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The Miami Dolphins are now in a new era with general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He’s already tackled free agency, but the biggest test for him will come April 23 when the 2026 NFL Draft begins.
It will be crucial for the Dolphins’ general manager to hit on most of his draft picks to begin the rebuild on the right foot. As a result, Sports Illustrated’s Eva Geitheim believes that Miami is one of six teams that face the most pressure to make sure they have a successful draft.
“The Dolphins might not be in win-now mode, but hitting on this class will determine a lot about the direction of this franchise under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley,” Geitheim wrote in her April 10 article.
“The Dolphins are in the stage of their rebuild where they’re avoiding signing high-priced free agents, but it’s also the time for them to draft and develop, setting the tone for both their style of play and culture moving forward.”
New Dolphins Regime Will Have a Different Approach
Moreover, Geitheim states that the Dolphins need a different approach than the previous regime, which relied more on trading for and signing veteran players, and that this new regime will take a different approach, given it comes from the Green Bay Packers.
“Bringing in a good draft class is also important because the Dolphins did not hit on a ton of prospects in the previous regime under former general manager Chris Grier,” Geitheim added. “The Dolphins instead often relied on veteran stars such as Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jalen Ramsey.
“The formula got the Dolphins to the playoffs, but it didn’t help them win a playoff game under Mike McDaniel. With a general manager and head coach coming from Green Bay, the Dolphins will undoubtedly turn to a more draft-centered approach.”
Insider Leaks Potential Miami Draft Plans
This offseason, Miami cut ties with Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle, and so the wideout room has a lot of question marks.
As a result, many are projecting when the Dolphins will be using their plethora of draft picks to select a wideout to help their new starting QB, Malik Willis. Although he didn’t name who Miami will select or is leaning toward, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer speculated that the Dolphins will use their picks on receivers.
“I think they will get a receiver or two within the first three rounds of the draft, but again, not any particular name I would look at,” Breer said on the April 9 edition of “The Breer Report.”
Furthermore, Breer speculated that the Dolphins having Bobby Slowik as their offensive coordinator suggests that former Indiana Hoosiers wideout Omar Cooper Jr. could be a target for Miami.
“I do think you can look at some of the guys and look at their background. You do have an offensive coordinator, Bobby Slowik, who is from the [Kyle] Shanahan, [Sean] McVay background, and generally those guys have looked for receivers who are really good blockers and tough at receiver, guys who can help you in the running game.
“The one that sticks out in that regard would be Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana. I think taking him at 11 would be a little rich. I’m not sure he’s going to be available at 30… I think Cooper would be the one that would fit what Bobby Slowik is looking for and probably, from a program standpoint, what Jeff Hafley is looking for.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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