MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins intend to let performance, not tenure, determine playing time after selecting a league-high 13 rookies in the 2026 draft, first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said in April. Sullivan said the team will “play the best players” regardless of draft status or experience as it addresses roster holes created by a sweeping offseason reset.
The overhaul included moves to “get younger and cheaper,” Sullivan said, and produced an NFL-record $179 million in dead cap space. Miami must replace 12 starters from a season ago and plans to fill those vacancies with a mix of veterans on short deals and the incoming draft class.
Defensively, the Dolphins will field an entirely new secondary from 2025. First-round pick Chris Johnson is expected to start immediately; Johnson said he welcomed the responsibility and praised the receiving environment in the defensive backs room. Fifth-round safety Michael Taaffe will also compete for a starting job, joining second-year Dante Trader Jr. as a player already in the rotation.
The club added linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Kyle Louis and pass rushers Trey Moore and Max Llewellyn. Rodriguez, Miami’s second-round choice, was called a “future green dot guy” by Sullivan and is expected to develop into a communicator who will “call the defense in time.” The fourth-round pick Louis, who had been viewed as a potential safety at the next level because of his size, will be used at linebacker, particularly on passing downs.
On offense, first-rounder Kadyn Proctor is slated to move from college tackle to left guard and is expected to start as part of the team’s immediate plan to assemble its best five offensive linemen. At 6-foot-7 and 358 pounds, Proctor’s work ethic during spring practices drew praise from All-Pro center Aaron Brewer, who said the rookie has a veteran approach.
Rookie receivers Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. will aim to earn roles in what the team described as a thin wide receiver rotation as the Dolphins look to integrate their large draft class into the lineup this season.
