Sizing up Dolphins’ first-round options at edge, LB. Multiple players can help
The Dolphins could use help at every level of their defense, and their first-round pick could provide options at three or more positions.
There’s one defensive player who seems nearly certain to be off the board by Miami’s selection at No. 11: Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, who can play inside or outside linebacker.
“Reese jumps off the Ohio State tape, playing the game like a veteran,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said. “I see natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can’t make, and he has the burst to get home when turned loose as a pass rusher. Reese has been a big riser in this class.”
Reese is considered a top-five pick (Kiper has him fourth), so it would be a surprise if he’s there for Miami at 11.
Here’s an early look at the edge players and linebackers projected to go in the range of Miami’s pick, or slightly before or soon after, while keeping in mind that there’s a better-than-decent chance that Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Ohio State’s Caleb Downs also could be gone before Miami makes its selection:
Edge players
This is a huge need, especially if salary-cap issues force Miami to part ways with Bradley Chubb. An edge player at 11 or in the second round or third round is essentially a necessity.
▪ UM’s Rueben Bain Jr: The question is whether his arm length (below average for top NFL edge players) will cause him to go from a top-10 pick to someone selected in the back half of the first round. He has been hugely impactful during the Canes’ playoff run, which can only help.
“Some scouts think Bain’s lack of length could make him a late first-round pick, [but] all of them agree he’s one of the best prospects at his position,” ESPN’s Field Yates said.
Yates predicts he will go around 10th, and that would put the 6-3 defensive end right in the Dolphins’ wheelhouse. Former ESPN analyst Todd McShay slotted him 10th in his mock draft last week.
Kiper, by contrast, has him 14th (up from 19th two weeks) ago after a postseason in which he has tormented the quarterback and boosted his overall numbers to 49 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and interception.
“Bain is powerful and has really strong hands,” Kiper said. “He routinely gets the best of some very good offensive tackles, often with his dominant rip move, and he knows every trick in the book in getting home to the QB. Bain also shows speed and bend off the edge, and he takes good angles. Plus, he can hold the edge against the run and get off blocks to chase down ball carriers. His tape is just filled with disruption.
“But even with all those A-level traits, it’s actually Bain’s hustle that really stands out to me. He never takes a play off and fires at the ball on every play. His arms are shorter than most scouts prefer, but there’s so much to like with his game.”
Even though he didn’t have a sack against Mississippi in UM’s semifinal win, Pro Football Focus rated him UM’s top defender in the game because he had a half dozen QB pressures and played stout run defense.
▪ Auburn’s Keldric Faulk: The 6-6, 285-pounder is probably best as a 4-3 defensive end, and Miami has run a 3-4. But Kiper and Yates said he has scheme versatility.
“If you could draw up the perfect NFL 4-3 defensive end, it would be Faulk,” Kiper said. “He can win with outside and inside moves, and he moves blockers with his super powerful hands. I see good overall instincts on tape too. Faulk makes his presence felt against the run and the pass, and he is scheme versatile.”
One concern: After producing seven sacks in 2024, he had two sacks last season and a modest 6.5 tackles for loss.
“He has the measurables of a prototypical NFL edge rusher,” Yates said. “He is a fluid mover at 6-6, 285 pounds, and his pass-rush arsenal is developed enough to where scouts believe he should be a high draft pick despite a modest 2025 campaign.”
Yates and McShay both mock him to Miami: “The Dolphins need pass-rush help.”
In Chop Robinson, the Dolphins drafted one defensive end off traits instead of sack production, and the jury remains very much out on Robinson.
Kiper has Faulk 16th.
▪ Texas Tech’s David Bailey: After a 13-sack season, it would be a surprise if he’s available at 11. Multiple ESPN analysts slot him sixth. McShay slots him seventh. His 20.2% pressure rate was the best in the nation.
“There’s no better pure rusher in this class than Bailey,” Yates said. “Bailey’s first step puts offensive tackles on their heels in a hurry, and he has eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons.”
▪ UM’s Akheem Mesidor: While it would be a surprise if he rose to 11, he’s now very much in the mid first-round range after a highly impactful three-game playoff run, highlighted by his 11-pressure game against Texas A&M.
In 14 games, he now has 70 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 55 pressures and four forced fumbles
Kiper has raised him from a second-rounder to 17th on his Big Board, noting he “makes his presence felt against both the run and the pass, and he shows good bend, closing burst and power. When his initial move is thwarted, Mesidor never stops battling. He also brings some versatility, with the ability to shade inside to DT and get pressure on the interior.”
Inside linebacker
▪ Ohio State’s Sonny Styles: The 6-4, 243-pounder had 74 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 9 run stops, 3 pass breakups, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 0.5 sacks.
He’s generally considered a top-15 pick. Yates has him 13th; Kiper has him eighth.
“You can tell Styles is a former safety; he has outstanding speed, and his burst allows him to spy the QB,” Kiper said. “Watch for him to dominate at the combine and in predraft testing. Styles is also a dependable tackler and closes in a flash. He really took the next step this season, even as he adapted to a new system under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.”
Here’s our look at offensive players in Miami’s range at 11.
Coming Wednesday: A look at defensive backs and defensive tackles in the mix in Miami’s draft range.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM.
