Where the Miami Dolphins Draft Capital Ranks Among the Best in Team History

The Miami Dolphins' game plan under new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan seems pretty clear, and it's about clearing up a nasty cap situation while accumulating a lot of draft capital.

In that sense, it's been mission accomplished and the proof when it comes to the draft capital can be found in the numbers.

We can start with the Dolphins currently slated to have seven picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft, which would set a franchise record.

Yes, even after the rebuilding project of 2019 that produced the same cap/draft benefits for the Dolphins, the team found itself with six picks in the first three rounds in 2020. The Dolphins also had six picks in Rounds 1-3 in 1968 and 1997.

For the record the 1968 first three rounds started with Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka and ended with 1973 Defensive Player of the Year Dick Anderson. In 1997, the top six picks were WR Yatil Green, CB Sam Madison, DE Jason Taylor, LB Derrick Rodgers, LB Ronnie Ward and T Brent Smith.

The last four of those 1997 picks in Rounds 1-3 came in the third round, a Miami record for most picks in a round they're on track to match.

The Dolphins also had four sixth-round picks in 1997, fourth sixth-round picks in 2001 and most recently four fifth-round picks in 2015 that they used on DB Bobby McCain, RB Jay Ajayi, S Cedric Thompson and CB Tony Lippett.

Notice how the Dolphins had four picks in two separate rounds in 1997. That was the year Jimmy Johnson worked traded throughout the draft and the Dolphins ended up with a total of 14 picks.

That's their highest total ever for a seven-round draft, which the NFL first began using in 1994.

The Dolphins' current total of 11 picks would make it the sixth time since then they had double-digit picks, along with 1996 (12), 1998 (10), 2007 (10) and 2020 (11).

It's worth noting that outside of the disaster of 2007 when they went 1-15, the Dolphins haven't had a losing record since 1994 when making 10 or more picks.

The Dolphins currently are scheduled to have this year two picks in Round 1, one in Round 2, four in Round 3, one in Round 4, one in Round 5, and two in Round 7.

THE DOLPHINS' 2026 DRAFT PICKS

Round 1 — 11th overall, 30th overall (from Denver)

Round 2 — 43rd overall (11th in round)

Round 3 — 75th overall (11th in round), 87th overall (23rd in round, from Philadelphia), 90th overall (26th in round, from Houston), 94th overall (30th in round, from Denver)

Round 4 — 130th overall (from Denver)

Round 5 — 151st overall

Round 6 — No pick (traded to N.Y. Giants for TE Darren Waller)

Round 7 — 227th overall, 238th overall (from N.Y. Jets through L.A. Chargers and Tennessee)

TRADES INVOLVING 2026 DOLPHINS DRAFT PICKS

-- Sent WR Jaylen Waddle and a 4th-round pick (111th) overall) to Denver for picks in the 1st (30th), 3rd (94th) and 4th rounds (130th)

-- Acquired a 3rd-round pick (87th overall) from the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 involving OLB Jaelan Phillips

-- Acquired a 3rd-round pick (90th overall) from the Houston Texans for a 2025 fourth-round selection

-- Traded a sixth-round pick (192nd overall) to the New York Giants for TE Darren Waller

-- Acquired a seventh-round pick (238th overall) from the New York Jets (through the L.A. Chargers and Tennessee Titans) for DB Minkah Fitzpatrick