A Miami homecoming? How some Hurricanes could fit with the Dolphins in the upcoming NFL Draft

It’s not every day that a player gets to play his college and professional games in the same stadium. Exceedingly rare, in fact.

However, a number of Miami Hurricanes could be in play to do just that next month, when the 2026 NFL Draft takes place. The Hurricanes have plenty of talent who will hear their names called, and a good bit of them should hear their names called in the first two days of the draft. As it would be, the Miami Dolphins have a slew of picks in the draft’s first two days, with seven picks over the first three rounds.

Could the Dolphins be in position to snag multiple Hurricanes? Well, let’s take a look at the picks, players, projections, and fits.

Round 1 — EDGE Rueben Bain, Jr., OL Francis Mauigoa, EDGE Akheem Mesidor

It goes without saying that Miami needs to improve its offensive line and their edge rushing room, and the Hurricanes have three of the best players in both areas in the aforementioned trio. Bain and Mesidor were both outstanding last season, with Bain posting 83 pressures per Pro Football Focus and Mesidor totaling 12.5 sacks.

Bain met with the Dolphins on Tuesday, and you’d think he’d be strongly in play at No. 11 — if he actually falls that far, which feels somewhat unlikely. Mesidor could also be an option for Miami at No. 30 later on in the first round.

Mauigoa, who measured very similarly to Penei Sewell at the NFL Combine, can be the team’s future right tackle after Austin Jackson while starting his career inside at guard in 2026, where the Dolphins need help. His versatility and brute physicality are things Miami could use dearly as they finally begin to try to build an imposing offensive line for the first time in, frankly, far too long.

In short, all three players would be logical fits for the Dolphins on Thursday night.

Day 2, Rounds 2 and 3 — CB Keionte Scott

Scott was simply outstanding for Miami in 2025 as a transfer from Auburn. If not for a late season injury that cost him a few games, he might have brought home the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, which he reminded everyone when he struck the trophy’s pose after scoring on a pick six against Ohio State in the Hurricanes’ 24-14 Cotton Bowl win.

He had five sacks and 13 tackles for loss off the edge this season to with an 87.1 PFF coverage grade. He added to his draft intrigue by blazing a sub-4.35 40-yard dash time at Miami’s Pro Day earlier in the week.

Miami picks at No. 43 in Round 2 and then again at No. 75 in Round 3. It’s hard to see Scott falling to the third at this point, so he’d have to be in play at 43, provided someone hasn’t scooped him up before.

Day 3, Rounds 4-7 — QB Carson Beck, OL Markel Bell, SAF Jakobe Thomas, WR CJ Daniels

Some Dolphins/Hurricanes fans would groan at the sight of Beck, who had his down moments in Coral Gables despite helping Miami get to one drive away from winning the national championship. Of course, that final drive ended with a Beck interception.

But Miami could use another quarterback behind Malik Willis and Quinn Ewers, with Raiders practice squad signee Cam Miller also on the roster. Would a player like Arkansas’ Taylen Green, who has size (6-6, 227 pounds) and freakish athleticism (4.36 40, 43.5-inch vertical, 11-foot, two-inch broad jump), be a better bet? Or would someone like Beck, who is more polished of a passer, be the better call? Teams could do worse than Beck to groom as a backup into fringe starter material.

The Dolphins pick at No. 130 in Round 4 and then again at No. 151 in Round 5. 151 feels like a more logical spot for him.

One player who hasn’t gotten much draft love who probably should be is Thomas. He transferred from Tennessee to Miami after the 2024 season and became the heart and soul on the back end of the Hurricanes’ rebuilt defense. He had five interceptions, including a pick six, 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and posted a PFF coverage mark of 89.1, allowing an opposing passer rating of 55.6.

The Dolphins have a significant need in their secondary, and between Thomas’ physicality and coverage skills last season, he could be a logical option at No. 130.

Bell forced some double takes at the Combine with his measurements — 6-9, 346 pounds, 36 3/8-inch arm length. He excelled as a pass protector at the college level, not allowing a sack in 558 pass blocking snaps last year for the Hurricanes.

However, despite moving decently well for his size with a 5.36 40, Bell doesn’t seem to be a great fit for Bobby Slowik’s run game scheme, which includes a heavy dose of outside zone runs that requires quick lateral movement.

WR CJ Daniels could fit the mold of a late round flyer, as the Dolphins have picks No. 227 and 238 in Round 7. Daniels has good size and knows how to use his body to catch the football and make some spectacular grabs (i.e., the one-handed catch last year vs. Notre Dame). He’s not going to run away from a lot of people, but hey, size is needed in Miami’s wide receiver room, and after years of not getting it, that could change this year.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A Miami homecoming? How some Hurricanes could fit with the Dolphins in the upcoming NFL Draft

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