJu Brents' injury history, it'd behoove Miami to draft another cornerback sometime on Day 3. Arkansas' Julian Neal is an exotic athlete at 6'2", 203 pounds with 4.49 40 speed, a 40-inch vertical, and solid change of direction (7.13 3-cone drill, 4.2 20-yard shuttle) for someone his size. Well worth taking a flier on at this juncture of the draft.

Round 7 | Pick 227: Riley Mahlman, OT, Wisconsin

A little bit of local knowledge from Green Bay and the Packers' penchant for venturing outside the consensus for offensive line talent could add up to Sullivan putting Wisconsin's Riley Mahlman in a Dolphins uniform. Mahlman played both tackle positions for the Badgers and is a mountain of a man at 6'8" who'd be a possible swing tackle candidate.

Round 7 | Pick 238: Jordan Van den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech

What a buzz this Yellow Jackets defender generated at Georgia Tech's pro day. Johannesburg-born Jordan Van den Berg has the freaky athletic profile any team should be willing to invest a mere seventh-round pick in. Other than Jordan Phillips, Miami doesn't have much quality defensive tackle depth behind Zach Sieler and Kenneth Grant anyway, so why not?