Cote’s Hot Button Top 10: Dolphins draft, Miami Grand Prix, NBA/NHL playoffs, more
GREG COTE’S HOT BUTTON TOP 10 (APRIL 26): WHAT IN SPORTS HAS GRABBED US THIS WEEK: Dolphins and NFL Draft, Miami Grand Prix, NBA/NHL playoffs, Inter Miami fit to be tied (again), PGA Tour’s Miami return, Marlins and more. Welcome to 146th edition of HB10, bringing you what’s on our minds from a Miami lens and accentuating stuff that’s big, weird, damnable, funny or worth needling as sports week past pivots to the week ahead:
1. DOLPHINS: Fins take Proctor (over Bain) to front 13-man NFL Draft haul: Taking Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor 12th overall with Canes star edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. available was not popular with many Dolfans as Miami set out on a three-day, 13-player haul in the NFL Draft. The new regime has a major rebuild on its hands and showed that with picks targeting eight different positions, four on each side of the ball. Three wide receivers and two edge rushers and tight ends led the selections in number. Picking Proctor on top disappointed many but was not a bad pick. Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock daft for ESPN had him going exactly in the 12 spot (though not to Miami), while my own mock draft had Proctor a bit lower at 17. Loved CB Chris Johnson later in first round.
2. HURRICANES: Canes have most NFL Draft first-rounders since 2006: OT Francis Mauigoa (10th overall to Giants), EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. (15th to Bucs) and EDGE Akheem Mesidor (22nd to Chargers) gave The U a 1R triple play for first time since 2006. UM school record for most taken in 1st round is six in 2004. Canes had nine total draftees, with the six others led by QB Carson Beck with first pick in 3rd round. Early consensus mock draft for 2027 has two Canes pegged 1R in CB O.J. Frederique and DL Justin Scott, with EDGE Damon Wilson and RB Mark Fletcher marked for 2nd and QB Darian Mensah and WR Cooper Barkate seen in 3rd.
3. NFL: Ward, now Mendoza ... how Miami’s NFL Draft No. 1 streak may reach 3 years: Miami Columbus High QB Fernando Mendoza taken No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft followed Hurricanes QB Cam Ward going No. 1 last year. How might Miami make it three straight No. 1s in 2027? If Dolphins are bad enough to get overall top pick -- which is unfortunately plausible. Rebuilding Fins and Arizona have lowest betting over/under for victories at 4 1/2. Odds already are out on offensive and defensive rookies of year based on draft, per DraftKings. Top threes are Cards RB Jeremiyah Love at +200, Titans WR Carnell Tate +350 and Raiders’ Mendoza +400; and Jets DE David Bailey +350 then Giants LB Arvell Reese and Commanders LB Sonny Styles both +500.
4. AUTO RACING: Mercedes out front as Miami Grand Prix revs up: Formula 1 racing returns with fifth annual Miami Grand Prix and speeds nearing 220 mph this coming Friday through next Sunday on 3.36-mile course at Hard Rock Stadium. Dolphins and stadium owner Stephen Ross calls this very-Miami event bigger than football, with a global-draw of big-spending fans and celebrities generating 25 percent more ticket revenue in three days than whole season of Fins home games. Early bet faves are Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, with F1 warhorses Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in top 10 odds.
5. NBA: LeBron, Lakers can be first to advance with win tonight: The rise of ageless LeBron James is the early story of the NBA playoffs as his L.A. Lakers take a 3-0 first-round series lead to Houston tonight and can be first team to clinch and advance. Reigning champ and repeat-title fave Oklahoma City also took a 3-0 series lead on Saturday. Notably, East favorite Detroit is down 2-1 with Saturday’s loss at Orlando.
6. NHL: Carolina, Colorado showing why they’re Cup favorites: Carolina completed a 4-0 sweep of Ottawa Saturday to become the first to advance from the first round of NHL playoffs. Colorado might be next today, up 3-0 on Los Angeles among four Sunday games. The Hurricanes and Avalanche have bolstered their standing as Stanley Cup betting faves. Tampa Bay has third-best odds (per DraftKings) but trails Montreal 2-1 entering today’s game up north.
7. INTER MIAMI: Herons settle for 3rd straight tie in new stadium: Settling for draws in first two games in the new stadium is some of what got the old coach fired. Saturday Miami settled for a 1-1 draw with New England in the first home match for new coach Guillermo Hoyos, needing a late score by Germán Berterame to get even that. IM had won two straight on the road since the change and is now 5-1 with 4 ties on the season. Team Messi is back at home next Saturday vs. rival Orlando City, with five more MLS matches prior to league’s World Cup break.
