MIAMI GARDENS — It’s fair to question certain decisions by the Miami Dolphins during the three-day NFL draft, starting at the top. But let’s look at the big picture.

Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan passed the initial test of his first draft by making principled, convicted selections. 

Sullivan, for the most part, went with the best-player-available approach instead of filling needs. He picked players who have toughness and versatility, traits that he treasures. He showed discipline and commitment.

This should be a productive draft for the Dolphins.

And you’ll recall that I didn’t say anything close to that last year.

Overall, it was a productive for the rapidly-changing AFC East, which is dotted with new and relatively new faces everywhere you look.

The longest-seated coaches, New England’s Mike Vrabel and Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets, are entering their second season with their teams. Miami coach Jeff Hafley and Buffalo coach Joe Brady, a Broward product, are both first-year coaches.

General manager/front office changes have also been the norm recently. They’ve been experienced by New England in 2024 (Eliot Wolf), the New York Jets in 2025 (Darren Mougey), and Miami this year (Sullivan).

Considering those recent changes, drafts are vitally important to each AFC East team as they try to build or rebuild.

Here’s an early look at how each team fared in this year’s draft: 

Miami Dolphins: B-

Sullivan traded back one spot in the first round to No. 12 and took Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, who wasn’t the people’s choice (that was Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., who went to Tampa Bay at No. 15). But Proctor, who might play guard as a rookie, should be a good player, and he has potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

Proctor’s floor is probably offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, Miami’s No. 19 selection of the 2014 draft, and his celling would be perhaps offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, Miami’s No. 13 selection of the 2016 draft.

San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson is a strong first-round pick at No. 27, fitting the BPA mold while also filling a need. Nice choice.

Texas Tech inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the second-round pick, is evidence of the promise by Sullivan and Hafley to welcome competition. Rodriguez is game-ready, and Miami already returns starting inside linebackers Jordyn Brooks, the All Pro, and Tyrel Dodson, the veteran.  

Third-round wide receiver Caleb Douglas is a bit of a reach but fellow third-rounders Will Kacmarek, the Ohio State blocking tight end, and Chris Bell, the Louisville wide receiver recovering from a November ACL injury, are good selections.

You can question whether Miami should have taken an edge rusher before selecting Texas’ Trey Moore in the fourth round (the Dolphins passed on Bain in the first round, and Missouri’s Zion Young and Michigan’s Derrick Moore in the second round).

But Sullivan had a good debut.

Chris Perkins: A look at Dolphins’ 2026 draft class and how they fit in

New York Jets: A-

The Jets, who had three first-round picks, did well in the early rounds. In the first round they picked Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey with the No. 2 selection, followed by Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (No. 16) and Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (No. 30). Then they took Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds in the second round.

The Jets, who finished 3-14 last season, seem to have answered the call from the trade deadline moves that saw them trade defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner.

The Jets didn’t have a third-round pick but selected Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round, a big man (6 toot 6, 315 pounds) who needs more consistency, along with Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who will battle for the No. 2 job behind Geno Smith. The Jets selected Miami guard Anez Cooper in the sixth round.

In the long run, the top part of the draft must shine.

New England Patriots: B

The Patriots, who could use some good news amid the scandal involving Vrabel, got some good news with their draft results. Wolf traded up three spots in the first round to No. 28 and selected Utah right tackle Caleb Lomu, who should pair with left tackle Will Campbell to give some much-needed pass protection to quarterback Drake Maye.

And New England, which lost to Seattle in the Super Bowl last season, is trying to win while Maye, who is entering his third season, is on his salary cap friendly rookie contract.

Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, the second-round pick, is a good selection as is Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon, the third-round pick. 

The last six selections of the Patriots’ nine-member draft class are in the fifth through seventh rounds, including three seventh-rounders. They probably won’t be impactful in 2026.

This class is mostly about those top three selections.

Buffalo Bills: C+

Bills general manager Brandon Beane traded out of the first round with three separate moves and collected draft capital.

In the second round the Bills selected Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who joins starting cornerbacks Christian Benford and Maxwell Hairston, who battled knee and ankle injuries last season. Those are solid, not spectacular, picks.  

The Bills didn’t have a third-round pick. In the fourth round they took Boston College guard Jude Bowry, Connecticut wide receiver Skylar Bell and TCU linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr, which, all things considered, is a respectable collection.

The big question for the Bills, who added free agent talent that includes former Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb after ending their season by losing to Denver in the divisional round of the playoffs, was whether they could find some “get-you-over-the-top” talent in the draft. Perhaps they did (Parker is intriguing), but it doesn’t appear so at first glance.