Miami Dolphins Mailbag: 2026 draft strategy, off-limits positions early, and shedding the ‘soft’ label
Your most pressing Miami Dolphins questions as the 2026 NFL Draft lingers.
It’s already been a fascinating offseason for the Miami Dolphins.
There’s change, sweeping change, and then there’s this. Miami’s been tearing things up root and stem — sprinting towards an NFL record in the way of dead cap charges for a single season. Over 60% of Miami’s cap accounting this year is going to be committed to players no longer with the franchise. It means that young, cheap players are going to play. A lot. And it also means this year’s draft is a vital boost of talent to the roster.
All of this leaves plenty of questions. I asked you for all of yours for our first Miami Dolphins mailbag.
Miami Dolphins mailbag: 2026 NFL Draft strategy, shedding the ‘soft’ label, and more
Trading up in the 2026 draft?
I don’t think the Dolphins are in the business of trading up. I would never say never if the right player happened to stumble into a draft day fall, but Miami’s sweeping needs across the roster and the law of averages for draft hits & misses necessitates volume in my mind.
Perhaps Jon-Eric Sullivan ends up disagreeing. But I’m seeking trade downs if I’m the Dolphins, not trade ups. I’d also be interested in seeing if Miami ends up moving out of a pick altogether in favor of some 2027 capital in the right circumstances. The massive spike in draft picks is awesome — but it’s currently a one-off and they need surplus to work with going forward.
Double dip positions in April?
I can see the strength of the wide receiver, tight end, EDGE rusher, cornerback, and safety classes all warranting a double dip when you consider the state of the roster. Double dips are a Packers-ish thing to do, too. They nailed down two receivers in the top-100 in 2025, linebacker AND safety in the top-120 in 2024, tight end in the top-100 in 2023, and offensive line AND wide receiver in the top-150 in 2022.
I suspect safety and wide receiver are the two most likely groups we see it this year, but I don’t think either scenario would include the pick at No. 11 unless Caleb Downs is on the board.
TE Kenyon Sadiq a “no brainer”?
You certainly wouldn’t get a complaint out of me if Sadiq is the pick. He’s a plus athlete, is a high motor blocker, effective in space with and without the football. Sadiq is currently my 13th rated player in the class (I have 15 first round grades). But I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a no-brainer; as the positional value conversation here is very real with potential candidates on the offensive line, at pass rusher, and at cornerback all looming as other contenders for the same pick.
And the economics of the draft are a negative to this idea, too. The 11th overall pick is scheduled to collect about $18.5 million in compensation in 2026 — that’d be No. 1 at the tight end position by about $3.5 million over the current leader, Kyle Pitts. Pitts is currently on the franchise tag.
Shedding the ‘soft’ label
Man. Great question. I’ll give you two names I like for each of the Dolphins’ picks in the top-50:
- No. 11 overall: Penn State offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane and Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa
- No. 30 overall: South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
- No. 43 overall: LSU safety AJ Haulcy and Illinois EDGE defender Gabe Jacas
Trade DT Zach Sieler
I don’t know if I expect Zach to be traded but I am sure it will be something that doesn’t go away until one of two things happens: he does get dealt or September 1st. And I think we can get some potential clues in April. If the Dolphins were to draft another defensive tackle early, I do think that sets the stage for the numbers to favor Zach being moved. The Dolphins current rookie pool is currently set to command north of $10 million of the $20 million in savings the team is set to gather from the Post-June 1st designated release of Bradley Chubb, so if Miami keeps and makes all those picks AND selects a defensive tackle early, watch out.
So why September 1st? Sieler is due an option bonus payment of $14.91 million by August 31st. Once that’s paid, I have to imagine they’ll keep Zach on the roster. But if they get the right offer before that payment is due between June 2nd and September 1st, his 2026 dead cap charge would save Miami nearly $2 million in additional cap space and another $16.72 million in cash off the payroll.
Jeremiyah Love in the first round?
Love is a phenomenal player. He’s my third highest rated player in the class, so I would understand the value of drafting a player of his caliber at No. 11 from a true best player available standpoint. But wow, would I be underwhelmed with the decision to draft a running back amid all the other needs on this team and the promise of this regime to build the roster from “the inside out”.
Now if you drum up interest as a means of getting a nibble for someone to trade up for him? Great. Awesome. I would love it. I fear this one is probably a moot point, as I expect Love to be gone at either No. 4 to Tennessee or No. 5 to the Giants when the draft rolls around.
Day 2 EDGE defenders that fit
Some names to know on the edge for when Miami makes their pick at No. 43: the aforementioned Jacas from Illinois, UCF’s Malachi Lawrence, Missouri’s Zion Young.
When you get down into the gaggle of picks Miami has in the third round, here are some names I’d have circled as candidates in that area of the top-100: Michigan’s Derrick Moore, Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs, Auburn’s Keyron Crawford, and Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton.
I’m personally fond of Jacas as an option at No. 43 and Crawford is a very intriguing talent who gets overlooked by some due to sharing the defensive line with Keldric Faulk a presumed top-30 pick.
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