NFL Draft grades 2026: Miami Dolphins reactions after 13 picks

Mel Kiper, Jr., ESPN

**Grade: B** Top needs entering the draft: Wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback, right tackle, safety I ran out of room adding needs to my list. This roster needed everything. Everything. And as such, no one really knew which of their weak positions they’d hit at No. 11 and No. 30. Of course, the latter pick came over from Denver when the Dolphins traded Jaylen Waddle. Coupled with releasing Tyreek Hill, that pushed WR to the top of the needs list. Neither of those first-rounders went that direction, which might cause some problems for new quarterback Malik Willis. But Miami added Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 after a one-slot trade back netted two fifth-rounders. He has the experience (40 starts) and quickness out of his set to handle the right tackle position. Incumbent Austin Jackson missed 11 games last season, and Larry Borom left in free agency. The Dolphins had to do something there, and Proctor has been a buzzy name over the past two months. He played exclusively left tackle at Alabama, but I’m confident he can flip to the right side based on the agility I see on tape. Proctor might not be catching passes for Willis like a receiver at 11 would have — or maybe he will? — but he’s going to help the Dolphins’ new quarterback even so. The next pick came after a slight trade up, moving up three spots to No. 27 at the cost of moving from No. 90 to No. 138 later in the draft. With 13 picks on hand at that point in the draft, that’s 100 percent worth it — especially to land Chris Johnson, who I bumped up to CB3 in the class. The Dolphins’ cornerback room was in shambles, and Johnson immediately brings his ball skills (six interceptions and 16 pass breakups over the past three seasons) to the starting lineup. But what about receiver? Caleb Douglas was a reach (No. 148 overall going 75th) and Chris Bell is coming off a torn ACL. Granted, Bell has first-round level talent when healthy, and he can produce over the middle, downfield and after the catch. But I didn’t see enough done to the WR room. Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert are still the WR1 and WR2 on this roster, respectively. That’s an issue. I’m a big fan of Jacob Rodriguez, and Kyle Louis is a baller who will line up all over the place and make plays. Miami ultimately made 13 picks, and a lot of these players are going to see the field in 2026, whether they’re ready or not.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

**Grade: A** Best Pick: Second-round linebacker Jacob Rodriguez from Texas Tech will prove to be a big-time player on their defense. He has the ball instincts you love for the position. Worst Pick: Third-round tight end Will Kacmarek is a good blocker, not a great one, but is limited in terms of his receiving skills. The Skinny: Jon-Eric Sullivan had a heck of a draft. I loved the pick of tackle/guard Kadyn Proctor in the first round. They then loaded up on a bunch of good players with their remaining picks. Receiver Caleb Douglas will prove to be a steal.

Carter Bahns, CBS Sports

**Grade: B+** R1 (12) Kadyn Proctor — OT, Alabama A+ R1 (27) Chris Johnson — CB, San Diego State A R2 (43) Jacob Rodriguez — LB, Texas Tech A R3 (75) Caleb Douglas — WR, Texas Tech D+ R3 (87) Will Kacmarek — TE, Ohio State B R3 (94) Chris Bell — WR, Louisville A- R4 (130) Trey Moore — EDGE, Texas B R4 (138) Kyle Louis — LB, Pittsburgh B- R5 (158) Michael Taaffe — S, Texas B R5 (177) Kevin Coleman Jr. — WR, Missouri B R5 (180) Seydou Traore — TE, Mississippi State B- R6 (200) DJ Campbell — IOL, Texas B- R7 (238) Max Llewellyn — EDGE, Iowa A- Miami had needs across the board heading into the draft, which afforded it the ability to take the best player available with each selection. That’s one of the perks of being squarely entrenched in a rebuild. The Dolphins signed what might be their franchise quarterback in Malik Willis in free agency, and now they have more protection for him in the form of Kadyn Proctor. He was a polarizing prospect in the pre-draft process because of his size — a major asset that could also limit him if he isn’t able to play at a manageable weight. If Miami gets the best version of him, he can stick at left tackle and become a building block of this rebuild. On defense, Chris Johnson could be a lockdown corner for years to come, while Jacob Rodriguez was the best defensive player in college football last year. That’s a pretty exciting pair of players. The only whiff of Miami’s draft came in Round 3 with the Caleb Douglas pick. Renner called it “one of the biggest reaches of the draft so far, not only on my board, but also on the consensus board where he was outside the top-200.”

