Miami Dolphins GM can't afford to 'swing and miss' in NFL Draft

MIAMI GARDENS — Jon-Eric Sullivan is about to enter his first NFL Draft as a general manager, but it’s not his first NFL Draft, period.

Sullivan joined the Miami Dolphins from Green Bay, which has had its share of success in the draft and on the field. One of the lessons he learned while with the Packers should serve him well in Miami.

“I worked in Green Bay with a guy that used to always say, ‘Be careful about trying to hit the home run and make sure you just hit the double off the wall,’ ” Sullivan said in his pre-draft news conference.

Especially with his two first-round picks, Sullivan doesn't plan to ignore that piece of advice.

“What you can’t do is swing and miss,” Sullivan said.

The Dolphins have a history of doing just that, whiffing in Round 1 on pass rushers including Eric Kumerow and Dion Jordan as well as cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, to name a few. Sullivan is more committed toward making certain that with his 11 draft picks, he gives the Dolphins good players “you can win with.”

Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan discusses the upcoming NFL Draft on April 15, 2026.

Troy Aikman expected to be with Dolphins during draft

Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman continues to be in the Dolphins’ picture.

Aikman was brought in by owner Stephen Ross to aid in the search for the team’s general manager and head coach, yet he continues as an advisor as a side job to his primary role as ESPN analyst.

“Troy will be part of the equation moving forward,” Sullivan said. “What that looks like, we’ll see. But he’s a great sounding board and I’m glad he’s going to be part of the equation.”

Sullivan said Aikman will be at the Dolphins’ facility during the draft April 23-25.

“He’s certainly welcome in the draft room,” Sullivan said, adding that Aikman will not be consulted before picks are made.

Does Jon-Eric Sullivan dream of drafting Francisco Mendoza?

You could say Sullivan is fired up for his first draft as a GM, including having the final say on picks.

“The last two nights in a row, I’ve woken up in the middle of the night literally with my hand — like I’m dreaming that I’m taking a tag off the board.”

Whom is he dreaming of drafting?

“I’ll keep the names to myself,” he said.

Sullivan has had trouble falling back asleep at such times.

“It’s 3 o’clock in the morning and I’m just laying there thinking about, ‘What if this pops up?’ ” he said. “So yeah. I’m excited. I’m fired up. I think we’ve got 11 picks, seven in the top 100. If we do our job right — and we will — it’s an awesome opportunity to lay the foundation for what we’re building.”

Dolphins more likely to trade down than up

Sullivan said he’ll always pick up the phone when GMs call during the draft with proposals. But make no mistake, with so many needs, he’s glad he has 11 picks this year and isn’t in the market to have fewer shots at finding talent. So don't expect the Dolphins to trade up.

“I think it probably is fair to say more likely to move back than up,” he said. “I think we need all 11 picks, but you never say never.”

The importance of character and the Rueben Bain Jr. question

The Dolphins, like all the teams in the top half of the first round, have decisions to make about Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr.

It was recently reported that Bain was cited for careless driving in a 2024 accident that proved fatal for a 22-year-old woman.

Bain has the talent to be taken early, but will the accident make teams such as the Dolphins rethink things? Speaking generally about prospects who have issues in their past (rather than addressing the Bain situation specifically), Sullivan said there’s no simple answer.

“There’s so many layers that go into where you end up putting a player on the draft board,” he said. “Obviously, the character piece is a huge part of that. I think it’s boots on the ground (doing research), that’s where it starts.”

Sullivan said it’s important to develop relationships with a player’s school. That way, the Dolphins can interview a handful of people to get a complete picture of a player.

“Look, young people make mistakes,” Sullivan said. “I know I did. I’m sure y’all did. But it’s like anything in life — you start to look for patterns. Most of us are smart enough to understand that when I make a mistake, I’m going to learn from it. And I’m not going to go down that path again. The ones that scare you are the ones that keep making the same mistakes over and over again. And I would say it’s probably best for all of us in this league to avoid those kind of guys.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins GM says he's not out to take bad risks in NFL Draft