‘I’m nowhere near where I need to be’—one of the Miami Dolphins’ best young talents keeps proving them right for drafting him
The 2026 season has offered a strong start for several young Miami Dolphins. But one of the most important ones is only focused on where he needs to get better.
It’s been a good start for Miami Dolphins rookie lineman Kadyn Proctor thus far in his NFL career. Proctor was a bit of a surprise selection at No. 12 overall in this year’s NFL Draft, as Miami spurned standout Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and local product Reuben Bain Jr. in order to select the mammoth lineman from Alabama.
It’s a move that’s played out with great promise for Miami. Not that you’d know it from listening to Proctor, though. Fresh off Miami’s first win of the season, Proctor was asked to self-assess his play thus far in 2026. And his answer gives some great insight into why Miami liked him so much in the first place.
Miami Dolphins rookie guard Kadyn Proctor is dialed in on his growth
“I’m nowhere near where I need to be, for sure. But I would feel like run game; I’ve always been a mauler. I just need to focus on staying on blocks and finishing blocks, just having more effort in that regard. And then pass pro, just focusing on my hands. Sometimes I get a little reachy, which was OK when I was playing left tackle sometimes, but you can get beat inside a lot quicker. So you have to be very accurate with your hands at left guard, so focus on that.”
— Miami Dolphins rookie left guard Kadyn Proctor
Go ahead and file this one under “things you love to see”. Proctor has been quite good for Miami. But his self-assessment is full of small details and self-awareness about what can be better. Hearing the first-year guard talk about how his execution can and should change in the weeks ahead can give you a bit of a peek at the competitor that Proctor is.
It was something that was mentioned when Proctor was drafted: his desire to be great. A refusal to rest his laurels on a promising start to his career and instead, openly and publicly, focus on where he feels he needs to grow only further amplifies that. Miami needs more of this: a true desire to improve and a stiff-arm to complacency. Especially now that a win has entered the conversation for this young team. How will they respond now? WE know, at the very least, how it’s impacted Proctor…which is not at all.
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