Feedback, analysis on what the Dolphins are getting with their three Texas picks
The Dolphins say their plan wasn’t to corner the market on Texas Longhorns.
It simply worked out that way.
Miami drafted three players from the Austin-based university, marking only the fourth time in franchise history that the Dolphins selected three players from the same school in one draft.
The three other times: University of Miami in 1968 (Jim Cox, Joe Mirto, Ken Corbin); Tennessee State in 1976 (Loaird McCreary, Melvin Mitchell and John Owens) and Florida in 2013 (Jelani Jenkins, Mike Gilleslie and Caleb Sturgis).
Here’s some feedback on the three Longhorns selected by the Dolphins, all on Day 3 of the draft:
Edge player Trey Moore (Round 4, 130th overall)
▪ The 6-2, 243-pounder went from American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Texas San Antonio in 2023 to only a part-time starter at Texas last season.
He had 35 tackles (five for loss), three sacks in 12 games and five starts for Texas last season, after producing 5.5 sacks and 9.5 TFLs for the Longhorns in 2024.
The rise in competition led to a drop-off in production from his dominance at UTSA, where he had 14 sacks (third in the country) and 17.5 tackles for loss (12th in the nation) in 2023.
Assistant general manager Kyle Smith said coach Jeff Hafley had a “vision” for how he could used, in part as a pass rusher “not just aligned on the edge” but “aligned in the A-gap B-gap” as well.
▪ NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah said Moore is something of a hybrid, a player who can help at outside linebacker (where Miami needs lots of help) and inside linebacker, where the Dolphins are deep.
“Is he off-the-ball linebacker or an edge rusher?” Jeremiah said. “He has done a little bit of both.”
What’s encouraging, Jeremiah said, is “he can run, ran a 4.54 [in the 40]. You saw it in his play. A real fluid athlete, can do a lot of different things. ... Early you’re going to see him on special teams, you are going to see him finding his way on the field on third downs. You can blitz him from off the ball. When they moved him to the edge, you saw the upside.”
▪ NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s take: “Moore is a highly productive, 46-game starter with flexible NFL positioning. He’s undersized and lacks NFL length as an edge defender, but he’s a skilled, instinctive rusher with a robust set of approaches.
“He won’t burn the edges with pure speed, but he compensates for that with a deep bag of moves. In limited snaps, Moore showed potential at off-ball linebacker, but questions persist about his pursuit speed and ability to cover in the NFL.
“Some teams might label him a tweener, but I see a versatile prospect whose competitiveness and feel for the game should allow him to translate no matter the position he plays.”
▪ Expecting Moore to develop into a starting edge player might be too optimistic.
Zierlein said he “lacks a threatening burst to the top of the rush” and that his “edge-setting and block-shedding run hot and cold” and has “below-average pursuit speed and open-field fluidity.”
Safety Michael Taaffe (Round 5, 158th overall)
▪ He had an impressive rise, going from a walk-on at Texas (he rejected a scholarship to Rice coming out of a high school) to a third-team All-American (and first-team All-SEC) with 70 tackles, two interceptions and a sack last season despite missing two games with a broken thumb.
But he’s undersized at 5-11, 190 pounds, and Zierlein said he was projected as more of a seventh-rounder than a fifth-rounder.
▪ The good news, Zierlein said, is he has lots of experience (36 starts) and has “a good feel for play design and is assignment-oriented. He’s quick to read and trigger downhill to contest short routes from split safety and robber looks.”
▪ The issue, according to Zierlein, is that he “lacks range to play over the top and speed to carry vertical threats downfield. His run-support angles improved in 2025, but he’s undersized and still falls short as an open-field tackler.”
▪ ESPN’s Louis Riddick and Matt Miller were more bullish about his chances.
“It’s all about the football intelligence with Michael Taaffe,” Riddick said. “His character is absolutely off the charts. When he walks into a room and you start to talk to him, you know he’s a guy born to play safety because of his football instincts and football intellect. It transfers to the field.
“He runs right on the cusp of breaking 4.5 on the 40. His physical attributes are not going to overwhelm you. He has to play with smarts and anticipation.
“He’s got to be put in good positions. “[But] he’s a tough competitor that is going to get the most out of all of his athletic ability. There’s no question he was in charge of that Texas defense. When we talk about competitive character, which is vital in sixth-, seventh-round picks, he’s got it in waves.”
▪ Miller raves about his “football IQ, instincts, recognition skills. He’s a true free safety prospect who also is a fantastic blitzer. Not the biggest guy, but if you bring him in the box, he can pull the chain and go and get quarterbacks.”
▪ Bottom line? “Taaffe’s football IQ and special teams value might need to do the heavy lifting to overcome average traits and athleticism,” Zierlein said.
Guard DJ Campbell (Round 6, 200)
▪ The 313-pounder started 43 games at right guard, and the Dolphins said they will also give him a look at tackle and center. He permitted just one sack last season and was named third-team All-SEC.
Dolphins senior personnel executive Jon Robinson said he’s “got 34-plus arms, plays square, moves people. He’s got some stuff that all these players can clean up especially on the offensive line from a technique standpoint. He’s 6-3 and change, he’s not quite 6-4; but he’s got really long arms. That’s not to say that he can’t kick out there and play tackle, he’s played predominantly guard at Texas, but we’ll put a football in his hands, see if he can snap, take a look at him at tackle.”
▪ His 5.01 in the 40-yard dash was very solid for a guard, suggesting he has the athleticism to thrive in a zone-blocking scheme.
▪ Miller offered a mixed review: “He doesn’t have great length. He has kind of has that squat frame. I want to see him play with much better strength at the point of attack. He’s got to lock on and finish blocks better. I think that power in his lower body in the run game is where he’s going to excel.”
▪ Zierlein said Campbell “is tough, strong and smart, but there are clear athletic limitations that create scheme-dependence and could limit his upside. He lacks functional bend and fluidity in space, which limits his range.
“He’s adept as a second-phase run blocker, with enough technique to neutralize and sustain in-line. He can also drop a sudden anchor to slow bull rushers. Campbell projects as a gap-scheme guard who can provide depth.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 10:10 AM.
