Why the Dolphins’ Day 2 picks could be more important than the first-rounders
The Miami Dolphins have an opportunity to change the course of the franchise in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With seven of the first 100 picks, Miami can get real difference-makers who will not only be asked to contribute early but can hopefully blossom into good-to-great players. And while everyone might be focused on the two first-round picks at No. 11 and 30, it might actually be the Day 2 selections who end up as the best value.
That’s simply because the numbers bear that out. Two picks — regardless of where they happen to be — pale in comparison to that of five, four of which occur in Round 3. As of Thursday morning, the Dolphins’ draft capital in the second and third rounds are as follows: No. 43, No. 75, No. 87, No. 90 and No. 94.
Of course, the Dolphins want high-impact starters on Day 1. Everyone, however, will get a chance to contribute.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a second-round pick or you’re an undrafted free agent, if you’re an eight-year vet or a second-year player, if you give us the best chance to win on Sunday, you’re going to be one of the 11 on the field, or one of the 22 on the field,” general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. “We’re just not in a situation where we have the flexibility and the luxury to be choosy like that — that’s just the truth of it.”
Added Sullivan: “We do not have a ton of established players on this team. That’s not to say we don’t like our players. I think we’ve got a lot of guys here that are going to help us, that are going to surprise some people, if you will, that will play above what maybe the expectations are. But the truth of the matter is we have very few established players on this roster, so this draft class will have an opportunity to come in here and play soon.”
In fact, Sullivan expects players drafted in the first three rounds to eventually start.
“I would say in the first three rounds,” Sullivan said, “you’re expecting that guy to be a valuable starter for you.”
Day 2 will also teach the world how Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley operate. As much as evaluators and draft analysts want to predict what the front office values, it’s impossible to know until the draft gets underway. Besides, Day 2 and 3 will showcase the franchise’s scouting prowess. That’s where teams can find the true gems.
The Day 2 picks, specifically, give the Dolphins a level of flexibility. Although Sullivan would prefer to trade back rather than up, the four third-round picks give him the chance to maneuver however way he wants.
“If you walk in there Day 2 and all of a sudden there’s some players that you covet at the top, and you’re like, ‘Hey, maybe it makes sense to go burn a pick,’ to get — if something unlikely happened and a player that you didn’t expect to be there, those are conversations we’ll have,” Sullivan said, later adding “We’re in this thing to draft good football players. That’s what wins games, good football players. It’s great to have a lot of picks, but I’m not going to fall into that trap of trying to be smarter than the process and pass on good players to acquire picks. We’ve got to get good football players into the equation.”
Sullivan, however, made it clear that his accumulation of picks wasn’t for naught.
“There’s strength in numbers, so unless it was a very special player, I would rather have two good players than maybe one special player with where we are as a roster right now,” Sullivan said.
Regardless of how the first round goes, the Dolphins’ Day 2 picks can significantly help shape the team’s future. It will be up to the scouting department, however, to ensure that the pick ultimately fits into what Miami’s plans.
