The Miami Dolphins are in their Jon-Eric Sullivan era after firing longtime general manager Chris Grier last season and replacing him with the former Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel earlier this year. Sullivan just completed his first NFL Draft as the head-man-in-charge in Miami, and according to reports, he accurately called his shots when it came down to his two first-round selections — offensive guard Kadyn Proctor and cornerback Chris Johnson.
In a recent Sports Illustrated article from NFL insider Albert Breer, it was revealed that just prior to the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, Sullivan spoke with Miami’s assistant general manager Kyle Smith and remarked, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we wound up with Proctor and Johnson?” And lo and behold, those two players are exactly who the Dolphins snagged on that fateful Thursday night in late April.
According to Breer, a longtime friend of Sullivan’s who works at Alabama (Proctor’s collegiate home) eased the team’s concerns regarding a weight problem the offensive lineman dealt with early on during his Crimson Tide tenure. Speaking with Sullivan, the friend called Proctor “competitive” and “prideful” regarding his decision to turn his negative into a positive in regards to his ballooning weight.
“Proctor went to Miami on a 30 visit and acknowledged and took responsibility for what happened—and promised he wasn’t going back to that weight. Which bolstered Miami’s feeling that it was a one-time problem, and Proctor was the kind of guy who’d respond when challenged.”
Whether you agreed with Miami’s first-round selections this year or not, Sullivan’s conviction in both players deserves recognition. Now, the focus shifts to whether that confidence was justified — and whether Proctor and/or Johnson will validate Sullivan’s belief or join the long list of underwhelming first-round picks in recent Miami Dolphins history.