Dolphins load up in 7-round mock that follows Jon-Eric Sullivan’s blueprint

Now that Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan has had a little bit of time to settle in after many years in the Green Bay Packers' front office, he's given an exclusive interview about how he approaches team-building.

Draftniks across Dolphins fandom will be thrilled to hear that Sullivan leans heavily on home-grown talent acquired from the draft. That's no surprise, since the Packers have adhered to that for decades and will continue to in perpetuity.

The main takeaways from Sullivan's lengthy sit-down chat are that he wants to build through the trenches and not have a team of "mercenaries" but rather draft picks who come up together, band together, and ultimately win together.

So with all that in mind, check out the video below if you like. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy a seven-round mock based on Sullivan's vocalized blueprint for rebuilding the Dolphins into a contender.

Miami Dolphins 7-round mock draft leans into size & trench warfare

We'll have more extensive breakdowns of picks from the first three rounds, followed by a summary of what Day 3 of the Dolphins' 2026 draft might look like. This is gonna be fun, because Miami has three third-round picks this year.

To start, how about a local product...the pride of The U?

Round 1, Pick 11 — Francis Mauigoa, OL, Miami (Florida)

Some may knock him for a lack of ideal arm length to play tackle, but Francis Mauigoa is a three-year starter at right tackle and is an absolutely dominant force to be reckoned with.

For the Dolphins, Mauigoa could either kick inside to right guard, or become the immediate or eventual successor to oft-injured Austin Jackson at right tackle. James Daniels could also pivot to left guard if Mauigoa settles in there.

Drafting Mauigoa opens up all kinds of flexibility for the Dolphins' offensive line. In addition to logging an 85.4 PFF grade on true pass sets, he's been an awesome run blocker in college. Plus, he appeared on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List, boasting a top sprinting speed of 18 mph.

Imagine someone like Mauigoa, 20 years young and 315 pounds, flying at you at that velocity. Good luck! This is a sprint-the-card-in type of mock pick to kick off the Jon-Eric Sullivan era.

Round 2, Pick 43 — Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Now I know I said the lines of scrimmage would be a major focus, but Miami can't neglect clear needs. Sullivan's predecessor, Chris Grier, did that too often, and did so at cornerback before last season in rather defiant-ignorant fashion.

Chris Johnson's competition level in the Mountain West will be a possible sticking point. However, he's a phenomenal zone corner who isn't afraid to stick his nose in the mix in run support, missing just three tackles this season.

Boasting a PFF zone coverage grade of 91.9 in 2025, Johnson allowed an overall passer rating of only 16.1, with zero TDs yielded and four interceptions.

Now we know that Sullivan has hired his Cheesehead buddy, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, as the new Dolphins head coach. Hafley loves to play zone, specifically Cover 2, Cover 3, and Cover 6. Just look at Green Bay's coverage splits through the penultimate game of this season:

You couldn't dream up a better fit for Hafley's system than Johnson. Additionally, Johnson is a thick cornerback, listed at 6'0", 195 pounds.

One of Sullivan's key quotes from the interview is as follows: "There's a saying in our business. Fast gets slow but big doesn't get small."

Johnson ain't a small dude for a cornerback. Pending Dolphins free agent Jack Jones is listed at 175 pounds. Veteran Rasul Douglas likely won't stick around for a rebuild. Chris Johnson is another no-brainer pick in Round 2 if he's still on the board.

If Sullivan wanted to, he could move up with some of these third-round picks and/or future assets to ensure he secures the services of Mauigoa and Johnson. Heck, I would in his position, were it necessary. What a haul of two top picks this would be for the new-look Dolphins.

Round 3, Pick 75 — Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State

Going back to the well of Penn State pass rushers, Miami nabs Dani Dennis-Sutton from the Nittany Lions. Overshadowed by the likes of Dolphins first-rounder Chop Robinson and Giants star Abdul Carter in consecutive years, Dennis-Sutton finally took center stage in 2025.

Without either of those two absurd athletes to take the burden off of Dennis-Sutton, he still backed up his 8.5-sack 2024 campaign with just as many this last year. He had a 15.5% pass rush win rate and 14 QB hits among 28 pressures.

Robinson regressed in Year 2, and given the tough money-related decisions on the horizon for Sullivan, Bradley Chubb could be a salary cap casualty. That creates a bigger need on the edge of Miami's defensive front than many may realize. Sullivan could do a lot worse than the 6'5", 265-pound Dennis-Sutton to get the job done there.

Round 3, Pick 87 — Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Part of the reason the Dolphins need pass rushers is that they shipped away Jaelan Phillips to Philadelphia before the NFL trade deadline for this draft pick. Doing business with Eagles GM Howie Roseman is always risky, but if the pick pays off for Sullivan, so be it!

Texas Tech's 230-pound linebacker, Jacob Rodriguez, has had an incredible past couple of seasons in Lubbock. We're talking 255 combined tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, 10 passes defensed, five interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles. He posted a 92.3 PFF coverage grade and a 94.8 run defense grade in 2025.

Does it get much better than that? Talk about flying all over the field and having a nose for the football. Rodriguez would bring much-needed coverage help to a Dolphins linebacker corps that features Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson, who are excellent run defenders but struggle versus the pass.

Round 3, Pick 90 — Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame

The Houston Texans made a rather audacious move to trade their 2026 third-rounder to Miami to select running back Woody Marks in the fourth round of last year's draft. You do you, Nick Caserio!

Marks has turned into a fine player, and Houston's current feature back, to be fair. Anyway, nice for Miami to have yet another top-100 pick — and to use it on a mammoth wide receiver whose knack for big plays could definitely be useful.

Malachi Fields is listed at 6'4", 222 pounds. Massive fella. Only had a 2.7% drop rate this past season because of how good he is as a pure hands catcher. Case in point, the play below:

These uncanny ball skills are just what whoever the Dolphins' starting QB in 2026 would love to have. Jaylen Waddle is a legit WR1, but Miami has little else in that position group with the presumed release of Tyreek Hill.

Fields isn't going to wow with his route-running or suddenness. He would be an outstanding complementary piece to the passing attack, though.

Dolphins 7-round mock: Day 3

• Round 4, Pick 111 — Bray Hubbard, DB, Alabama
• Round 5, Pick 149 — Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss
• Round 7, Pick 227 — Dallen Bentley, TE, Houston

Who knows what Minkah Fitzpatrick's future holds? Assuming he sticks with the Fins, whether he plays deep safety or nickelback more in 2025, Alabama's Bray Hubbard could align wherever Minkah isn't.

Hubbard had four interceptions in his final season for the Crimson Tide, missed only 9.1% of his tackles, and played 382 snaps as a box safety in addition to 203 at free safety and 185 from the slot. Versatility is his calling card, and he can lay the wood at 6'2", 213 pounds.

Zxavian Harris is an exotic big body at 6'8", 330 pounds. Between 2025 first-round pick Kenneth Grant's athleticism at 339 pounds and veteran Zach Sieler's towering 6'6" presence, Harris could slot in nicely to Miami's d-line rotation.

Finally, we arrive at Houston tight end Dallen Bentley. All three of the Dolphins' top tight ends are hitting free agency. They'll probably retain at least one, but Bentley would be a nice supplement to whoever is kept.

Bentley has a 61.7 run blocking grade from PFF, and had zero drops on 48 receptions on the year. He tied for sixth among tight ends with 10 missed tackles forced. Not bad for a 6'4", 259-pounder.