For his first NFL Draft as the general manager of the Miami Dolphins, Jon-Eric Sullivan surely had a lot of options to choose from. Ending the draft process with 13 selections, Sullivan did a clear job of "getting his guys" and providing a glimpse of what he wants to build around. Yours truly admits that some of Sullivan's picks felt underwhelming, given how the board had fallen, but he at least drafted with an identity in mind—something that's been sorely missing from this organization for a long time.
Regardless of which way people felt about Miami's draft from a value standpoint, the most disputed of the Dolphins' picks was Texas Tech wide receiver Caleb Douglas. The Dolphins used their first of three third-round picks to take Douglas, to almost immediate backlash. Initially, my instincts were that Malachi Fields would be the pick for Miami prior to the Giants moving up in front of them to take the Notre Dame WR, and it seems the latest draft report points to that being the case.
Had the Giants not done that, this wouldn't even be a topic of conversation. Yet, by all accounts, Douglas was a reach from where he was selected. But Sullivan isn't backing down, and at least one analyst is on some level of agreement with the Dolphins' GM.
Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan backs Caleb Douglas pick on 'The Joe Rose Show'
It's still too early to cast doubt on Sullivan's draft decisions, but the Douglas pick is getting the majority of attention for all the wrong reasons. Prior to the draft, though, Sullivan made it clear that each pick is his call, and he's already proving it by sticking by the Douglas pick.
Speaking on "The Joe Rose Show" early Wednesday morning, Sullivan elaborated on why the Dolphins took Douglas at No. 75 overall:
"We were a big fan of Douglas. He's unique in the sense he's a 6'3" and change body type, long limbed. But he can drop his weight, he can get lateral, he can get in and out of cuts, he's got really quick feet. We felt he had upside, he was not as good as he is going to be. Everybody's approach to the draft is different, but if I can help it, I like to take guys whose best ball is in front of them. He's a great kid, he works."
"He works" will be enough to satisfy a portion of the fan base; Understandably so, as it has been an issue with several players over the years. Yet, Sullivan's remark about Douglas being "not as good as he is going to be" is what stood out to me the most.
One thing Dolphins fans should understand—and I had to catch myself a couple of times over the weekend as well—is that Sullivan is not drafting for right now, he's drafting for the future. He knew in his mind that Douglas would be considered a reach at 75, but he didn't care. Sullivan believes in Douglas' upside and didn't want to chance missing out on him by waiting.
And if Sullivan's intuition is true and Douglas becomes a stud, he'll go from reach to steal in an instant.
NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund ranks Caleb Douglas No. 2 in her 2026 rookie WR rankings
NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund, meanwhile, sees a world where Sullivan looks like a genius, and Douglas winds up having a breakout rookie season. In ranking her most productive rookie WRs of 2026, Frelund surprisingly ranked Douglas No. 2 in her rankings, ahead of Carnell Tate and behind only Makai Lemon.
Frelund admits "that we have to fast forward a little bit to fantasy" in her productive projections and argues for the opportunities that Douglas will have immediately in Miami.
"Who else is there? Who's he competing with?," Frelund asked.
It's a completely fair question to ask. Going into the draft, Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert were arguably Miami's top wide receivers for 2026. Based on veteran experience, they probably still are, but neither is cut out to be a team's WR1 in the long run. It will also be their first years in Miami, and if Douglas can show even the tiniest inkling of the player Sullivan believes him to be, he can easily jump them and take the mantle.
Frelund also mentioned Miami's other third-round WR selection in her analysis, Chris Bell. A majority were in favor of Bell's selection, with the mindset that the Louisville WR could've gone in the first round had he not torn his ACL towards the end of last season. Miami picked him 19 spots behind Douglas, but the belief is that Bell is the better player and will showcase as much when he returns to full health.
Frelund admitted that she wanted to rank Bell alongside Douglas in her rankings, simply for the vast target share that is left available for the Dolphins now that Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and a plethora of others are no longer in town. A timetable for Bell's return has not been set, but Sullivan does believe he'll play this year.
Like with Douglas, Bell was drafted for the future, not now. If Sullivan turns out right on both prospects, and Malik Willis shows his worth as the Dolphins' franchise quarterback, Miami's offense could turn heads quicker than expected. And as Frelund pointed out, the Dolphins' rookie wide receivers will get every opportunity to prove it.
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