Miami Dolphins leadership apparently called their shot pre-draft on what it would look like after the first round

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we wound up with Proctor and Johnson?” Well…that’s exactly what the Miami Dolphins got.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Oct 5, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson (1) warms up before the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Snapdragon Stadium.
Oct 5, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson (1) warms up before the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Snapdragon Stadium. Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

The 2026 NFL Draft was a busy lift for the Miami Dolphins and their team leadership. Miami snagged 13 picks in total, infusing their roster with hordes of young players to help kickstart this rebuild.

But how close to the team’s dreams this this year’s draft land? We’ve heard Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley say that offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor was always their guy with their first pick. Indeed, they got him. But a new report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer casts some new light on everything. A Proctor and (CB Chris) Johnson pairing was coveted enough by Miami that they called their shot pre-draft.

The Miami Dolphins apparently snagged their dream pair in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft

Oct 5, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson (1) warms up before the game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Snapdragon Stadium.
Oct 5, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs cornerback Chris Johnson (1).Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

“The Dolphins felt strongly enough about (Proctor’s background) going into the draft that, on the Thursday afternoon of the first round, Sullivan off-handedly remarked to assistant GM Kyle Smith, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we wound up with Proctor and Johnson.” Johnson was San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson—a very clean prospect in a class of flawed DBs, with the three-position flexibility to play corner, nickel and safety—and, yup, the Dolphins got him, too.”

— Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer

Welp. That seems good. If general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan turns out to be the talent evaluator we believe he is capable of, it would seem this regime is off to a roaring start. Yes, there is still some projection involved, as Proctor is going to live inside for the time being thanks to the presence of two other offensive tackles in Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson. But regardless, I’ll be judging the combination of Kadyn Proctor and Chris Johnson knowing that they were this group’s guys. This was a combo they called their shot on ahead of time, after all.

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