3-Round ESPN Mock Draft with Reid, Kiper, Yates, and Miller

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Ascending “Z” receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.

Strengths

• Plus agility, speed and body control.
• Slips press and gets into stride quickly for vertical advantage.
• Consistent route runner who leverages defenders out of position.
• Route tempo and play speed overwhelms lesser corners.
• No wasted motion; smooth turnover and a burst to separate.
• Works back on most throws, eliminating playmaking angles for defenders.
• Good spatial awareness against zone.
• Impressive win rate when contested.
• Outstanding ball tracking and catch focus downfield.
• Dominates air space with elite high-point timing and hand strength.
• Late fade adjustments prevent face-guarders from reading his hands.

Weaknesses

• Lacks ideal build and frame as a WR1 candidate.
• Long press corners can limit some early release advantages.
• Chest/pads rise, giving break clues on stop routes and comebacks.
• Average run block strain by NFL standards.
• Missed three games in 2025 with a calf strain.

Round 1, Pick #30: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo (Miller)

“Miami is continuing to remake its secondary, and McNeil-Warren’s length and downhill ability would make new coach Jeff Hafley very happy.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Long, downhill safety capable of bolstering a team’s run defense and playing enforcer over the middle. McNeil-Warren is most valuable when playing near the line of scrimmage or in robber positioning. He anticipates well in coverage and is quick to close on receivers but will need to be protected by scheme to prevent speed mismatches. He’s urgent in run support and has a feel for slipping blocks/meeting runners early in the carry. He’s a rangy tackler, but needs to quiet his feet when diagnosing and flowing downhill to tackle. McNeil-Warren might be pigeon-holed schematically but he’s good at his job.

Strengths

• Tall, long-limbed and rangy as a down safety.
• Adequate eye balance and anticipation from off coverages.
• Triggers to the action with long, ground-gaining strides.
• Frequently delivers strikes on pass-catchers.
• Size and toughness to bolster run defense from the box.
• Slips blocks and slithers through traffic deep into run lanes.
• Uses his expansive tackle radius to run and capture in space.
• “Peanut punched” his way to nine career forced fumbles.

Weaknesses

• Excessive bouncing and movement during run diagnosis.
• Needs to settle feet sooner to prevent open-field misses.
• Downhill dives open him to loss of containment against the run.
• Won’t be a versatile coverage piece on the back end.
• Inefficient footwork when covering in space.
• Will struggle staying connected to vertical speed.

Round 2, Pick #43: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah (Reid)

“The Dolphins get the steal of the draft here, as Lomu would transition to right tackle and give Miami a pair of bookend offensive tackles (with Patrick Paul) for the foreseeable future.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Two-year starting left tackle who is still in the early stages of his development. Utah’s run game leaned heavily on movement and misdirection, preventing Lomu from firing out and showing his power. His run blocking trails his pass protection, but improved pad level and a nastier demeanor could close the gap. In protection, he shows good balance with adequate foot quickness, landing quick, well-timed punches and using a firm grip to control rushers once he’s in. His anchor was rarely stressed by power and his athletic recoveries are average. Lomu flashes but is still under construction. His play could improve rapidly with strength gains and additional coaching.

Strengths

• Good frame with room for more muscle mass.
• Very athletic getting out of stance and into lead pulls or cut-off blocks.
• Activates hands with good quickness in both phases.
• Core strength to keep from having his pads rattled on contact.
• Pass sets with good posture, rarely ducking head and leaning.
• Uses different punch approaches and times them well to maximize his length.
• Shows ability to gather and control rushers with strong grip.
• Sifts through games/blitzes and responds with no panic

Weaknesses

• Gallops and opens his outer half too quickly against speed rushers.
• Better harmony needed between his hands and feet.
• Footwork can get sloppy mirroring inside moves and counters.
• Still learning to find lateral landmarks in the run game.
• Can be out of control and miss his positioning when fitting run blocks.
• Needs to keep improving upper-body strength.
• Below average with sustain and finish consistency.

Round 3, Pick #75: Derrick Moore, EDGE, Michigan (Reid)

“Moore is an ascending, high-effort pass rusher who can play a significant number of snaps early even as he continues to develop. Miami cut Bradley Chubb and needs a burst off the edge.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Edge prospect with good size and length. Moore is far more active and engaged as a rusher than he is as a run defender. He has the ability to set firm edges, but his approach against the run can lack urgency. Against the pass, Moore is a bull-rush aficionado, piling up pressures and sacks. He’s strong through the top of the rush but needs to prove he can consistently stress long, well-anchored tackles. When it’s time to finish, he tackles with reliable technique and timing. If Moore cranks up the fire on all three downs, he can become a good full-time player. Either way, he projects as a starter capable of racking up pressures.

Strengths

• Good size and length as a rusher.
• Leveraged hand strike and leg drive propel his bull rush.
• Downhill momentum is hard to stop once it starts.
• Gets into the top of the rush with good forward lean.
• Swallows quarterbacks and runners like a crashing wave once he’s close.
• Above-average football IQ and awareness of play design.
• Capable of holding his ground at the point of attack.
• Plays with a smooth connection between his hands and feet.

