There's change abounding on the Miami Dolphins roster in 2026. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley came to town with hard hats on and went to demolishing just about every semblance of the previous regime, one shrewd move at a time. This is particularly true as it relates to the Dolphins' EDGE rushers.
Less than 12 months ago, the top of the depth chart featured Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, flanked by Matthew Judon and Chop Robinson, with special teams ace Cameron Goode rounding out the room.
A midseason trade sent Phillips packing to Philadelphia, and Chubb was released in a cost-cutting move in the offseason. Judon wasn't able to make it through the end of the season in Miami, as he was released on December 17. After a short stint with the Bills' practice squad, he remains on the lookout for a new team. Chop Robinson must be looking around the room in disbelief, with a healthy dose of survivor's guilt.
In any case, the Dolphins proceeded by adding highly pedigreed but underachieving EDGE rushers in free agency in hopes of harnessing some of the talent that made them top draft picks. A prudent strategy to be sure, though it didn't take the Dolphins out of the pass rush market come draft time. Some fans are still aching that the team passed on Rueben Bain Jr. in the first round, and it's to be expected. It's another EDGE the Dolphins did draft that will have fans excited.
That would be Max Llewellyn, Miami's seventh-round pick out of the University of Iowa.
If draft experts are to be believed, the Miami Dolphins are making off like bandits by selecting Max Llewellyn at pick No. 238
No one knows how the NFL Draft will ultimately turn out until a few years down the line. Rookie players need time to develop and grow into their new environments. In a draft class that saw the Dolphins doing an inordinate amount of "reaching," one pick that was widely applauded was, ironically, Miami's final selection.
Max Llewellyn was the No. 183 player on Pro Football Network's consensus big board. By selecting him at No. 238, the Dolphins "added" 55 picks of value — the most such value of any of their league-leading 13 draft picks. That makes him the biggest "win" of Jon-Eric Sullivan's inaugural class, though even some of his biggest "reaches" have ample opportunity to flip the script.
As far as Llewellyn goes, there's a lot to like. At 6'6" and 258 pounds, he definitely looks the part. What's more, according to MockDraftable's database, he profiles similarly as an athlete to Zion Young and Keyron Crawford, a pair of top 67 picks in this year's class. Naturally, as with any seventh-round pick, there are some question marks, though Dane Brugler's scouting report left plenty to be excited about.
"Llewellyn is a good-sized, versatile edge rusher who doesn’t grade as exceptional in any one area, aside from his nonstop motor. He pairs a quick get-off with a crafty setup to overwhelm blockers before they have much time to react. He is upright and stiff in his attack but strains and creates enough momentum to convert speed to power. He struggles to out-leverage blockers as an edge setter and doesn’t put himself in position to make run stops."
Hmm... if only there was another non-stop motor, third-day EDGE rusher named Max(x) who exceeded all expectations at the NFL level. Wishful thinking, I know. What becomes of this pick will be clear in due time. As of now, Dolphins fans have been put on notice. Miami may have found a super sleeper at a desperate position of need, and if that motor translates, Llewellyn won't stay under the radar for long.
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