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The are in no man's land. The book is out on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the coach responsible for fostering his development is now calling plays in Los Angeles. Mike McDaniel was replaced by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. In doing so, Miami all but admitted that any action is better than no action. The Dolphins could have run it back with McDaniel, who coached well enough to save his job. They could have gotten healthier, banked on Tua Tagovailoa bouncing back and hoped to make a playoff push in a quarterback-laden AFC. Few would have blamed them. Even fewer would have believed in them. Hafley is a changing of the guard, and while Tagovailoa remains atop the depth chart, it's clear the pieces around him potentially including the quarterback room will look different. Injured receiver Tyreek Hill was released on Monday. Esteemed edge rusher Bradley Chubb joined him in free agency. As such, it's on Miami to find quality replacements in the 2026 NFL Draft. MOCK DRAFT: Dolphins 7-round mock draft Round 1, Pick 11: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tenne see Many of the most consistent teams can trace their succe s back to a gamble. Drafting a corner who didn't play in his platform season would qualify as such, but McCoy did everything nece sary in 2024 to wave off concerns about his ACL tear. McCoy is a well-rounded athlete who checks the box with his measurables and has experience winning in a variety of coverages. He might be the best pure man corner in the cla s but has the foot speed and proce sing to make plays in zone, too. With a track record of ball production and a season of high-level SEC play under his belt, he might be the first corner off the board in April, despite the injury. Round 2, Pick 43: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State It seemed like every year of the McDaniel administration was underlined by a need for additions in the trenches. Right tackle Austin Jackson has battled injuries and inconsistencies at right tackle, opening the door for another top-60 pick along the offensive line. Iheanachor can't make up for last year's mi s on Jonah Savaiinaea. But his platform season was boosted by a strong Senior Bowl, and the toolsy pa s protector withstood tests from Sunday-level edge rushers in 2025. Iheanachor can start from the jump and give whoever is under center extra consistency. If Tagovailoa is starting in 2026, protecting the lefty's blindside becomes all the more important. Round 3, Pick 75: Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois Jacas has seen his stock fluctuate throughout the draft cycle Thon Maker Jersey , but he can hang his hat on serious production at one of the highest levels of college football. He'll enter the league off an 11-sack, 13.5-TFL season his second consecutive campaign with at least eight sacks and 13 tackles for lo s. Furthermore, Jacas's 260-pound frame is big enough to stick on the field for every down, helping replace Chubb's monster snap share. The Dolphins struggled to generate pre sure in 2025, pushing the need for blitzes and putting an undermanned secondary behind the eight ball. After a down year from Chubb, Jacas could be a nece sary injection of dynamism and stability up front. MORE: Round 3, Pick 87: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State Klare began the year in conversations for TE1. Oregon star Kenyon Sadiq quickly ended those talks, but Klare took the transfer from Nebraska to Ohio State in stride. While his production dipped (448 yards, two touchdowns), Klare flashed as a reliable target over the middle of the field, doing his best work against zone coverage. Combined with legitimate improvements as a run blocker, Klare's 2025 campaign helps him project as an adequate starter, even if his upside falls behind the elite athletes taking over the position. Round 3, Pick 90: Jalon Kilgore, SAF, South Carolina Hafley likely took this Dolphins job knowing that he'll be judged on what he builds with his roster, not the remnants of McDaniel's track-and-field festivities. Part of that makeover will be on defense, headlined in this hypothetical by McCoy. Adding Kilgore, a safety with experience in the slot, could make Hafley's creativity come to light. Kilgore might not be athletic enough to be a true boundary corner or centerfielder; he likely isn't big enough to stick full-time in the box, either. But with strong chops in coverage, a willingne s to play the run and good fluidity, there's a role for Kilgore as an ancillary contributor in an NFL defense. Round 4, Pick 111: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State As tempting as it would be to replace Hill with a similar speedster (hello, Brenen Thompson), this unit lacks size. Jaylen Waddle is a star, and both Cedrick Wilson and Malik Washington have carved out roles underneath. Lance is a downfield specialist whose speed threatens defenses and makes him a multi-level threat. He's shown good instincts with the ball in his hands, adding a unique element to his 6-3 frame. If Lance can make good on his physicality by adding consistency at the catch point, he'd round out a receiving corps in desperate need of an above-the-rim playmaker. Round 5, Pick 149: Romello Height, EDGE, Texas Tech Height is one of the most interesting players in this cla s. Once a recipient of first-round hype, Height has ironically fallen because of his size. At 234 pounds, he simply isn't big enough to be an every-down starter along the edge. MORE: Fortunately, he won't have to be one. As a rotational edge rusher, Height has the explosivene s and technique to make splash plays. He logged 11.5 tackles for lo s and 10 sacks as the second-best edge rusher on Texas Tech's ferocious defensive line. If he continues to be put into positions to succeed, there's little reason why his traits shouldn't win in limited doses at the next level. Round 7, Pick 227: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State It would be easy to paint Allar, who got first-round looks as late as this summer, as a steal in Round 7. However, it's far more likely that Allar is properly priced as a late-Day 3 pick given his stagnation as a senior and his season-ending injury. Allar was always going to be a project, but his athletic tools backing up would render him far le s potent than we once anticipated. Still, his arm talent is worthy of draft capital, and he's put together short stretches of high-level play to keep us a football-watching populace interested. Allar is a low-risk option who could provide a pathway out of quarterback purgatory if things break right. Just don't get your hopes up. More Dolphins news: Larry Johnson Jersey |
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发表于 2026-10-28 10:46:57