Sportsvival is full force into scouting the 2026 NFL Draft, and Miami is one of the more fascinating teams in this class because the Dolphins are trying to re-shape the roster on the fly. The biggest reason this article looks different than it would have a month ago is the Jaylen Waddle trade. Miami dealt Waddle and a 2026 fourth-rounder to Denver and brought back the Broncos’ first-round pick at No. 30 overall, plus a third-rounder and another fourth-rounder. That gives the Dolphins two first-round swings, with Sportsvival putting CB Mansoor Delane of LSU at No. 11 and WR Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana at No. 30.
This offseason has clearly been a reset. Miami added quarterback Malik Willis, wide receivers Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert, tackle Charlie Heck, guard/tackle Jamaree Salyer, tight ends Greg Dulcich and Ben Sims, edge rushers David Ojabo and Joshua Uche, and defensive backs Marco Wilson, Zayne Anderson, Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Ronnie Harrison Jr. The Dolphins also re-signed Matthew Butler, Willie Gay Jr., Riley Patterson, Greg Dulcich and A.J. Green III, which shows they are trying to rebuild depth across the roster instead of just patching one or two holes.
The departures were just as loud. Miami moved on from Tua Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation, released Bradley Chubb, Tyreek Hill, Alec Ingold, Jason Sanders, James Daniels, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Liam Eichenberg, and also traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets. Add Waddle to that list, and it is obvious this front office was willing to tear into the core of the old roster to create cap space, add picks and start fresh.
Top 3 Dolphins needs
1. Wide receiver
This has to be near the top. Waddle is gone, Hill is gone, and even though Miami added Atwell and Tolbert, the room still needs a true long-term difference-maker. The Dolphins had one of the league’s most explosive receiver tandems not long ago, and now they are rebuilding the position almost from scratch.
2. Cornerback
Sportsvival still sees corner as a major priority, even with all the bodies Miami added in the secondary. The Dolphins have churned through defensive backs this offseason, and the broader view around the league has been that DB help was one of Miami’s biggest needs after the way the back end struggled in 2025. Delane at No. 11 would be a direct answer to that problem.
3. Offensive line
Miami did add Charlie Heck and Jamaree Salyer, but there is still work to do. James Daniels and Liam Eichenberg are out, and if the Dolphins are going to give Malik Willis or any future quarterback a fair shot, they have to keep building the front. Sportsvival still thinks the line needs more talent, more stability and more competition.
Sportsvival’s first-round outlook for Miami
At No. 11, Sportsvival has the Dolphins selecting Mansoor Delane of LSU. Delane gives Miami a polished outside corner with real top-of-the-board value. In his final season at LSU, he earned unanimous All-America honors, finished with 45 tackles, 13 passes defended, 11 pass breakups and 2 interceptions, and established himself as one of the most reliable cover men in this class. For a Miami defense that needs more answers on the back end, Delane makes too much sense.
Then at No. 30, the pick Miami got in the Jaylen Waddle trade, Sportsvival has the Dolphins selecting WR Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana. This fit lines up perfectly with the roster reset. Cooper caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025, and he ran an official 4.42-second 40 at the 2026 combine. He brings size, toughness, vertical ability and yards-after-catch upside, and he would give Miami a young receiver to grow with the next version of this offense.
For Sportsvival, this would be a strong Miami first round: Delane at No. 11 to attack one of the defense’s biggest problem spots, and Cooper at No. 30 to start replacing the lost firepower from the Waddle-Hill era. The Dolphins got this extra first-round shot by making the hard call on Waddle, and if they walk out of Round 1 with a potential CB1 and a starting-caliber young wideout, that gamble starts looking a whole lot smarter.