Rob Rang, Fox Sports

**Grade: D** With an NFL-high 13 draft picks used, no team was better positioned to make a splash in the 2026 draft than the Miami Dolphins — but I’m not convinced this class will prove much better than a belly flop. Don’t get me wrong, there are some prospects added that I think are going to be quality NFL players. Specifically, I love the selections of cornerback Chris Johnson, wideout Chris Bell and linebacker Kyle Louis, and I like the additions of Jacob Rodriguez and Kevin Coleman, as well. But the Dolphins started off the class with, literally and figuratively, one of the “biggest” gambles of the draft in Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor. There are teams that could afford such a roll of the dice, but I don’t believe the Dolphins are one of them. Similarly, while I like Texas Tech wideout Caleb Douglas, I don’t see him as a future No. 1 wideout in the NFL or, frankly, appreciably better than the two pass-catchers GM Jon-Eric Sullivan nabbed later in Bell and Coleman. The Dolphins are in the midst of a complete roster rebuild, so I have no doubt that most of these players will make the team. But will Miami be one that wins more than a handful of games next year? I have my doubts.

Matt Vederame, Gilberto Manzano, SI.com

**Grade: B-** No team needed more help in the draft than Miami, and the Dolphins addressed multiple areas of need. Proctor, Johnson, Rodriguez and Douglas are all potential starters as rookies. Bell is the ultimate boom-or-bust pick, as he’s coming off a torn ACL but has explosive talent, evidenced by his 917 yards and six scores in 2025. The big question is whether Proctor works out, as he struggled with weight issues throughout college. Ultimately, the Dolphins took 13 players, including five pass catchers to help Malik Willis.

Nate Tice, Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports

**Grade: C** Here’s why: This is just one opinion, but the Dolphins’ first-round picks are a bit risky. Kadyn Proctor has struggled with his weight throughout his college career and the recent history of oversized offensive tackles is mixed. Chris Johnson had some decent tape last season, but there are questions about how he’ll physically be able to hang in the NFL. However, the Dolphins grabbed some solid value on the second and third days of the draft with Jacob Rodriguez, Chris Bell and Kyle Louis. Most interesting pick(s): Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech and Kyle Louis, LB, Pitt Both of these guys have the potential to play a lot of snaps, but it was curious to hear that Louis was announced as a linebacker when he has the frame of a safety. If they both stick whenever Miami moves on from Jordyn Brooks, Louis and Rodriguez are a small but speedy linebacker duo which will stress offensive fronts. How these two eventually pair together may define this draft class.

Connor Rogers, NBC Sports

**Grade: B** The Dolphins’ new regime brought in a 13-player class to turn over a roster they clearly strongly dislike. Proctor is a big swing in the top 15. He has unique size and power, but he needs to keep his conditioning in check. Chris Johnson feels like the total opposite, as he’s a higher-floor pick that projects as a number two corner. Jacob Rodriguez is slightly undersized but he is constantly around the ball and creates takeaways. He will quickly be a leader for this team. The Caleb Douglas pick makes zero sense to me and I don’t think he will ever have a real impact on their offense, but Chris Bell could become a dynamic threat in the short and deep areas of the field once healthy. Will Kacmarek was one of my favorite blocking tight ends and it was perplexing to see other players that fit that role drafted over him, this was nice work by Miami in the third round. My favorite day three pick was Kyle Louis, a chess piece player who can cover running backs and instantly handle a subpackage role at linebacker. Overall, Miami was volume shooting in this draft and got enough players who will help turn things over to their style and scheme. The Dolphins’ new regime brought in a 13-player class to turn over a roster they clearly strongly dislike. Proctor is a big swing in the top 15. He has unique size and power, but he needs to keep his conditioning in check. Chris Johnson feels like the total opposite, as he’s a higher-floor pick that projects as a number two corner. Jacob Rodriguez is slightly undersized but he is constantly around the ball and creates takeaways. He will quickly be a leader for this team. The Caleb Douglas pick makes zero sense to me and I don’t think he will ever have a real impact on their offense, but Chris Bell could become a dynamic threat in the short and deep areas of the field once healthy. Will Kacmarek was one of my favorite blocking tight ends and it was perplexing to see other players that fit that role drafted over him, this was nice work by Miami in the third round. My favorite day three pick was Kyle Louis, a chess piece player who can cover running backs and instantly handle a subpackage role at linebacker. Overall, Miami was volume shooting in this draft and got enough players who will help turn things over to their style and scheme.

