To say the Miami Dolphins have ripped their roster down to the studs might be an understatement. And depending on your definition of the word "studs", it might even be inaccurate.
There aren't many "studs" on the roster for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley, but the Dolphins have a whopping seven selections in the top 100 picks of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, and a chance to get some studs for the future.
While the Dolphins are clearly in a multi-year rebuilding phase, they need to hit on players in the 2026 NFL Draft. They need guys who are going to help set and establish the new culture of the team as well as get them quickly back into contention in the AFC East. In this Dolphins 3-round mock draft, we're going to take all we've learned from their big trades and cuts in recent weeks, put our GM hats on, and see what the rebuild might look like.
Dolphins get rebuild started with epic haul in 3-round 2026 NFL mock draft
Round 1 | 11th overall: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
If there's one thing we know to be true, it's that the Miami Dolphins have a desperate need at the cornerback position. You can look around their roster right now and say that about a lot of different position groups, but it's been true about cornerback for some time.
It was something we discussed even after last year's draft and the offseason the Dolphins had. They didn't add much at cornerback yet this offseason, and it would be fitting for the first pick of the Jeff Hafley era to be a defensive back since he's a DBs guy by trade.
Mansoor Delane has all of the qualities you look for at the cornerback position from size to ball skills and physical toughness. He's a high-floor prospect, and if he sneaks by the first 10 teams, the Dolphins would be happy to scoop him up.
Round 1 | 30th overall: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, SAF, Toledo
One defensive back in the first round would be exciting, so how about we double it?
I don't need to really qualify any of these picks by saying, "The Dolphins have a need at Position X" because that's really going to have to be implied at every position group after they completely blew up the roster. Instead, let's talk about what the player brings to the table, because Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a big, athletic playmaker on the back end.
He had nine forced fumbles and five interceptions over the course of his collegiate career, and with his ability to play a versatile role in the secondary, he'd be an instant impact player for Miami on the back end.
Round 2 | 43rd overall: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Even though the Dolphins have brought in a couple of veterans like TuTu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert as solid additions to the receiver room, they have to add even more to supplement losing players like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Antonio Williams can help do that.
Williams has big-time playmaking ability when used in the slot, and has strong hands with great ability to separate as a route runner. He just has the feel of the type of shifty slot player you are going to be able to rely on to get open vs. man coverage, find soft spots against zone, and take on a huge role early on because of his competitive nature.