When the Miami Dolphins hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan to replace Chris Grier this offseason, fans were hoping to see an entirely different approach to team building. I think it's fair to say that they have gotten their wish four months into his tenure.
Between the mass exodus of overpaid veterans and the bargain-bin free agent shopping spree (save for quarterback Malik Willis), Sullivan has all but erased the stains left by his predecessor. He has prioritized clearing the books of contracts and players who wouldn't have been in their primes by the time Miami is ready to compete.
Then, there is his first draft class as a GM. Love it or hate it, his massive 13-player haul had a clear vision behind it that fans should be excited about. Outside of the selection of Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas at pick 75, the rest of Sullivan's top draft picks all were either right on value or easy to justify.
If fans still aren't convinced, maybe the words of opposing executives could change their minds. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler dropped an article on Wednesday filled with opinions on each team's draft class from rival front offices, and Sullivan received plenty of praise for his first go-around.
Rival NFL executives heap praise upon the Miami Dolphins first draft class under Jon-Eric Sullivan
It's hard not to come away with at least a solid draft class when you have the draft capital Sullivan had at his disposal this year, but Fowler's report is still telling.
"They killed it," one executive told Fowler about Miami's class. "They got a mix of talent and culture guys, and all of the moves made sense." The same executive named fourth-round linebacker Kyle Louis as a player to watch out for, saying that "He'll be a good starter in the league."
Dolphins fans should take these reports into account when deciding how they feel about the 2026 class, but there are still plenty of question marks that are hard to ignore. First-round pick Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama has all the talent in the world, but weight issues and a potential move inside cloud his evaluation.
The aforementioned Caleb Douglas was a surprise pick at 75 for a reason, and drafting a blocking tight end (even one as good as Ohio State's Will Kacmarek) at 87 could easily look rough down the line if he isn't a difference-maker in the run game.
Overall, I believe this class will at least produce far more positive results than any class in recent Dolphins history, not that the bar is particularly high. If everything breaks their way, though, this could be the class that kicks off a long, successful run for Sullivan as Miami's GM.
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