Weaknesses

• Occasionally lacks energy and urgency as a run defender.
• Rides on blocks instead of working quickly off of them.
• Average quickness to stack, shed and pursue to the sideline.
• Below-average first-step quickness in his upfield rush.
• Limited hand counters cause rush to sputter if he fails to gain early advantage.
• Lacks knee bend and upper-body swivel while working the turn.

Round 3, Pick #87: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia (Reid)

“One noticeable trend of Miami’s offseason has been signing bigger cornerbacks. That describes the 6-foot-1, 196-pound Everette, who is a high-end athlete with starter upside down the road.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Smooth athlete with good size, length and foot agility as an inside/outside option. Everette started 41 games at Georgia, including several high-leverage affairs. He’s well-built with run-through pop when he wants to dial it up. He’s controlled and patient from press, forcing wider release stems, and does a nice job of mirroring breaks when in-phase. Everette appears to lack make-up speed and sudden acceleration from transitions, so when he gets behind, he tends to stay behind. He’s willing in run support but is more of a drag-down tackler. Everette’s traits are differentiators, but he might lack stickiness against NFL quickness and speed.

Strengths

• Sturdy, thick boundary cornerback with good length.
• Stays square and waits for release declaration from press.
• Effective reading and jumping routes from short zones.
• Agile feet create efficient footwork in pattern matching.
• Anticipates breaks and blankets comebacks from tight man.
• Had interceptions in each of the last two SEC title games.
• Presses the line and sets the edge when uncovered.

Weaknesses

• Allows too many easy pitch-and-catch throws in front of him.
• Average acceleration out of transitions.
• Lacks desired recovery speed when beaten.
• Grabs and holds become easy calls.
• Needs better breakdown and control as an open-field tackler.
• Drag-down tackler with consistently high entry points.

Round 3, Pick #90: Max Klare, TE, Ohio State (Miller)

“Miami has changed its offensive philosophy, and an in-line tight end is needed on the roster (Greg Dulcich is the TE1 at the moment). Klare can do it all, with 448 yards last season.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Highly athletic, pass-catching tight end capable of earning volume targets on the pro level. Klare can live beyond the typical targeted depth for most tight ends thanks to his route inventory and ability to generate separation across the field. He’s best from the slot but can widen out when a matchup presents itself. Hands and ball-tracking are below average but his production could make teams forget the drops. He improved as a run blocker as the season progressed, but “functional” might be the finish line there. In a league craving impact tight ends, Klare has a chance to inject life into an offense hunting mismatches.

Strengths

• Loose-limbed and athletic with a full route tree available to him.
• Speed to climb past unsuspecting safeties on vertical shots.
• Able to adjust routes at a high rate of speed.
• Separation burst across the field creates chunk-play chances.
• Aligns wide to mismatch defensive backs on back-shoulder throws.
• Rarely leaves yards on the field with his run-after-catch.
• Athletic and fluid working from block to block in space.
• Improved his body control and fit accuracy on lead pulls.

Weaknesses

• Not strong enough for adequate block sustain at the point.
• Hand placement as a run blocker needs significant work.
• Not a natural pass plucker and fights certain throws.
• Needs to identify throws and move faster in making adjustments.
• Needs to prioritize ball security on his run-after-catch.

Round 3, Pick #94: TJ Hall, CB, Iowa (Miller)

“As Jordan mentioned earlier, Miami’s new-look secondary needs big outside cornerbacks. He gave Daylen Everette to the Dolphins. I’m giving them Hall, who lacks high-end speed but has teach-tape technique.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Low-cut cornerback with fast feet, good balance and a highly competitive spirit. Hall loves staying as tight to the route as possible and supports the run with ideal aggression. He has adequate press strength and is solid matching releases, hugging man routes and quickly closing to tackle from zone. Though he plays fast, he lacks long speed and receivers can separate from him on vertical routes. He is twitchy to close but is more of a responder than an anticipator, limiting his on-ball production. Hall’s toughness against the run helps his cause as a likely Day 3 pick at nickelback.

Strengths

• Low-cut with oily hips and twitchy feet.
• Fast, agile feet in his mirror and transitions.
• Balanced mover with sudden change-of-direction quickness.
• Usually stays tight to route stems and turns from tight press-man.
• Crowds receiver and closes his catch window when contesting downfield.
• Urgency and physicality show up consistently at the catch point.
• Quick close-and-tackle limits yards after catch.
• Serious run supporter who usually defeats his blocker.

Weaknesses

• Has takeaway twitch but rarely seen challenging into passing lanes.
• Needs quicker depth gain from zone relative to route concepts.
• Face-guards from start to finish instead of locating the ball when his back turned.
• Still has some technical issues to clean up in man.
• Sometimes leans into receivers instead of using feet to close distance.