Who has final say when Dolphins are selecting in the 2026 NFL draft?

The Miami Dolphins are set to enter an NFL draft for the first time without Chris Grier serving as general manager since 2016, and it's the first time that he won't be in the draft room at all this century.

With Jon-Eric Sullivan taking over for Grier, and Jeff Hafley taking over for Mike McDaniel as the team's head coach, there are some questions about who has final say (Grier, Hafley or owner Stephen Ross) when the Dolphins are on the clock during the 2026 NFL draft.

However, the general manager quickly cleared that up during a media availability this week.

"Stephen is as supportive of an owner as you can be. Obviously, he's the owner of the team and that speaks for itself. It's my call," Sullivan said.

Sullivan also stated that he's definitely listening to the coaches and their input as he makes the ultimate decision at the end of the day.

"The coaches are incredibly important to what we do, make no mistake about it, and they've put a ton of work into it," Sullivan said. "I think anytime they have a vision for a player, it gives me clarity, sometimes more so than others. I appreciate their feedback, I appreciate their vision, and it's important to me, but by the same token, I have a responsibility to do what I feel is best for the Miami Dolphins. I'm not going to ever go out of my way to shove a player down the throat of a coach that he doesn't want, but there will be times when maybe we see things differently. Ultimately, the final decision comes down to me, and I'm going to do what's best for this place."

This will be Sullivan's first time running a draft room, so it will be interesting to see how he approaches the task, but with two picks in the first round, he has some big decisions to make right away that could completely alter the direction of the franchise for the next decade. He wants that onus on him.

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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Who has final say for Dolphins when making a pick?