Pro Football Focus

**Grade: B+** **Highest-graded pick (2025)**: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech Red Raiders (93) **Proctor**: The Dolphins have a near-clean slate with needs across the board, and they chose to address the trenches early with a massive addition up front (6-foot-7, 350-plus pounds). Proctor is a three-year starter at left tackle for Alabama and is coming off a career-best 86.1 PFF grade in 2025. It remains to be seen where he will slot into the Dolphins’ offensive line, but he raises the talent level of the group up front for Miami. **Johnson**: The Dolphins’ secondary was one of the league’s worst units entering the 2026 season, regardless of position. Johnson was one of the bigger risers in the pre-draft process, coming off a 2025 season at San Diego State in which he earned an elite 92.4 PFF coverage grade and allowed a passer rating of just 16.1 on passes into his coverage. **Rodriguez**: Rodriguez has elite football IQ but lacks the physical tools to match. His instincts keep him in position, though his limited range and power cap his ceiling. **Douglas**: Douglas has the height and length to project as an NFL “X” receiver. However, concerns with his long speed and hands make it difficult to envision a consistent contributing role. He will need to add strength across the board to stick on a roster as a boundary receiver. **Kacmarek**: Kacmarek is a 6-foot-6, 258-pound tight end who ranks No. 383 on PFF’s Big Board, bringing strong size and athletic traits with height and weight in the 84th and 89th percentiles, along with an 86th-percentile vertical jump and 73rd-percentile broad jump. His receiving role was limited in 2025 at Ohio State, as he caught 15 of 17 targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards after the catch per reception. He went 1-for-2 in contested situations and generated a 147.1 passer rating when targeted. He also offers value as a blocker, as he earned a 72.2 pass-blocking grade in 2025 and has posted run-blocking grades above 69.0 in each of the past three seasons. **Bell**: Bell offers an impressive blend of size — particularly weight — and explosiveness as a WR2 in a vertical offense. Some tightness in his lateral movements limits his ability to win with nuanced route-running, but when kept on vertical or horizontal routes, he can generate separation on deep routes and create yards after the catch on shorter touches. **Moore**: Moore was deployed all over the field at Texas, flashing as an effective blitzer with a 78.8 PFF pass-rush grade driven by his athleticism. However, his slight frame presents challenges projecting to either edge defender or linebacker, and his struggles in coverage — including a 50.6 PFF grade in 2025 — could limit him to a more specialized pass-rushing role. **Louis**: Louis is an undersized linebacker who projects best as a versatile space defender. In the right role, he can be an impact nickel player thanks to his explosiveness and coverage ability. **Taaffe**: Taaffe wins with intelligence and anticipation rather than physical traits. His size and athletic limitations mean he will need to earn his role through consistency and awareness. **Coleman**: Coleman’s smaller frame likely limits him to a primary slot role at the next level. His ball skills and efficiency provide value, as he posted a 53.7% career contested-catch rate and averaged 6.1 yards after the catch per reception, while maintaining a low drop rate. Those traits give him a chance to carve out a role in a receiving corps. **Traore**: Traore entered college with just one season of high school experience and began his career at Arkansas State before moving to Mississippi State. His role remained limited in that offense, with fewer than 400 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, but his athletic traits stand out. He ranked in the 90th percentile at the position in separation rate against single coverage across that span. **Campbell**: Campbell’s arm length, ability to get off the ball and pass-protection reliability — allowing just four sacks over the past two seasons — provide a foundation for an opportunity at the next level. However, his technique will need refinement to sustain a long-term role.