Ever since Jon-Eric Sullivan took the reins of the Miami Dolphins franchise, he's received the benefit of the doubt. When he released several high-priced veterans, fans understood. When he opted to let most of the 2025 Dolphins depart in free agency, filling their spots with minimally priced veterans, belief remained steadfast.
There was admittedly some trepidation when he opted to trade away arguably the team's most valuable player, Jaylen Waddle, a decision that didn't quite mesh with the expectations he set when he signed Malik Willis to an affordable, but not insignificant, contract. Even still, fans lined up behind their new franchise steward and swore things would be different, that these moves were simply part of the process.
The NFL Draft is arguably the most important part of a general manager's job; it's supposed to be their bread and butter. It's why you frequently hear GMs spouting off to anyone who will listen that the team is built through the draft. In Jon-Eric Sullivan's first go-around, he had a very rough time. His debut was a lot more John Beck and a lot less Dan Marino. The data is nauseating, so buckle in. But remember, there's still light at the end of the tunnel.
Draft study paints a harrowing picture of Jon-Eric Sullivan's first Miami Dolphins draft class
In an effort to gain some insight into the Dolphins' draft class, I went into the lab and pieced together some data. Using Pro Football Network's consensus big board, I jotted down each player's ranking and the position at which they were drafted. Subtract those two numbers, and ta-da, you've got an idea of how the team did on that selection. Here's an example to drive it home: the Dolphins selected Kadyn Proctor with the No. 12 overall pick. As the No. 19 player on the consensus big board, his value would be -7, or a slight reach, but nothing to fret about.
Unfortunately for Dolphins fans, Miami tied for ninth-worst in the NFL, accumulating -346 points over their 13 selections and 'reaching' an average of 27 slots per pick, which ranked 18th. Now, teams are known to treat the sixth and seventh rounds as a glorified game of darts.
Sometimes, they draft someone who's never even played football before. No, seriously. This year, the Eagles drafted an insane athlete (Uar Bernard) in the seventh round because he is such an athletic specimen — we're talking 300+ pounds, 4.63 speed, and a reported 6% body fat here — that they figure he must be able to play something. Anyway, to avoid penalizing these low-risk picks, we removed sixth- and seventh-round selections from the sample.
Regrettably, the change actually made the Dolphins plummet further. Their -380 points in the draft's most important rounds ranked second-worst behind the 'reachy' 49ers. At least their volume of picks dulled the average slightly, with each pick coming at an average reach of 35 slots, placing 26th.
This should obviously trouble Dolphins fans, as the new head man in charge displayed some 'happy feet' in his first draft under the gun. Now, I know what you're thinking. You've probably already balled up your 'WADDLE 17' jersey and anything else you own emblazoned with the Dolphins' cursed logo, with your sights set on a tank of gasoline and a pack of matches to bring the suffering to an end. Take a deep breath. No one said this fandom was for the faint of heart, and it's a lot like the Hotel California anyway.
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
Jon-Eric Sullivan deserves the benefit of the doubt on his first draft; there is plenty of potential in the newest Dolphins
In all seriousness, every single person has tried something for the first time. Learning curves exist for a reason. You can stack thousands of days in an NFL front office, but until you're the one calling the shots, you simply can't know what you don't know. The draft may have revealed a troubling number of reaches. That's okay.
For one, a player's story simply begins on draft day. What happens from that point is entirely up to them. I can rattle off hundreds of players who've far exceeded their draft positioning. It's one of the greatest things about sports in general. By no means should fans ever stop holding their favorite franchise accountable; that's not the idea here. In an effort to bring some levity to the situation, though, it's important to remember that this was only Sullivan's first go-around.
Maybe Sullivan's picks will be proven right a few years from now. In that case, Dolphins fans will gladly take him rubbing our skepticism in our faces with a winning team as the result. There's only one way to find out how this will all play out, and that's to sit back and enjoy the show.
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