The more Jon-Eric Sullivan speaks, the more excited Miami Dolphins fans get. It goes without saying that drastic changes for any NFL franchise among decision-makers lead to unbridled excitement from the fanbase. Changes rarely happen because things were going well, so the change of pace is almost always met with open arms.
With the obligatory admission that the Dolphins have yet to play a game under the new regime, the early reviews are glowing. The NFL's owners' meetings have been underway in Phoenix, which set the stage for Sullivan and new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley to conduct some interviews with a variety of media.
As told by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Jon-Eric Sullivan gave a brutally honest assessment of the team's cornerback group — a welcome change from the previous regime — while also dropping an unmistakable bit of draft strategy fans should come to expect.
"That whole back end is competing for their jobs. I like who’s on the roster. Those guys would all tell you no one has established themselves for whatever reason, whether it’s injury or inconsistent play. We are going to put them in a bag and shake them up and see who wins the job. I’m going to do everything in my power if there’s one available that’s a stud, I’m going to go get them ... Nobody has earned anything yet. Nobody has established themselves yet back there. That’s just the truth of the matter."Jon-Eric Sullivan
Jon-Eric Sullivan's latest comments show another side to the Miami Dolphins new GM
For starters, it's been well-documented that the Dolphins' cornerback room is, well, unproven. They went bargain hunting in free agency, adding three veterans — Darrell Baker Jr., Alex Austin, and Marco Wilson — but there is a reason these players were available at or near league-minimum salaries, and Sullivan said it himself. They're not established players, and they likely came to Miami in hopes of a fair opportunity.
That competition can only be good for the entire roster. When there is an established hierarchy in the locker room, complacency sets in, and you end up with the 2025 Miami Dolphins. Sullivan and Hafley are clearly setting out to change the status quo in Miami. The eyebrow-raiser in JES' comment, however, was his reveal that he's got some "dawg" in him.
Since taking over, Sullivan has preached about stockpiling draft picks. At one point, he said his job was to turn the Dolphins' eight picks into 11 or 12. Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick trades later and, voila, he now has 11 picks. This might have led some fans to believe that Sullivan will be uber-conservative when it comes draft time, refusing to trade up for the right player.
Well, we can put that to bed now. Sullivan's vow that he will "go get them" if there's a stud available in striking distance proves he's not lacking in courage. What's more, it's the latest clue pointing a very specific direction in which the Dolphins may be looking with their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
At the same league meeting, Sullivan listed the strengths of the draft class in his estimation. Cornerback was not among them. A name that has been connected to the Dolphins in a variety of mock drafts is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who visited Miami on a top-30 visit. These comments from Sullivan will do nothing to quiet that noise.
As far as "studs" go, Delane is the cream of the crop of this year's group. He is the seemingly unanimous top cornerback prospect in the class. As Pro Football Focus' No. 9 overall prospect (first among CBs), his 90.5 grade in 2025 was frankly otherworldly. He is frequently mocked between picks No. 10 and No. 15, right in Miami's neighborhood.
If Jon-Eric Sullivan wants to go grab a stud at a position where nobody has established themselves yet, good money is on Mansoor Delane being that guy.