Jeff Hafley shares intriguing perspective on Dolphins’ first-round pick that should create major excitement for what comes next
It’s a big draft process for Miami, and head coach Jeff Hafley is hopeful that the first couple of picks can be significant contributors for the future of the franchise.
The Miami Dolphins had a busy draft last month, selecting 13 players in the 2026 NFL Draft. The team was particularly busy in the first three rounds, snagging multiple players in Rounds 1 and 3.
Miami addressed a number of needs quickly, snagging big Alabama OL Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 overall after trading with Dallas and then trading up to No. 27 to land San Diego State CB Chris Johnson.
Former Seattle Seahawks great Richard Sherman talked to Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley about the draft process. According to Hafley, Proctor will surprise a lot of people.
Jeff Hafley says Dolphins’ first round pick Kadyn Proctor could make people wonder how he made it to 12 in a few years
“For us, Proctor, I mean, when he was still available for us to pick then when we picked — because we moved back and got two extra picks and he was going to be the guy we took at 11, but we got him at 12 with two extra picks on top of it, which I thought was an awesome job by Jon-Eric (Sullivan) — with his size and his potential and how young he is.
“He’s a guy that we could be looking at down the road, and people are going to say, ‘wow, how did that guy get drafted at 12?’ At a premium position with how young he is and how big he is, and how talented he is, that one I think people might look back on in a few years and try to figure out what made him fall, too.”
Dolphins HC Jeff Hafley says Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez falling to them at No. 43 was the biggest surprise
The biggest surprise, though, as our Kyle Crabbs mentioned here, was linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
“One guy I didn’t think would be there when we took him was probably Jacob Rodriguez,” Hafley said. “I thought he would have been picked sooner. Just his college tape. I think the upside, I think the potential, I think the leadership capability, the playmaking ability, the production. I thought he would have been gone by that pick, so when he was still there, that one, we were all pretty excited about that pick.”
Rodriguez was arguably the best linebacker in college football last year, spearheading a tough Red Raiders defense that led the program to a Big 12 title and the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. He finished with 128 combined tackles, six passes defended, four interceptions, an FBS-leading seven forced fumbles, and a sack. He was a unanimous first-team All-American as a result.
He built on his strong season with a terrific showing at the NFL Combine. He finished at the top of the three-cone and shuttle drills for his position and ran a solid 4.57 40-yard dash.
He will slot in next to one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Jordyn Brooks, which will only help his learning curve go more vertical quickly.
After all, the Dolphins are hopeful that they added some building blocks to start a new era in Miami.
