When the Miami Dolphins selected Caleb Douglas in the top of round three, fans rolled their eyes. When they took Will Kacmarek later in the round, fans could see the brutal rebuild in front of them. Then came Chris Bell, who is coming off a December ACL surgery.
Bell is ahead of schedule in his recovery; that's great, but it doesn't mean he will be back to start the season. Doctors are optimistic, but reality is something different. Fans wanted to know why the Dolphins passed on prospects who were at least healthy.
On Friday night, after day two of the draft, Jon-Eric Sullivan met with the press and made it crystal clear that this Dolphins team is not being built for 2026.
"We would expect him to help us this year, but it's a long-term investment. "Jon-Eric Sullivan
Miami Dolphins admit that they are building for a future at the expense of this season
Miami fans know that this season will be tough, as will 2027 if we are being honest with ourselves. Despite that, we had hope that Jeff Hafley, saying we are not here to do anything but win, might actually change our mindset. Sullivan made it clear that rebuilding this team will take time.
Time is what we have, or hope to have. For years, Dolphins fans waited for Chris Grier to turn the team around despite never having a true focus or an agenda that everyone could see. Grier was building nothing. At least nothing with a plan.
The best thing Stephen Ross did was bring Troy Aikman's voice into the room. He established the policy of giving the GM the control he needs to define his direction.
Drafting Bell is a good start. As Sullivan said, if he were healthy he wouldn't be there.
Jon-Eric Sullivan on Chris Bell:
— The List - Dolphins Podcast (@TheListFinsPod) April 25, 2026
"I think most will tell you if he wouldn't have gotten injured he's probably not sitting there anywhere close to where we got him.
We would expect him to help us this year but it's a long term investment. The talent and upside are very high." pic.twitter.com/K9Ea7wqlRu
The Dolphins got a guy who could be the number one WR in another season, if not by the end of this one. He has all the talent to be that receiver, and Miami may have gotten him for a bargain late on day two.
Drafting Bell is a risk, but so is every other player you bring onto the team. Bell may not be ready for the season, that's ok. The Dolphins don't need him this year; they need him for the years after.
Add us as a preferred source on Google