Why Jon-Eric Sullivan’s Draft Selections Bring a New Era of Dolphins Football

Why Jon-Eric Sullivan’s Draft Selections Bring a New Era of Dolphins Football

Jon-Eric Sullivan may have been introduced as the Dolphins’ newest general manager in January, but the real turn of the page came on April 23, or the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Miami fans were calling for former general manager Chris Grier’s job over the course of his 10-year tenure. He brought everything but a playoff win to Miami Gardens — a mere five seasons above .500, coupled with more starting quarterbacks than you can count, even if you used both hands.

Now, Sullivan takes office with little talent in front of him. He eyes a familiar signal caller who threw just 70 passes in two seasons for the Green Bay Packers — both Malik Willis’ and Sullivan’s former club. The latter dealt three-time 1,000-yard receiver Jaylen Waddle in March and is left with offensive cornerstone De’Von Achane and a handful of wideouts few fans can even name. 

Despite the slew of question marks riddling the roster, Sullivan has already carved out some hope in the hearts of the Dolphin faithful. He and the rest of the front office did what Grier and Co. struggled to do in the last 10 years — put together a complete draft.

While rookie training camp kicked off Friday, Sullivan’s 13 selections are reason enough to believe the team has a much brighter future ahead than what Grier attempted to assemble. 

The Dolphins had glaring needs across the board heading into the draft. After it looked as though they could see Rueben Bain Jr. play at Hard Rock Stadium again, Sullivan stuck to positional value rather than taking the best player available. 

No, it’s not the flashiest pick, but Kadyn Proctor was the right choice at No. 12. Sitting at 6-foot-6 and 352 pounds, Willis shouldn’t have to worry about pressure coming from his blind side. Proctor and Patrick Paul will make for one of the largest left tackle-guard tandems in the league.

That is, once Jonah Savaiinaea is moved to right guard.

Chris Johnson, Miami’s next selection, is also poised to be an immediate starter. He enters a secondary lacking big-name talent and can easily be the elusive lockdown corner the team has been itching for ever since Xavien Howard’s departure.

When the Dolphins took both an offensive lineman and a cornerback in the first round, I was hit with Austin Jackson and Noah Igbinoghene flashbacks. Johnson shows much more promise than the former Auburn selection, who will go down as one of the largest draft disappointments. 

It’s hard to believe that a linebacker who stacked up to fifth in Heisman voting was taken near the midway mark of the second round. Jacob Rodriguez is a hard-hitting playmaker but is slightly undersized. Sounds familiar, right?

The Zach Thomas-esque profile landed him in Miami and is one of the most highly anticipated rookies to hit the field. Rodriguez grabbed four interceptions in 2025 and forced an FBS-leading seven fumbles. The Jordyn Brooks-Ridriguez duo from Texas Tech will be a force to be reckoned with on Sundays and one of the faces of the new era.

Sullivan hit on his picks following the second round, landing five pass catchers, two edge rushers, a guard, and two more defensive pieces. He had a ton of draft capital to work with, and he focused on players who would make a splash and fit the mold of the rising culture.

Chris Bell, who heard his name called in the third round, could have been a potential first-rounder if it weren’t for a late ACL injury. The 6-foot-1 wideout could nab a chunk of the production this season among a thin wide receiver room. 

Every player Sullivan and the rest of the front office selected has the potential to be a game-changer this season for the Dolphins, and the three-day draft stretch is evidence enough as to why, even without undoubted success, the franchise received major upgrades.