ESPN’s latest 7-round 2026 mock draft breaks the mold for the Dolphins — but not in a good way
ESPN’s Matt Miller put his GM hat on for all 32 teams and his Dolphins picks are…interesting.
Predictively drafting for every team in the NFL Draft is an impossible talk. Just look at the track record of all the best names in the industry with their hit-rate on mock drafts. But the Miami Dolphins are an especially challenging team to nail down this offseason.
It’s in part because the team has so many needs. But it doesn’t help that the team also has so many picks, so when someone attempts to run a 7-round mock draft for all teams, let alone just Miami, you end up getting vastly different looking classes each time. ESPN’s Matt Miller is the latest to try his hand. I see the vision with his picks for the Dolphins — but I also have one big issue with his crop.
ESPN’s Matt Miller provides good talent for Dolphins 7-round mock, but leaves one big question
Miller’s full crop for the Dolphins includes USC wide receiver Makai Lemon and Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood in the first round, tight end Eli Stowers in the second round, plus Michigan LB Jaishawn Barham, Kansas State safety VJ Payne, Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III, and Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt in the top-100 picks.
There’s logical fits here at plenty of spots and no one is denying that Miami has need at all those positions. But here’s the thing — if you told me the Dolphins made seven picks in the top-100 and drafted just one player who is authentically a “line of scrimmage” player on the heels of promising to build the team from the “inside-out”, I’d have a lot of questions.
Two wide receivers, two defensive backs, and a tight end are all undoubtedly “necessary” needs for Miami. But Barham, the team’s lone pass rush addition with their early picks in this scenario, is 240 pounds. He used to play linebacker (and still does at times). Zuhn is a projected conversion inside after playing tackle in college. Did Miami really get any better on the line of scrimmage in this exercise? I don’t think the answer is yes. And so while I really like the fits of the players Miller picked, I just think the tonality of this hypothetical class is one Miami should aspire to be different then when the real thing rolls around.
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