Three 2026 NFL Draft EDGE defenders you should start giving the Dolphins in your mock drafts more after the NFL Combine

These three EDGE defenders need to be taken seriously as fits for the Dolphins.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL Combine is in the books for the big guys on the defensive line. The 40-yard dashes have been run. The bench has been pressed. The interviews completed. Now, it is onward to Pro Days. For the Miami Dolphins, this group figures to be in play early and often in their 2026 NFL Draft plans.

The Dolphins don’t have much of anything at all at their disposal on the edge. Chop Robinson is entering into a pivotal third year in the league. What else ends up being around him? Your guess is as good as mine. Let’s consider three EDGE defenders who did well here in Indianapolis who should start being more present in the mock drafts for the Dolphins between now and the end of April.

Three EDGE defenders you should start mocking more to the Miami Dolphins

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan defensive lineman Jaishawn Barham (DL33) runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Michigan Wolverines EDGE Jaishawn Barham

Barham is a mid-round player but offers some really fun upside in the right area of the draft, which for me is in the middle rounds. He’s ideally a player I’d be targeting early on Day 3 and if he goes before that, we’ll just keep pushing. He’s not a big guy (241 pounds) in the grand scheme of EDGE defenders, but he plays a frantic brand of football with a lot of variety in the places he can align.

If you wanted another slashing style rusher to pair with Robinson and, potentially, push him with competition for the same role within the defense, I think Barham is a name I’d like.

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; UCF defensive lineman Malachi Lawrence (DL48) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.

UCF Knights EDGE Malachi Lawrence

Yeah buddy the only thing faster than this cat’s first step is his draft stock. He played around 255 pounds at UCF last season, has 33.5″ arms, posted some mind-boggling testing numbers (4.52s 40-yard dash, 40.00″ vertical, 10’10” broad jump), crushed the East/West Shrine Game.

Two scouts I spoke with this week in Indianapolis expressed that they thought Lawrence could be the highest drafted player off of the Shrine Bowl roster this season. The expectation was top-100, but that number could very easily become top-64 after a strong week of testing.

Lawrence needs to further develop his run game prowess. But the pass rush profile and athleticism, particularly considering he’s north of 250 pounds, is undeniable.

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson defensive lineman TJ Parker (DL55) on the SiriusXM NFL Radio set at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.

Clemson Tigers EDGE T.J. Parker

So…do I love the idea of drafting T.J. Parker at No. 11 overall? No, not necessarily. Barring a trade back, would it be necessary to do so if he was “their guy” in Miami? Yeah. And I like Parker better than I do Keldric Faulk from Auburn, who is about as unpopular as a mock draft pick for Miami that you’ll find right now.

I’m not a Faulk hater by any means and I see the appeal there. But Parker has good size (263 pounds) and length (33.13″ arms) to go with one of the most effective long-arm and speed to power rushes in the class. He’s been productive, particularly in 2024 when the wheels didn’t fall off the bus for the Tigers’ entire defense.

Parker is ideally an option in a trade-down scenario for the Dolphins. But he fits the Packers’ model of EDGE defenders quite well and I think that is hard to ignore.

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