Dolphins fans will love what top draft prospect said about Jeff Hafley

The Miami Dolphins have several positional needs heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. One glaring position is cornerback, and with Miami picking outside the top 10, is one many draft analysts have the Dolphins going with when it's their turn on the clock.

On Thursday, at the NFL Scouting Combine, talk of the Dolphins going cornerback in Round 1 might have pumped up even more. That's because LSU's Mansoor Delane, a clear first-round talent, mentioned that he's excited to talk with Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley during the process.

The mention was brief, but Delane made it with a smile on his face, hinting that Miami may be a place of preference for him when his name is called in late April. Hafley had tried to recruit Delane when he was the head coach at Boston College. He was unsuccessful then, but it could be a different result this time around.

LSU's Mansoor Delane excited to speak with Miami Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley

Critics of Hafley like to point to his 22-26 overall record at Boston College as a failure of him as a head coach. Yet, his supporters would argue it was actually quite the accomplishment, given the massive odds against anyone who coaches at BC. Particularly in the age of NIL, the fact that he was able to get the Eagles bowl eligible in three of his four seasons was quite impressive.

As mentioned, Hafley was unsuccessful in his recruitment of Delane at Boston College, who spent the first three years of his career at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU for his senior season. But judging by Delane's body language and tone, the young cornerback's decision to decline Boston College seemed to have had more to do with the program than Hafley himself. In fact, one could argue that Delane grew fond of Hafley in his recruitment attempt and is highly interested in working with him at the professional level.

As noted, the Dolphins are short on cornerbacks going into the 2026 season. Last year, they drafted Jason Marshall Jr. in the fifth round. The year prior, Storm Duck was brought on as an undrafted free agent and was at one point CB1 last season before going down with an injury. Then, they claimed JuJu Brents off waivers following roster cuts ahead of Week 1 in 2025. As of now, those are Miami's only surefire players seemingly returning for the 2026 season.

That's why it makes sense that so many mock drafts have the Dolphins either taking Delane or Tennessee's Jermod McCoy with their first pick. McCoy, though, missed the entirety of the 2025 season with a torn ACL. Otherwise, it's possible he could be considered a near lock to be a top-10 pick. With the injury happening last January, all signs point to McCoy being okay, and he's even been medically cleared. Yet, the Tennessee CB is still opting to skip workouts at the NFL Combine this year.

McCoy's decision could be considered a major red flag to the Dolphins' front office and is almost assuredly one for the majority of the fan base. While it's quite possible McCoy is the better prospect between him and Delane, opting for the former may draw too many similarities to a pick that former general manager Chris Grier would make. That is, drafting and/or signing former injured players at a "discount."

Meanwhile, I hesitate to call Delane the "safer" option, as he was a unanimous All-American this past year with the Tigers. He was recognized for his lockdown coverage and did not allow a touchdown all season long. His type of skill set is exactly what Hafley and defensive coordinator Sean Duggan should be looking for in developing young secondary players.

There are likely to be other players higher on the Dolphins' board, particularly edge rushers. But with guys like David Bailey running themselves out of reach at the NFL Combine, secondary options like Delane may be the best player available when Miami is on the clock. Nevertheless, he'd still be a slam-dunk selection for GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's first pick.