Dolphins bring in two high-end draft prospects at two high-priority positions
Dolphins’ predraft visits with two high-end prospects at two high-priority positions came to light over the past two days.
According to a source, the Dolphins are flying in Washington receiver Denzel Boston to South Florida next week to meet with coaches and executives at team headquarters.
And according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren visited Dolphins offices on Wednesday.
Both could be in play with the Dolphins’ second of two first-round picks, at No. 30, though many analysts project McNeil-Warren will be off the board by then.
It’s highly questionable if Boston will be available when Miami picks 43rd overall in the second round.
Selecting either play at No. 11 would be considered a reach.
The Dolphins need help everywhere, but they are particularly bereft of top talent at receiver and safety.
Among ESPN draft analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. mocked McNeil-Warren 19th, Field Yates slotted him 22nd and Matt Miller has him going 20th.
McNeil-Warren had 12 pass breakouts and five interceptions over the past three seasons, including two picks last season, when he was named a third-team Associated Press All-American. He also had three forced fumbles in 2025 and 10 in four years at Toledo.
Yates says “he is extremely fluid and long, with great play vision and natural disruption skills.”
Kiper said he “has the speed and instincts to make plays.”
McNeil-Warren, a Tampa native who measured at 6-3 ½ and 201 pounds at the NFL Combine, is “capable of bolstering a team’s run defense and playing enforcer over the middle,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said, adding that he’s “most valuable when playing near the line of scrimmage or in robber positioning. He anticipates well in coverage and is quick to close on receivers but will need to be protected by scheme to prevent speed mismatches.
“He’s urgent in run support and has a feel for slipping blocks/meeting runners early in the carry. He’s a rangy tackler, but needs to quiet his feet when diagnosing and flowing downhill to tackle. McNeil-Warren might be pigeon-holed schematically but he’s good at his job.”
He’s regarded as the third-best safety in the class, behind Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman. Some have McNeil-Warren ahead of Thieneman.
The Dolphins have only three experienced safeties under contract — journeyman Lonnie Johnson, special teams ace Zayne Anderson and second-year player Dante Trader Jr.
Boston, meanwhile, could potentially fill Miami’s need for a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. The Dolphins currently have players generally considered No. 3 to 5 receivers in Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell.
At 6-4, Washington caught 62 passes for 881 yards last season (14.2 per catch) and tied for ninth in FBS with 11 receiving TDs, giving him 20 scores during the past two seasons. What’s more, he dropped only four of 209 career targets while catching 132 passes for 1,781 yards in four years with the Huskies..
Yates mocks him 31st to the Patriots, one spot after Miami’s pick, noting he’s a “smooth-moving, versatile wideout who could make splash plays.” Miller mocks him 36th.
Zierlein said Boston has “elite ball skills that should supersede athletic/speed limitations. A Puka Nacua comparison might feel strong, but like Nacua, Boston enters the draft with speed/separation concerns and outstanding competitive toughness.
“Boston gets off the line with good burst and maintains his top speed throughout the route. He could have issues beating press, but releases can also be schemed. He’s very skilled when it comes to winning jump balls and contested throws. Boston also knows how to win in the red zone. Acclimating to NFL competition could take a year, but Boston has the makeup to become a productive possession target with above-average red-zone value.”
Boston and McNeil-Warren are two of the 30 maximum permitted predraft visitors for the Dolphins. Players who grew up in South Florida, or attended school here, do not count toward that 30 limit.
We previously reported that the Dolphins are hosting Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion on a 30 visit. That visit is happening Thursday, per NFL Network.
Here’s my Thursday piece exploring the Dolphins’ offensive line prospects in the draft.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
