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Michael Taaffe received a call during the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, which he initially thought was spam. The call turned out to be from the Miami Dolphins, marking a significant moment in his football career.
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AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 28: Defensive back Michael Taaffe #16 of the Texas Longhorns runs onto the field after being announced on senior night before the SEC football game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on November 28, 2025, at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
At a draft party with former teammates like Arch Manning, Andrew Mukuba, and Jahdae Barron, Michael Taaffeâs phone rang during the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, right at the high range of the draft projections for the former walk on and fifth generation Longhorn who developed into an All-American on the Forty Acres.
The call showed up as potential spam, but Taaffe didnât care.
âI just was like, âMan, this has got to be it,ââ Taaffe said.
It wasnât spam â it was the Miami Dolphins selecting Taaffe with the No. 158 pick. He doesnât remember much else.
âRight when I answered, I kind of blacked out, and all I heard it was it was Miami,â Taaffe said. âI was just so relieved.â
The 6â0, 190-pounder is now joining former teammates Trey Moore and Quinn Ewers in South Beach. Taaffe had even discussed with Ewers the possibility of landing in Miami after a pre-draft Zoom call with defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Ryan Downard.
Michael Taaffe received a call during the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, which he initially thought was spam, but it was from the Miami Dolphins.
Michael Taaffe celebrated at a draft party with former teammates Arch Manning, Andrew Mukuba, and Jahdae Barron.
Michael Taaffe is a former walk-on who developed into an All-American player at the University of Texas.
The Miami Dolphins called Michael Taaffe during the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jaguars add QB Joey Aguilar after 2026 NFL draft

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âI said, âI really liked yâallâs coach, this is awesome. What happens if yâall take me?â And he said how cool it would be, and so now here it is. Itâs awesome,â Taaffe said.
âIâm just so blessed and nothing could be better than a spot in Miami.â
Ewers was quick to welcome Taaffe to Miami on social media.
And privately.
âHe said, âWe canât wait to get you down here and weâre going to kick it off.â Heâs going to show me the ropes, so itâs going to be awesome.â Taaffe said.
The Taaffe family might have blacked out, too.
âThey were just amazed,â Taaffe said. âWeâd been waiting for a while, and they were just in shock. They didnât believe that the moment would actually come to reality, and when it happened, it felt like a fever dream. So, they were so happy for me. Theyâd been waiting and waiting and trying to be as cool as they could about it, and it was awesome.â
Taaffeâs selection is another coup for Austin-area performance coach Bernard âBamâ Blake, who trained Taaffe, Mukuba, and Barron before their successful college careers. Now all three are in the league.
âCrazy,â Taaffe said of their accomplishments. âWeâve talked about this since high school and to think this would actually be a reality, itâs hard to really believe because we probably all didnât believe it at some point in time, to think that we would all have been NFL draft picks and playing in the NFL, and Iâve got to go earn it. Iâve got to go make a roster, but itâs just an exciting for this day. Iâm going to go enjoy it.â
Taaffe closed with a message to Longhorn Nation.
âItâs just such a big thank you, Longhorn Nation,â Taaffe said. âYou mean everything to me. Iâll forever bleed Burnt Orange, and the fan base will forever be in my heart. Iâll forever remember my time at the 40 acres, and I know theyâll keep supporting me, and hopefully weâre just getting started.â