The Miami Dolphins completed a busy first round of the 2026 NFL Draft Thursday night with two new rookies headed to South Florida. The round included two trades, with the Dolphins moving back one spot from 11th to 12th before selecting Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor. Then they moved up from 30th to 27th to add San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
Both picks provided the team with highly-rated prospects at positions of need, moves that merge the “best player available” and “drafting for
needs” draft philosophies. Both players at likely Week 1 starters for Miami this year, but they are not done when it comes to making selections and, hopefully, making selections that will have an immediate impact when the 2026 season begins.
The Dolphins currently hold four picks for Friday night. In the second round, they have the 43rd overall pick; they will be on the third-round clock with the 75th, 87th, and 94th picks.
With the first round now complete, it is time to take a look at the Dolphins’ top needs heading into day 2.
1. Edge
Previous rank: 2
The Dolphins did not address their edge rusher need in the first round and now find it as their top remaining need for the rest of the draft. Both of the primary starters heading into the 2025 season, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, are with new teams ahead of 2026, leaving Chop Robinson as the team’s only established pass rusher. While the Dolphins need to continue to address their secondary, building a dynamic pass rush aids the secondary and could help cover up some of the holes back there.
An early edge rusher on Day 2 makes sense for the Dolphins.
2. Wide Receiver
Previous rank: 3
The Dolphins still need to address the receiver group, where they are now without Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Miami has spent years playing the speed game, but they could look to add size to the passing game with a jump-ball, redzone threat receiver. Based on the best remaining players lists, Washington’s Denzel Boston or Alabama’s Germie Bernard could force the Dolphins to prioritize receiver over edge with the 43rd pick.
3. Safety
Previous rank: 4
Miami started the re-tooling of their secondary with the addition of Johnson, but now they need to be considering the safety position, where they traded away Minkah Fitzpatrick this offseason. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is still on the board and could be a second-round target or they could wait for someone like LSU’s A.J. Haulcy or TCU’s Bud Clark in the third round. Adding one safety seems like a requirement for the Dolphins at some point, but they could consider looking for two and having them grow together in the secondary.
4. Cornerback
Previous rank: 1
Cornerback was the top-ranked need on our list ahead of the draft, in large part because the team likely needs to come away with two cornerbacks over the three-day selection process. Johnson fills half that need and drops cornerback from one to four on the list. It would not be a surprise for the team to look toward someone like South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse or Miami’s Keonte Scott in the second round. Still, they could wait to the third round, where Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, Arizona State’s Treydan Stukes, Arizona State’s Keith Abney II, or Ohio State’s Davison Igbinosun may be available. Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy is a wild card here; he is a first-round talent with injury concerns as he comes back from an ACL tear that cost him the entire 2025 season. Could Miami take a flyer on him with the hopes that he is fully recovered for 2026 and beyond?
5. Tight End
Previous rank: Unranked
The Dolphins have to add weapons on offense and, while wide receiver is the bigger need, tight end is added to the list here. The Dolphins could use a big redzone target and finding a pass-catching tight end would give them that. Greg Dulcich is the top of the depth chart right now, and he would be a solid option if the Dolphins do not address the position, but if they have an opportunity to upgrade the spot, they should take it. They could also look to add a player who can have an impact this year, but it more of a developmental player for 2027 and beyond. Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers and Ohio State’s Max Klare could both be round two targets. Someone who might be in line for one of Miami’s third-round picks could be Stanford’s Sam Roush who would be more of a traditional in-line tight end than some of the others and has the potential to be a solid possession-style receiver, but has to work on some drop issues. If Miami wants to wait until day three, Baylor’s Michael Trigg could be a target.
—. Offensive Line
Previous rank: 2
The Dolphins made a major offensive line move in adding Proctor with their first pick on Thursday, a move that gives them options to find the right starting lineup for Week 1: does Proctor play guard as a rookie or does the team start him at right tackle and slide Austin Jackson inside? The selection drops offensive line outside of the top five needs on our list, but it would not be a surprise if they look to add depth pieces to bolster the line later in the draft.