8. GOLF: McIlroy snubs Trump, Doral as PGA Tour returns to Miami: The PGA Tour is back in Miami this week for the first time since 2016 -- but without Masters champion and fan favorite Rpry McIlroy, who’s sitting out. The Cadillac Champions is this coming Thursday through next Sunday on Doral’s Blue Monster course, and Donald Trump, who owns the golf club, had predicted McIlroy would play. Miami was a Tour fixture from 1962 through 2016 before leaving. Still a strong field for its return and playing for a $20 million purse led by betting fave and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. (Rory would have had second-best odds.)
9. MARLINS: Fish dip below .500 again amid 6-game roadie: Miami is 13-14 after Saturday’s loss at San Fran ended a 4-1 streak. With the Mets and Phillies both stinking (so far) in NL East, might not take much above .500 for Marlins to hang in the NL wild-card race. Fish continue a six-game West Coast road trip today at Giants and then play three at champ L.A. Dodgers. Sandy Alcantara goes for his fourth win to wrap the roadie on Wednesday,.
10. TENNIS: French Open loses Alcaraz to injury: Tennis’ second major and only clay-court Grand Slam event, the French Open, will begin May 18 sans reigning men’s champ Carlos Alcaraz, out with a wrist injury. The leaves rival Jannik Sinner a huge -230 betting favorite to win the men’s side this year -- and secure a career Grand Slam -- well ahead of Alexander Zverev and aging stalwart Novak Djokovic. Women’s side sees Aryna Sabalenka (+240) and Iga Swiatek (+275) near co-favs ahead of Mirra Andreeva and defending champ Coco Gauff.
THE LIST: DOLPHINS TOP DRAFT PICKS FROM ALABAMA: Miami has drafted 13 players from Alabama over the years. Here are the eight most notable -- the five first-rounders and three other most accomplished, from most recent to earliest:
Year Rd/Pick Player Dolphins games My draft grade
2026 1-12 OT Kadyn Proctor TBD TBD
2021 1-6 WR Jaylen Waddle 78 B-
2020 1-5 QB Tua Tagovailoa 78 C
2018 1-11 S Minkah Fitzpatrick 32 C+
1980 1-21 CB Don McNeal 110 B
1980 2-48 C Dwight Stephenson 114 A+
1979 3-61 RB Tony Nathan 123 A-
1977 2-40 NT Bob Baumhower A
Other select most recent stuff from me: NFL Draft Live: Dolphins’ weird 1st pick, Cote beats Kiper // Poll Dance: Grading Proctor as Fins’ 1st pick // Cote’s 35th annual Mock Draft // Latest GCS podcast: Talking draft with Field Yates // Previous HB10 // Power of Lionel Messi shows in Inter Miami’s latest coaching change // Heat end season valiantly, but effort and almost are not enough // Sorry, Lamar, but Super Bowl win is the harsh reality for elite QBs // No Tiger, no Phil at Masters and why it’s so hard in sports to let go // State of Miami Sports; Grading Fins, Heat, Cats, Fish, Inter Miami & more // It was a grand opening night -- finally -- for Inter Miami in Miami // U.S. team struggles, doubts grow as men’s World Cup nears // NFL’s Rooney Rule needs protecting in face of Florida’s dumb attack // Sandy shines, Marlins win to launch latest season of budget-ball // Baseball, politics, emotion lift Venezuela past U.S. to WBC championship // Dolphins got good haul, but blame Curse of Tua for trading Waddle at all / Dolphins’ epic failure at drafting Hurricanes is poised to end // 46 years later and on top of world, USA hockey owns Canada’s sport // 4 reasons why Dolphins and Malik Willis a perfect fit // Dolphins’ major rebuild is on -- and it’s about damned time // No Giannis (yet), but for Heat it’s a dream deferred, not dead // Belichick’s stunning Hall snub is a shame on sanctimonious voters // Dolphins’ new coach, GM take on 25 years of franchise torpor and a QB mess // Canes title-game loss does not erase success of watershed season // Step aside, other cities: Why 2026 in sports belongs to Miami // Stugotz signs major iHeart Media deal, but says not done with LeBatard Show // Messi, Inter Miami win MLS Cup, crown 50 years of SoFla soccer // And my latest podcast:
