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2026 Trying for Quality

Draft Selections
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 11 RND: 1 (MIA)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Omar Cooper Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (MIA)
Omar Cooper Jr.
WR Indiana
Blake Miller Head Shot
PICK: 75 RND: 3 (MIA)
Blake Miller
OT Clemson
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (MIA)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (MIA)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Max Iheanachor Head Shot
PICK: 111 RND: 4 (MIA)
Max Iheanachor
OT Arizona State
Drew Allar Head Shot
PICK: 149 RND: 5 (MIA)
Drew Allar
QB Penn State
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 166 RND: 5 (MIA)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Roman Hemby Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (MIA)
Roman Hemby
RB Indiana
Zen Michalski Head Shot
PICK: 227 RND: 7 (MIA)
Zen Michalski
OT Indiana
E.J. Williams Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 228 RND: 7 (MIA)
E.J. Williams Jr.
WR Indiana
Draft Picks Received
Keylan Rutledge Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (BUF)
Keylan Rutledge
OG Georgia Tech
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 95 RND: 3 (NE)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 166 RND: 5 (BUF)
Bud Clark
S TCU
Roman Hemby Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (NE)
Roman Hemby
RB Indiana
E.J. Williams Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 228 RND: 7 (BUF)
E.J. Williams Jr.
WR Indiana
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (NE)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (NE)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 87 RND: 3 (NE)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 90 RND: 3 (BUF)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Draft Grade — Dolphins
Overall C+
ValueC NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
Flashes of a plan, unevenly executed. Dolphins: C+.

Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Dolphins spent the 228th pick on E.J. Williams Jr., a name most had 102 spots down the list. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Spending an early pick on cornerback with edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.

That is a quarterback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.

In the end, one you will need a couple of seasons to truly judge.

Pick Analysis
Pick11 Rnd1 Mansoor Delane
In pick 11 they get a lockdown presence outside at fair value. More want than need.
Pick43 Rnd2 Omar Cooper Jr.
Value said wait; Omar Cooper Jr. in the 43rd overall pick says they were not listening. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick75 Rnd3 Blake Miller
Blake Miller at slot 75 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick91 Rnd3 Keylan Rutledge
Keylan Rutledge in the Round 3 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick95 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
Of all the spots to shop, they chose cornerback. D'Angelo Ponds in Round 3, Pick 31 leaves edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots for later.
Pick111 Rnd4 Max Iheanachor
Max Iheanachor at the 111th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick149 Rnd5 Drew Allar
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Drew Allar at pick 149. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick166 Rnd5 Bud Clark
Bud Clark at the 166th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick189 Rnd6 Roman Hemby
A real head-scratcher, Roman Hemby in slot 189 is miles ahead of his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick227 Rnd7 Zen Michalski
Zen Michalski at pick No. 227 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It fills a real need, too.
Pick228 Rnd7 E.J. Williams Jr.
They left a pile of value on the table to take E.J. Williams Jr. this early at the Round 7 slot. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.