NFL Draft grades 2026: Snap reactions to Dolphins two first-round picks

The Miami Dolphins had an eventful first day of the 2026 NFL Draft, making two trades and selecting two players during Round 1. The team first traded back one spot with the Dallas Cowboys, moving from 11th to 12th and adding two fifth-round picks in the move. They then selected Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor to add to their offensive line with the first pick made by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley.

Miami was then scheduled to make the 30th pick, but instead moved up to the 27th position, giving the San Francisco 49ers a third round pick in the swap while getting back an additional four-round selection. The Dolphins added San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson with the pick.

What do the analysts think of Miami’s two new rookies? We took a look around the web to see what was being said:

12th pick – Kadyn Proctor, tackle, Alabama

So the Dolphins slide back one spot and take Kadyn Proctor, the offensive tackle from Alabama.

Nick Saban raised some concerns about Proctor in recent days, noting that he was not really a “self-starter” during the time he coached him at Alabama. Add in the concerns over him holding up in pass protection in the NFL, and the idea that he might kick inside to guard, and you can see the worry.

I like that the Dolphins traded one spot back with the Cowboys and picked up a pair of fifth-round picks to continue restocking their shelves across the roster. And I see the logic in grabbing a road-grading offensive tackle like Proctor here, who brings a physical presence that this team desperately needs. I had a few offensive linemen ranked higher, including Penn State’s Vega Ioane and Georgia’s Monroe Freeling. And edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. would’ve been a great pick here. But Proctor is a big, big man and will help set the tone for this new Miami regime.

Proctor has the most prodigious power in this tackle class with special movement skills for a 350+ pounder. His weight will be worth monitoring, but when he was at his trimmest, Proctor was dominant at the end of the season. He can start inside at guard or stick at tackle.

The first true upset of the draft and a real roll of the dice, similar to the gamble general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made in paying big money to quarterback Malik Willis. At his best, Proctor can be dominant. But even his former head coach, Nick Saban, has publicly talked about Proctor’s struggles with maintaining his weight. This is a risky pick that could wind up busting. With the local superstar Rueben Bain Jr. still available, taking Proctor is especially head-scratching.

The recent track record on 350-plus-pound offensive tackles isn’t great, but Proctor has a ways to go in terms of conditioning and technique. The upside is crazy here, but he’s still a big project for a team that doesn’t have many sure bets in terms of startable players right now. If he can stay focused and be the player everyone is hoping for, he could form a great long-term duo with Patrick Paul at tackle.

The Dolphins starting their rebuild in the trenches seems wise. This is going to be a long, methodical process, and it’s not going to work if they aren’t strong up front. I’m just not sure I can get on board with the value here at No. 12. Proctor, an overwhelmingly powerful lineman who tips the scales at nearly 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds, indeed comes with sky-high ceiling. I’m not sure how well he’ll handle speed at tackle, though. If the idea is to play him there, I think Monroe Freeling probably would have been the better move. If they intend to play him at guard, then passing on Olaivavega Ioane is a curious move. Proctor could be a star if it all clicks, but he may have a lower floor than others at the position.

A Miami team facing an extensive rebuild looked to be in prime position to address its front. Proctor, however, is a somewhat surprising target for the team. At his best, the 6-7, 352-pounder can be a devastating enforcer in the run game and engulf edge rushers to safeguard his quarterback. But weight management has been an issue, and he’s one of the draft’s more volatile prospects. High-risk, high-reward move for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.

Proctor has been polarizing in the pre-draft process because of split opinion on whether he can deliver the consistent athleticism and technique needed to play effective tackle in the NFL in the massive frame. The Dolphins lean on the side of huge upside. In reality, Proctor will need to play either right tackle in place of Austin Jackson or slide inside at first because he cannot be trusted in regular pass protection yet. Miami did reach with some better, safer offensive linemen on the board.

The Miami Dolphins made a massive strategic mistake. The organization allowed positional and outright draft-pick greed to blur their vision of what should have been a no-brainer.

Caleb Downs was graded as the No. 1 overall prospect in this year’s class by the B/R Scouting Department. Proctor was viewed as a fringe first-round talent based on his play in 2025.

An argument will be immediately made that the Dolphins desperately needed talent, everyone. While that’s true, Downs is still the answer. More draft picks certainly weren’t, because Miami already owned seven selections in this year’s initial 95 picks. They’re not in a position to pass on an elite talent to address a specific need. But Miami did it anyway.

To be fair, Proctor did a fantastic job turning around his last season on campus. The 20-year-old left tackle entered the 2025 campaign as a highly regarded prospect with top-10 potential. But he really struggled through the early portions of the campaign. Proctor almost looked lethargic and displayed significant technique issues.

However, the true junior seemingly recommitted to his craft midseason, got into better shape and played well down the stretch, to the point where it became obvious he could be an NFL left tackle. At 6’7” and 352 pounds, Proctor is a mountainous and powerful human being. As long as he remains committed, he has the potential to be a long-time, high-level blocker.

At 6’ 7” and 352 pounds, Proctor is a mountain of a man. Proctor started 39 games at left tackle over the past three years, dominating in the SEC to earn second-team All-American honors in 2025. While the power is unquestioned, the concern is about whether Proctor is actually too big and if he can move laterally well enough to deal with NFL speed rushers. Still, the talent is undeniable.

How he fits with the Dolphins: The Dolphins are in full rebuild mode, and Miami is trying to start that process in the trenches. Proctor will start immediately in front of newly acquired quarterback Malik Willis while creating run lanes for star back De’Von Achane. Provided he’s fully committed to being his best, Proctor has immense potential.

