11. Miami Dolphins: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
Is there a more wide-open team in the 1st round of this year’s draft than the Miami Dolphins right now? There might not be. And the reason for that is that new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley have come in and blown this roster up.
And we are talking about blowing up the roster to epic proportions.
The Dolphins will, effectively, be unrecognizable the next time they take the field. Malik Willis is getting a shot as the starting QB to replace Tua Tagovailoa, whose departure felt like the most obvious inevitability of the 2026 offseason. But after trading Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, the Dolphins (and cutting Tyreek Hill), the Dolphins have an obvious need to upgrade at receiver.
Makai Lemon can provide some instant offense to a group that will obviously need it.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
The Cowboys’ fan base might not be jumping at the opportunity to draft a player with the 12th overall pick who just missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but the Cowboys could also be taking the most worthwhile gamble you can possibly take here in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jermod McCoy is such a talented outside corner with his combination of physicality and ball skills, and Dallas has been quietly in the process of completely reloading at the cornerback position over the past couple of offseasons. Although McCoy has been working his way back from injury, he’s been extremely patient with the process and is making sure he can work out for teams before the draft.
If the Cowboys give the medical sign-off, this could be a big-time steal. He might have gone in the top 10 picks without hesitation if not for the ACL injury.