Football

Dolphins Post-Draft Monday Mailbag: Examining Realistic Expectations

By Alain Poupart Sports Illustrated

Updated April 27, 2026 2:21 PM

Part 2 of the post-draft Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From miamidolphinsfan82:

How surprised were you the Dolphins continued to reach on multiple picks on players that were consistently ranked multiple rounds from where the Dolphins drafted them. I.e. the 75th pick?

The big question is whose rankings are we supposed to believe. I can assure you the Dolphins went by their own rankings. The only one I've seen, where most analysts would say "reach," is Douglas. And a team picking players that the media has ranked lower takes place all the time with every team.

From Bladeaux:

Why the small edges when we already can't set the edge? And has the staff given any indication they will try to switch Kyle Louis to SS?

Yeah, Trey Moore and Max Llewellyn are not known as great edge setters, and that remains a major need for the Dolphins. This simply was a matter of not having the right prospect at the Dolphins' picks. As for Louis, head coach Jeff Hafley said that Louis would get some snaps at safety, though he'll be mostly at linebacker.

From Tone Toto:

How many have to be good to great players for this to be an A draft?

That's something that's going to differ depending on who you ask, but for me I've got to have at least five good players with two of them great to get to A level.

From Ed Helinski:

Which, if any, of the Dolphins picks nearly got you head scratching?

The two that jump out are third-round selections Caleb Douglas and Will Kacmarek. I just think there were a lot of better options at wide receiver, and with Kacmarek it's simply of matter of the third round being pretty pricey for a blocking tight end.

From DundeeDolphin:

What does this draft tell you about the priorities of the team?

Very simple, size and physicality on offense, position versatility on defense.

From Mmmm:

What's the plan at WR? What's on the roster and what they drafted is woefully insufficient.

This is going to disappoint you, but I'm thinking is the plan will be to roll with what's currently on the roster and I hope than any combination of the UFAs or draft picks have a productive season.

From Marko Sango:

What surprised you? Did they adequately address edge position?

Hey Marko, have to say I was a bit surprised they would make a first-round pick of a player who's got a bigger risk factor than some other prospects who were available. And, no, they didn't address the edge position adequately, but just don't look at this as a one-year rebuild.

From rla1999:

Who are you most intrigued by the guys drafted so far?

The most intriguing to me just might be third-round tight end Will Kacmarek because I'm curious to see exactly what kind of impact he can make for the offense.

From Daniel Grizz:

What position coach do you expect to make the greatest impact on this roster, given it is on the young side again and so many new coaches in the new regime?

Hey Daniel, that's a very good question and more often than not I tend to go here with the offensive line coach because that position is where I think a coach can make the biggest difference. That coach, of course, is Zach Yinser.

From Dunedain:

I get that we, as fans, aren't the experts. I also can't remember the fans being wrong, as a consensus, about disliking a 1st round draft pick. While I dislike the pick, does Sully believe Proctor at guard is his "double" and at tackle he's a "home run" and he hedged his bets?

You know what, I hadn't thought about it on those terms, but that's a pretty darn good suggestion you're making. The only issue I might have there is there isn't a great track record in the NFL of jumbo guards having great success, so I think that maybe it still could be a swing and a miss if Proctor doesn't deliver at tackle.

From Harry:

Why are so many fans down in the draft? Sullivan told everyone what his team-building philosophy was and then seemed to follow it. Doesn't he deserve a chance and the benefit of the doubt right now?

Hey Harry, without question Sullivan deserves the benefit of the doubt because nobody knows how well those picks will pan out.

From Mark Malbeck:

Hey Alain, after the draft, who do you see Miami looking at in free agency after June 1? I'm thinking we still need help on edge, cornerback, wide receiver, and safety. Maybe get a couple of one-year contracts? (Epenesa, Samuel, or Douglas)? Or do we ride with what we got?

Hey Mark, Jon-Eric Sullivan has cautioned against expecting splash signings in June, so I would rule out players expecting big contracts, especially if they have offers from teams that are expected to contend in 2026.

From Bubba:

Based on the 13 drafted, how many need to be serviceable in order to call this draft class a success? What is your opinion on how many will be serviceable after learning about each one?

