No team had more roster turnover this offseason than the Miami Dolphins. The team moved on from Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and many more. Their biggest free agent addition was Malik Willis, so the hope is that the quarterback will go from backup to franchise player. Regardless, all of the offseason losses mean that there are a lot of holes that need to be plugged in Miami. The 2026 NFL Draft will truly kick off the team’s rebuild. So, when do the Dolphins pick, who should they target, and what are their biggest needs?
Dolphins’ 2026 NFL Draft picks
The Dolphins have moved on from players in a number of different ways this offseason. They have made releases, trades, and just opted against re-signing players. One perk of using the trade market is that the team now has some of the most draft picks of any team this year. The Waddle trade, in particular, brought in a lot of capital from the Denver Broncos. Here are all of Miami’s 2026 draft picks.
- Round one, pick 11
- Round one, pick 30 (via Denver Broncos)
- Round two, pick 43
- Round three, pick 75
- Round three, pick 87 (via Philadelphia Eagles)
- Round three, pick 90 (via Houston Texans)
- Round three, pick 94 (via Denver Broncos)
- Round four, pick 130 (via Denver Broncos)
- Round five, pick 151
- Round seven, pick 227
- Round seven, pick 238 (via Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets)
Dolphins’ 2026 NFL Draft needs and targets
With all of the roster movement, the Dolphins just may have more positional needs than any other team in the league. They are in full rebuild mode, and they need talent across the board. The good news is that it will allow Miami to draft the best players available and not focus on specific needs, especially because they have their solution to the quarterback position in the form of Willis. Even so, there are positions that clearly need to be addressed. Below are some of Miami’s biggest needs, along with prospects at those positions who fit the system.
Receiver: Not long ago, the Dolphins were viewed as having arguably the best receiver duo in the league and one of the best receiving corps as a whole. However, Tyreek Hill had regressed in recent years before suffering a gruesome injury that played a part in his recent release. His long-time running mate, Jaylen Waddle, was also just traded. Now the Dolphins are incredibly thin at receiver, even after adding Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell in free agency.
Both of those players are mere depth pieces, and the Dolphins need to find a star pass catcher. That is especially true because they need their investment in Willis to work out, and surrounding their new quarterback with weapons will help Willis succeed. The Dolphins’ first selection is pick number 11, and it is hard to know for certain if any of the top receivers will be off the board by then. Any of Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, or Jordyn Tyson would be a good fit who could help unlock Willis’ fullest potential. Tate’s speed could replicate Hill’s deep threat ability to a certain extent, and Lemon’s route running is comparable to Waddle’s. This draft is stacked at the receiver position, too, so Germie Bernard, Chris Brazzell, and Chris Bell would be options in the second round.
Cornerback: Cornerback has been a position of need for some time now in Miami, which is why it was a shock that the team traded Jalen Ramsey for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick before last season. That move was clearly a mistake, considering Fitzpatrick isn’t even with the team anymore.
Jeff Hafley is the Dolphins’ new head coach, and he will utilize a press-heavy man coverage scheme. So, bigger cornerbacks, such as Davison Igbinosun and Devin Moore, would make sense as targets outside of round one. Earlier on, they could target Mansoor Delane or Brandon Cisse.
Edge rusher: The Dolphins have their quarterback of the future. Many consider the edge rusher spot to be the second most important position in football, behind quarterback. Miami brought in some pieces to rush opposing quarterbacks, but the additions of Josh Uche and David Ojabo won’t be enough, especially because Chop Robinson has underwhelmed in the two seasons since becoming a first-round pick.
The Dolphins need a star at the edge rusher position. This is something they’ve sought out, dating back to their trade for Chubb. Although Chubb was a solid player, he also didn’t live up to expectations, evidenced by the fact that the Dolphins moved on this year. It seems unlikely that any of Arvell Reese, David Bailey, or Rueben Bain will still be on the board when the Dolphins select, but if one of them slips, the Dolphins need to take advantage. T.J. Parker, Cashius Howell, and Zion Young are players who could be had later on.
Offensive tackle: Not only does Willis need weapons to target, but he needs ample time to read defenses and stay upright, which makes a troublesome offensive line something that Miami must improve. The offensive tackle positions, in particular, are needs for the Dolphins. While fans can get bored by their team taking offensive linemen in the first-round, that is something that is on the table for the Dolphins.
Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, and Kadyn Proctor might be on the board when the Dolphins make their first pick on draft day. Blake Miller is a massive prospect whom the team could target in round two as well.
Recent draft history – top pick in each of the last five years
2025: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (Round one, pick 13)
2024: Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State (Round one, pick 21)
2023: Cam Smith, DB, South Carolina (Round two, pick 51)
2022: Channing Tindall, LB, Georgia (Round three, pick 102)
2021: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama (Round one, pick six)
Not long ago, the Dolphins were regularly drafting multiple first-round players every year. They took Tagovailoa, Austin Jackson, and Noah Igbinoghene in round one in 2020, just for all of them to become draft busts. There is an argument to be made that Miami reached on all of those players.
The Dolphins had multiple first-round selections in 2021, too. This time, they did a better job of hitting on their picks. Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips found new homes this offseason, though Waddle as a part of the biggest offseason trade, and Phillips as the highest-paid free agent signee. It is unfortunate that neither of them will be suiting up for the Dolphins going forward, but they are among Miami’s best draft picks in recent memory.
Since the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the Dolphins have often traded away capital in order to add veteran players. That philosophy resulted in them not picking until round three in 2022 and round two in 2023. Neither Channing Tindall nor Cam Smith has amounted to much with the Dolphins. In fact, despite all of the injuries Miami’s defense has had in recent years, neither player has a single start to their name.
Chop Robinson and Kenneth Grant are the team’s most recent first-round picks. Both players are contributors, but they haven’t done enough to turn Miami’s defense around. The team has prioritized the defense in recent drafts, but there is no telling what direction they will go in the 2026 NFL Draft.
No team had more roster turnover this offseason than the Miami Dolphins. The team moved on from Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and many more. Their biggest free agent addition was Malik Willis, so the hope is that the quarterback will go from backup to franchise player.