The ultimate watershed moment for new Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is officially imminent, as we're now in the month of April and the 2026 NFL Draft. Sullivan's long stay in Green Bay's front office yielded many quality rosters built primarily through the draft.
Well, with two first-round picks, a second-rounder, and a whopping four third-round selections, Sullivan will set the tone for this new Dolphins era with what could be a monster rookie class.
And by "monster", I mean in terms of exorbitant quantity. The key will be for Sullivan to actually net Miami some quality players who are capable of stepping in sooner rather than later. One mock-up of Round 1 that just dropped is the type of dream haul the Fins are looking for.
Miami Dolphins gift Malik Willis a top weapon & draft potential CB1 in "ideal picks" scenario
NFL.com's Eric Edholm pitched the most ideal top two picks for all 32 NFL teams. Thanks to the Jaylen Waddle trade, the Dolphins have the 30th overall pick in addition to their own choice at No. 11.
Edholm went with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon at Pick 11, followed by Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood toward the end of the first round. Here's his rationale:
"There’s a legitimate value question about taking Lemon 11th overall, as he’s somewhat limited in terms of size (5-foot-11, 192 pounds) and raw athletic traits. But giving Malik Willis a high-volume, high-floor target would be a smart call, considering the dearth of weaponry in the pass game. Miami has needs in plenty of other spots, too, but landing a longer corner like Hood just made too much sense to me as Jeff Hafley continues to remake his defense."
No question the Dolphins need a legitimate wide receiver for quarterback Malik Willis. In fact, head coach Jeff Hafley publicly hinted that Miami could use multiple picks to address that position.
Lemon is the type of sure-handed stud in the slot who would feast in the Fins' West Coast style of offense that's predicated on precise route-running and yards after the catch. Last season at USC, Lemon forced 21 missed tackles, but also had the 15th-most deep yards in the country, per PFF.
The reason to highlight the latter strength of his game is to underscore how Lemon plays a lot bigger than his allegedly "undersized" frame. He came down with 10 of 14 contested catch opportunities, too, en route to 11 TD catches and 1,156 yards on 79 receptions in 12 games.
Another key factor as Miami moves toward a heavy youth movement: Lemon only turns 22 in June, and Colton Hood actually only turned 21 in February.
Hood is more renowned for his man coverage ability than zone, yet the massive growth he showed in 2025 hints at a player who's rapidly ascending. Before landing in Tennessee, the feisty corner barely got on the field at Auburn and struggled at Colorado.
Something really shifted once Hood landed with the Vols. After missing 10 of his 26 tackle attempts in 2024, he had only four misses on 54 attempts last year. His high-end coverage ability was already on display the previous season, but Hood married that with improved technique and far better form in run support and finishing plays in general.
Although the small-ish sample size could discourage some teams from drafting Hood on Day 1, the Dolphins' surplus of draft capital gives them more free rein than most to take risk-reward fliers. Hood doesn't even really fit that bill. He has all the traits and apparent mentality to be a high-end starting cornerback on the boundary.
Whomever Miami drafts there, whether it's Hood or someone else, will have no shortage of opportunities to prove themselves. Hood needs to keep racking up on-field reps. There's no better landing spot for him to do that than with the Dolphins under a savvy defensive mind like Hafley.