Miami meets a need, but I’m not sure about the value. Proctor is a hulking offensive tackle with the physical tools to be an annual Pro Bowl tackle, but he has struggled against quicker stunts and speed rushes in college. Is he a better suited as an eventual guard in the NFL? It’s possible.

The new regime in Miami wants to be physical, moving away from the high-flying previous era. The 352-pound Proctor sets the tone, even if it means moving Austin Jackson to guard. There’s no lack of power but technique needs refining. A bit of a boom-or-bust element.

27th pick – Chris Johnson, cornerback, San Diego State

We have another trade, between the San Francisco 49ers and the Miami Dolphins. Miami comes up to No. 27 and also gets No. 138, while the 49ers slide back to No. 30 and also get No. 90.

And I love what the Dolphins did with this pick.

Miami did need to address its secondary, and Chris Johnson is a very fun player to watch. He has tremendous eyes and awareness in zone coverage, and moves extremely well when either changing leverage, breaking downhill, or switching from one responsibility to another in zone coverage. I love this pick for Miami.

I really like this pick for the Dolphins, who traded a third-rounder to the Niners (while getting a fourth-rounder back) to move up three spots and grab a defensive playmaker in Johnson. The former Aztecs star brings excellent instincts in coverage and can play in both press and off-coverage looks. In a division with Josh Allen and Drake Maye, adding some talent in the back end makes a lot of sense.

The Dolphins just got another cornerstone piece at pick 27. Johnson’s tape was incredibly clean last fall as he dominated the Mountain West. The cherry on top was his Senior Bowl performance, where, in my opinion, he was the most impressive cornerback in attendance. Miami agreed. While Johnson doesn’t “wow” physically, he impresses with his reliability and technical prowess.

After making one of the biggest gambles of the first round with the selection of Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor at No. 12, the Dolphins did the exact opposite here with Johnson. He may lack elite measureables, but he’s one of the cleaner prospects in this class. His athleticism and instincts jump off the tape. He is so smooth in coverage and makes plays on the ball. This is one of my favorite players in the draft.

This is a pick to get on base, which a rebuilding team like the Dolphins needs. He’s not the flashiest cornerback prospect, but he still should project as a solid starter. It feels like a little bit of a reach, but it’s hard to say a roster with this many holes is really reaching on anyone. Time to keep adding talent and building this thing out.

Johnson is one of my favorite players in this draft. I imagine the relative lack of buzz was due to concerns about his level of competition at San Diego State, but I really don’t know what else he could have put on tape to establish himself as a top corner. He’s a fast and fluid athlete in coverage who has the instincts to jump routes and does his part in run support. Adding Johnson is a great start as new Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley begins to implement his vision on defense.

This feels like a move straight out of the Packers playbook for Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley, who both came over from Green Bay. In the pre-draft process, Johnson carved out a place as one of this class’ most polished cornerbacks. His composure is sure to come in handy for a Miami defense that has been in trouble at the position since moving on from Jalen Ramsey.

The Dolphins did need to target a cornerback rather early in the draft, but made a move up for a corner should who should have gone in the mid second round with several other better defensive back options on the board. Johnson flashes as a playmaker in zone coverage, but he is very inconsistent and uncertain whether he fits better inside or outside.

The Miami Dolphins tempered their earlier mistake by trading out of the 11th overall pick and allowing the Dallas Cowboys to select Caleb Downs by addressing their secondary with Chris Johnson’s selection.

Miami’s group of cornerbacks was the league’s worst entering Thursday’s first round. Johnson becomes the squad’s CB1 by default. Then again, he’s more than capable of filling the role and thriving under the direction of head coach and former secondary coach Jeff Hafley.

The one issue here is that the Dolphins had to give up a higher draft pick to trade up for Johnson than either of the ones they got in return from Dallas earlier. Still, Johnson absolutely is an upgrade in Miami’s secondary.

The expansion of college football’s transfer rule has lessened the number of quality prospects from non-traditional programs. If a player from a lower level or even non-Power Four school draws NFL interest, he’s likely to transfer to a bigger program for his final season or two on campus. Johnson didn’t.

Instead, the talented cover corner thrived as part of the Aztecs program. The reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year spent all four seasons at San Diego State. This past season, he put together a phenomenal effort by not surrendering a touchdown, allowing a measly 16.1 passer rating into his coverage and posting a 92.8 coverage grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Johnson is a terrific prospect. With the Aztecs, he was a standout on special teams before becoming a defensive star, providing physical coverage at 193 pounds. He’s also a top-tier athlete, running a 4.4 40-yard dash. In 2025, Johnson was a second-team All-American after notching four interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes.

How he fits with Dolphins: After selecting Proctor with their first pick, the Dolphins began their defensive overhaul under coach Jeff Hafley with Johnson. The former Aztecs star joins what is arguably the worst defensive backs room in the league, giving Miami someone who can contend with Garrett Wilson and DJ Moore in the AFC East.

Johnson is another recent riser in the draft process, with good movement skills and prototypical size for an outside corner.

The Dolphins traded down one pick to No. 12 and up three to No. 27. Johnson is a physical, tackling cornerback with ball skills, who had four interceptions (two pick sixes) last season and five career forced fumbles. He was a freak at the combine.

Miami had needs across the board heading into the draft, which afforded it the ability to take the best player available with each selection. That’s one of the perks of being squarely entrenched in a rebuild.

The Dolphins signed what might be their franchise quarterback in Malik Willis in free agency, and now they have more protection for him in the form of Kadyn Proctor. He was a polarizing prospect in the pre-draft process because of his size — a major asset that could also limit him if he isn’t able to play at a manageable weight. If Miami gets the best version of him, he can stick at left tackle and become a building block of this rebuild. On defense, Chris Johnson could be a lockdown corner for years to come. Both first-rounders have the opportunity to shape this franchise’s future.