Hey Bubba, if the criteria is serviceable, I would think at least seven needs to be the number, and I think it's a very realistic goal based on what I know of the prospects (though, as always, some will overperform and some will underperform).

From Divingpelican31:

Thanks for the great coverage of the draft Poup! With 13 draftees (plus the UDFAs), I'm wondering, during the 53-man roster era, what is the most rookies the Phins have had on the initial 53-man roster, and do you think they exceed that this year?

That's quite the research project you're asking for in terms of the most rookies, and I'll have to punt on that one. As for predicting this year, I would expect the number to reach double figures.

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, what do you think of the first two picks for the Miami Dolphins, although we won't know until they play in the NFL; what do you think was their best value pick, and why?

Hi Jorge, I think Proctor is an intriguing prospect with a very high ceiling, but I'm not sure he's a slam dunk to be a great NFL player, while I think Chris Johnson almost certainly will be a solid player. As for the best value pick, I'd probably say linebacker Kyle Louis, who was taken at the end of Round 4 but is great in coverage.

From PatriotBear72:

Determine our record now! Go!

I'll punt on a precise record for now. Let's just I'm not anticipating a playoff berth.

From Ted Williams:

With virtual unanimous dislike for Douglas pick, he's sure to be the next Larry Fitzgerald!

Hmm, no. Larry Fitzgerald was a stud heading into the NFL, which is why he was a top 5 pick. Would be great if your prediction played out, though.

From RB:

For me, this draft will be measured in the future by: S Caleb Downs (who they basically traded) vs OT Proctor + #177 WR Coleman Jr + #180 TE Traore. At this early moment, I think it was a mistake. What do you think about this trade?

I loved the trade because the Dolphins clearly preferred Proctor over Downs, though I personally would have taken the latter.

From Lloyd Heilbrunn:

How the hell can there be 9 Canes drafted and the Fins whiff? Haven't they learned the lesson of history and missing out on the elite guys from the U? Will Rueben Bain make the All-Rookie team before Kadyn Proctor gets out of Weight Watchers?

Hey Lloyd, I didn't realize there was a rule that the Dolphins had to draft UM players. You mention the great Hurricanes players they failed to draft, but I also could point out those they did draft and their track record with those isn't great. As for your second point, it's a bit harsh and I'm not sure Bain would have been a much better pick because I'm not in the camp that he's guaranteed to be a stud in the NFL - given his college production, he would have been drafted a lot earlier if those concerns about his body weren't legit.

From Shayne Short:

Do you think if those first 3 rounds were picked by Grier the fan base would be so confident . Why are they getting a pass for a 3rd rd pick that has a knee injury ? Surely a 3rd for a blocking TE is a reach . 1st pick in 3rd us highly questionable. 1st round pick effort issues?

Hey Shayne, this is pretty simple. The Dolphins didn't have a great track record under the previous GM, so there would be no benefit of the doubt with Chris Grier. This is Jon-Eric Sullivan, so he gets (and deserves) that, though there indeed were a couple of potentially troublesome decisions.

From Jason Kirkland:

Thank you for the non-stop content the last few days. I've seen a lot of consternation on the Proctor pick due to his struggle with weight, and rightfully so. One thing I haven't heard as much is that they passed on Downs. I think it's huge as well. Thoughts?

Hey Jason, I completely agree with you and wrote and said that Downs was one of the prospects I wanted at 11 (along with Mansoor Delane and Sonny Styles). While he doesn't play a premium position, Downs is the type of player who can quickly be a cornerstone for any defense.

From Aris De Icaza Gonzalez:

What was your favorite pick in the Dolphins' draft, and which one did you like the least?

Hey Aris, I ranked all 13 picks in a story that was posted Sunday and the quick answer here is my favorite was Kyle Louis and my least favorite was Caleb Douglas.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

I will be asking draft questions for some time, I apologize. The first on my mind is how often did Green Bay use two inside linebackers? What does the pick of Rodriguez mean for Jordyn Brooks?

Hey Dana, the Packers used two inside linebackers just about all the time, so we definitely can expect to see Rodriguez and Brooks on the field together.

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 2:14 PM.

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