If the Miami Dolphins aren't going to make the playoffs, the next best thing is for them to get the best possible draft pick as possible. After their blowout loss to the Bengals in Week 16, the Dolphins crept into the top 10 of the first round, so some good came out of the defeat.
Tankathon has the Dolphins slotted in at the 10th pick for April's draft, and that's a solid situation for this year's team to be in. Of course, it could be better, as the Dolphins clearly will need a quarterback for the 2026 season after making it known they'd like to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, and 10th overall won't be enough to get them one of the top prospects.
Here's what the first 15 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft would look like:
Number | Team | Record | Strength of Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York Giants | 2-13 | |
2 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-13 | |
3 | Cleveland Browns | 3-12 | |
4 | New York Jets | 3-12 | |
5 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-12 | |
6 | Tennessee Titans | 3-12 | |
7 | Washington Commanders | 4-11 | |
8 | New Orleans Saints | 5-10 | |
9 | Cincinnati Bengals | 5-10 | |
10 | Miami Dolphins | 6-9 | |
11 | Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) | 6-9 | |
12 | Kansas City Chiefs | 6-9 | |
13 | Dallas Cowboys | 6-8-1 | |
14 | Baltimore Ravens | 7-8 | |
15 | Minnesota Vikings | 7-8 |
Miami Dolphins may be done contending but draft leverage is quickly growing
The Dolphins could still lose out on the season, as they end the year against the Buccaneers and Patriots, two teams with a lot to play for in the final two games. That's not the case for the Dolphins, and if they finish the year at 6-11, they should be able to creep up a few more spots.
At this point, draft positioning is what Dolphins fans are going to keep their eye on in the final two games. A top-10 pick could help this team out a lot in rebuilding their roster in 2026 and hopefully beyond.
As far as what that high draft pick could be spent on, the Dolphins need help at quarterback, tight end, and offensive line on offense, and cornerback and safety on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately, there will be plenty of players at those positions available for the Dolphins to add, and hey, maybe they'll really be bold and trade all the way up to the first pick for Indiana's Fernando Mendoza as PFF predicted they would in a recent mock.
There's a lot that can happen between now and April, so we'll have to see how things shake out for the Dolphins in the next few months.