Sportsvival’s team-by-team 2026 NFL Draft series now turns to the Miami Dolphins, a franchise that enters this draft looking very different than it did a year ago. Miami owns the No. 11 overall pick and, after the Jaylen Waddle trade with Denver, also holds the No. 30 overall pick, giving the Dolphins two first-round selections and 11 total picks to keep reshaping the roster.
Miami has been one of the busiest teams of the offseason. The Dolphins signed quarterback Malik Willis, wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, guard/tackle Jamaree Salyer, tackle Charlie Heck, tight end Ben Sims, edge defenders Josh Uche, Robert Beal Jr. and David Ojabo, cornerbacks Alex Austin, Darrell Baker Jr. and Marco Wilson, safeties Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Zayne Anderson, kicker Zane Gonzalez, punter Bradley Pinion, long snappers Taybor Pepper and Tucker Addington, and punter Seth Vernon. They also re-signed Matthew Butler, Willie Gay Jr., Riley Patterson, A.J. Green III, Greg Dulcich and Cameron Goode, while Ethan Bonner received an exclusive-rights tender.
The departures have been just as important to the Dolphins’ draft outlook. Miami released Tua Tagovailoa, Bradley Chubb, Alec Ingold, Jason Sanders, Liam Eichenberg, James Daniels, Tyreek Hill and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and it agreed to trade Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets. The biggest move came on March 18, when the Dolphins dealt Waddle and a fourth-round pick to Denver for the Broncos’ first-rounder at No. 30, a third-rounder at No. 94 and a fourth-rounder at No. 130.
Dolphins’ 3 biggest needs
1. Cornerback
This is the cleanest first-round need on the roster. Miami added Marco Wilson, Alex Austin and Darrell Baker Jr., but those moves look more like depth and competition than a true long-term answer. With Fitzpatrick also moved out, the secondary still needs more top-end talent, and leaguewide draft-need analysis places corner among Miami’s biggest concerns.
2. Wide receiver
When a team moves on from Tyreek Hill and then trades Jaylen Waddle, receiver immediately becomes one of the biggest pressure points on the roster. Miami did add Tolbert and Atwell, but replacing that level of lost speed, volume and big-play production is not a one-move fix.
3. Edge rusher
The Dolphins brought in Uche, Beal and Ojabo, but releasing Bradley Chubb created a major hole in the long-term pass-rush picture. Miami has added bodies, but it still needs difference-makers, and edge remains one of the clear spots this front office can continue to attack early.
The pick: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
At No. 11, Miami selects Mansoor Delane, cornerback, LSU, and the fit makes a lot of sense. Delane is listed by LSU at 6-foot, 190 pounds, and he is coming off a standout 2025 season in which he earned consensus All-America honors, first-team All-SEC recognition and Thorpe Award finalist status. In his lone season at LSU after transferring from Virginia Tech, Delane started 11 games and finished with 45 tackles, 13 passes defended, 11 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. For his college career, he totaled 191 tackles, 41 passes defended and 8 interceptions.
What makes Delane especially attractive for Miami is that he looks like more than just a traits-based projection. LSU’s official postseason release noted that in 358 coverage snaps, he allowed only 13 receptions for 147 yards, gave up no touchdown passes and was targeted on just 9.8 percent of coverage snaps. That kind of production lines up with what the Dolphins need: a corner with size, ball skills and the ability to hold up outside against top targets.
The extra first-round pick from Denver is what really strengthens this projection. Because Miami also owns No. 30 overall, the Dolphins do not have to force a double-up at wide receiver or edge at No. 11. They can take Delane early to address one of the roster’s clearest premium-position needs, then come back later in Round 1 with another shot at a playmaker or pass rusher.
Final take
Miami’s offseason has been about change, volume and flexibility. The Dolphins have turned over major parts of the roster, added two first-round picks, and created a draft board that gives them room to attack multiple needs. Mansoor Delane at No. 11 feels like the right kind of first move: a polished, productive cornerback who fits a major need, with the Denver pick at No. 30 still waiting to help Miami keep building.