Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has been very honest in his limited exposure to the media since taking the job.

He doesn’t know the answer to some of the biggest questions lingering over the roster just yet — that process is just getting started. But what we do know about what the man they call “Sully” aspires to do with this roster is to build up the presence along the line of scrimmage.

And that they’re going to build through the NFL Draft. Deductive reasoning suggests we can probably guess what direction Miami will lean this April in the 2026 NFL Draft. What could the whole product look like when it’s all said and done? Here’s a seven-round 2026 NFL mock draft to explore what ‘building inside-out’ could look like this spring.

Miami Dolphins 2026 7-round NFL mock draft ahead of this year’s Senior Bowl

Round 1, pick 11 – Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn Tigers

Faulk is just a pup — he doesn’t turn 21 until September. You wouldn’t guess it by a passing glance: this former five-star recruit is every bit of 6-6, 285 pounds. Faulk was named Third-Team All-SEC in 2025 and has terrific power and motor as the foundation of his game.

He’s physical, alignment diverse, and just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of as a pass rusher. If you’re leery about getting another Chop Robinson, I’d say this: It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison for the style of each player.

They almost play two different positions with the size/physicality profiles. And Faulk has the ability to play inside shade on offensive tackles or line up all the way out in a wide-9. This player, alongside the young defensive tackles who got so much run last year, gives the defensive front an exciting future.

Round 2, pick 43 – Gennings Dunker, OL, Iowa Hawkeyes

Speaking of exciting futures on the line of scrimmage, adding a powerful blocker like Dunker to the ranks of Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer, and (hopefully) a developing Jonah Savaiinaea gives the Dolphins the bedrock of a reliable unit.

Dunker has played right tackle and both guard spots during his college career — he’s likely better serving as a guard in the NFL, but Miami will have the flexibility to try to accommodate this 315lb mauler at either spot, especially if they move on from one or both of Austin Jackson and James Daniels this offseason.

Round 3, pick 75 – AJ Haulcy, SAF, LSU Tigers

Haulcy is a transfer from Houston who popped in a big way for the Tigers in 2025. He’s listed at a hefty 220 pounds, but don’t mistake him for a box safety; he’s logged eight interceptions and an additional 10 passes defensed in the last two seasons. Neither season has yielded a passer rating above 65 when targeting him in coverage.

Speed is a question, and positional value could dip him down into this range of the draft, but Haulcy would benefit greatly playing under Jeff Hafley, who found a way to immediately get good play out of 2024 rookie Evan Williams as a big safety in Green Bay.

Round 3, pick 87 – Chandler Rivers, CB, Duke Blue Devils

Rivers is an instinctive player with ample experience at the college ranks — he’s logged nearly 3,200 defensive snaps for Duke over the last four seasons. He’s probably a nickel first in the pros, but he brings the right demeanor to be an impactful insert player into the alley and serve as a run-support player to go along with his outlook in coverage.

Miami simply needs more options in the secondary, and I don’t see it as worth getting picky over inside or outside talent when they need fluid, aggressive, smart defenders on every level.

Round 3, pick 90 – Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Be still, your beating heart! A big wide receiver! Malachi Fields is listed at 6-4 and 222 pounds, offering a hilarious contrast to the Mike McDaniel era of wide receivers in Miami. If you want a wide receiver who can block and support the run, have a wide receiver who is built to do so. That’s Fields, who is also a bit of a field stretcher and averages over 15 yards per reception on 165 career catches.

He logged a career-best 17.5 yards per catch and had five touchdowns for the Irish in 2025 after four seasons at Virginia.

Round 4, pick 111 – Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF Knights

Lawrence took a big leap as a pass rusher for UCF in 2025. He finished fifth in the conference with pressures (40) and had some of his best work against some of the best opponents on the schedule.

He logged six pressures against North Carolina and another eight against Baylor. Lawrence is fresh off a good week of practices at the Shrine Bowl, where he measured 6-4, 247 pounds and had a 33.5″ arm measurement. He’s quick out of the blocks with fast hands and appears to have some bend.

Round 5, pick 149 – Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor Bears

Sullivan stated he aspires to draft a quarterback in Miami every year or every other year. The team is going to be hotly tied to QB Malik Willis in free agency for the next six-plus weeks until the free agency period officially opens.

Tua Tagovailoa appears not to be for long in Miami at this stage. So even if the team lands Willis, let’s start the “draft a quarterback” trend now. Robertson has prototypical stature, good arm strength, and has been a productive starter for the past two seasons with the Baylor program.

He also has a big opportunity this week at the Senior Bowl to make a splash and help himself in this quarterback class.

Round 7, pick 227 – Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati Bearcats

Caldwell is hard to miss. He’s listed at just short of 6-5 and 208 pounds. He posted modest production in Cincinnati in 2025 but had some monster numbers at small Lindenwood College before transferring to Cincinnati for his senior season.

He’s a renowned athlete who is expected to run in the 4.4s in the 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process. He’s a plus athlete with length — a great late-round flier for a team aspiring to “draft and develop” to take a chance on in the seventh-round.

Miami Dolphins News

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Kyle Crabbs