No one outside of a handful of people knows what the Miami Dolphins’ plans are for this year’s NFL Draft. Everything is being kept quiet inside their Miami Gardens facility.
The Dolphins have yet to be “linked” to any one specific player. Recently, a report indicated that Miami is extremely high on Utah’s OT Spencer Fano, but even that report is based on what other executives are saying about the Dolphins’ plans.
When the draft starts, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has many different directions he can go, but three players in the first round carry a Chris Grier-esque stigma with them.
Jon-Eric Sullivan can’t afford to take the risks that ultimately doomed Chris Grier’s time with the Miami Dolphins
Grier’s draft classes are a mix of mistakes and inabilities. The annual “Whose that?” draft pick could still come under Sullivan, but it’s best if he doesn’t try to overthink his team’s needs and thus reach for a prospect that will be gone before his rookie contract is up.
Sullivan has spoken about his plans, and he has made it clear they will not take risks simply to fill needs, but instead focus more on the best players available when they are on the clock. Dolphins fans should hope these three players are not considered BPAs.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
There is no fence for me to cross on this one. I’m not a fan. Sadiq has playmaking ability, but he also has consistency issues. His game is good, but not great, as a blocker or pass catcher. The good news is he can develop further and fine-tune the areas he needs work in, but for Sullivan, he can’t afford to wait for that, not this year. He needs guys who will step on the field day one and become a leader. That isn’t Sadiq.
Over the course of the last few weeks, some of the early critiques of Sadiq have started to fade, given his stellar Pro Day and NFL Combine workouts, but Sullivan has to be careful here. Adding a potential playmaker on offense isn’t nearly as important as finding solutions on defense. This year’s TE group is good. It extends into the middle of round three, and the Dolphins have four selections in that round. They make a lot more sense than Sadiq in round one.
Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of Jaylen Waddle when he was asked to be the number one receiver. For those same reasons, I can’t get on board with Lemon. This is a borderline great to elite number two receiver at best. He is Waddle incarnate, but the Dolphins need far more than an undersized, speedy receiver with good route skills. They need a legit number one WR who can physically handle the NFL.
This year’s draft sets that up perfectly in round three, where Ja’Kobi Lane and others can be had. If Sullivan is hell-bent on using the 11th overall on a WR, he should be looking more at guys like Jordyn Tyson, who play bigger than their size.
Lemon gets a lot of high-end comparisons to other NFL WR1 and WR2 tweeners, but something doesn’t sit right. Maybe it is because of watching Waddle never take the next step.
Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
The Dolphins need edge rushing help, which is sad considering the amount of time Grier put into the position. Fans may not be able to stomach another DE prospect who has a higher rating than he should. Fans are still hoping to see more from Chop Robinson.
Faulk is one of the top edge-rushers in this year’s draft, but that isn’t saying a lot. His 2024 season was much better than 2025, and there are questions as to why that is. The Dolphins can’t afford to risk drafting a player who showed consistent regression over the last season. Not in round one.
Miami needs immediate impact players, and while Faulk is near-elite in stopping the run, he has to improve on his play from last year when rushing the passer. Miami already has a guy who can get to the QB quickly. They don’t need two of them where neither can consistently make the tackle.
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