The Miami Dolphins made a surprising move with their first first-round pick on Night 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft with the selection of Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. With Miami Hurricanes pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. still available, the pick is naturally getting some mixed reactions.
However, the move back from pick 11 to 12 in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys was initially responded to with unanimous cheers based on how the board had fallen in front of them. To move back just one spot, the Dolphins picked up two fifth-round picks (Nos. 177 and 180 overall) for their troubles.
Several thought that there would be an opportunity for general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan to make a move back, and that he would be eager to, since admitting that he likes to have as many darts to throw at as possible. Yet, the initial belief was that Miami would be able to move out of the No. 30 selection instead.
Nevertheless, the early trade with Dallas limited the possibility of Miami moving back again in Round 1, and it almost became a certainty with the Los Angeles Rams' surprising selection directly behind them.
Rams draft Ty Simpson at 13, derail any trade-back scenarios for Miami Dolphins at the bottom of Round 1
When the Giants made the trade with the Bengals to acquire the 10th overall pick, I mentioned a scenario where I could see the Dolphins talking to the Cowboys about a move back. Miami did not take who I projected they would, but it similarly played out.
Meanwhile, I also noted a recent mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., where he had the Dolphins moving down from pick 30 in a move with the Cardinals that allowed Arizona to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
The trade with Dallas already made the chances of the Dolphins moving back again from their pick at 30 slim. The trade with the Cowboys also pushed the Dolphins to 13 total picks in this draft, and the most among all teams.
Yet, if there was still the slightest chance that a team like Arizona or another QB-needy team could sneak back into the first with the thought of taking Simpson, that thought was derailed immediately with the next selection in the draft.
Making arguably the most surprising pick thus far in the draft, the Rams took Simpson off the board at No. 13 overall. Simpson had been linked to the Rams previously in the draft process, but that was before they traded the No. 29 pick to the Chiefs for cornerback Trent McDuffie. Los Angeles still owned the 13th overall selection from a previous trade with the Falcons, but thoughts of taking Simpson that high soon dwindled.
At the end of the day, though, the Rams decided it was worth taking Simpson that high and learning behind Matthew Stafford for a bit. As a result, Miami's dream chances of a trade-back scenario to pick up more capital likely also evaporated. It was a minuscule possibility to begin with, but it could have been interesting if Simpson had remained available.
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