YAHOO Mock Draft 9.0 has DOLPHINS Selecting

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

Delane is one of the top cornerbacks in a CB-rich draft. He excels in press coverage, altering release timing with punches and slides. Smooth hips and efficient footwork keep him connected in man coverage, while his processing allows for quick transitions in off-man and short zone looks. He has good top-end speed for vertical phasing but is inconsistent turning to find the football. While he locks in on the route at times, he’s rarely oblivious to the quarterback’s actions, allowing him to slam catch windows shut and play the football. He played through a core muscle injury for much of the 2025 season and still performed at an elite level. Delane’s emergence over the past two years might be indicative of what’s to come, as he’s shown lockdown potential.

Strengths

• Loose-limbed, highly athletic and efficient in his movements.
• Throws jabs and slides feet to cut off release from press.
• Gets hands on the route quickly and flows tightly to the route.
• Anticipates breaks from off coverage and pounces to erase separation space.
• Tracks quarterback without losing route awareness in zone coverage.
• Makes sharp overlaps to play the throw from deep zone drops.
• Smothers the catch point like a dominant shot blocker.
• Full-contact thumper ready to jar the ball loose.
• Engulfs and wraps up pass-catchers to quickly end the play.

Weaknesses

• Plays tall in space, limiting transition quickness at times.
• Can be baited by clever route combinations in deep zone.
• Aggressive hand usage to redirect, which will bring flags.
• Needs to become more consistent in locating deep throws.
• Can be tardy breaking down as an open-field tackler.

Round 1, Pick #30: Makai Lemon, WR, USC

“The Dolphins use the pick they got from the Jaylen Waddle trade to replace Jaylen Waddle. Lemon isn’t nearly as dynamic as Waddle, but he profiles as a starting-caliber slot wide receiver. The Dolphins need to start rebuilding their wide receiver depth somewhere, so they might as well start here and see where the winds take them and their $179 million in dead cap.”

NFL.com Draft Profile

Overview

High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills. Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He’s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels. Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed. More play strength is needed for NFL press and he needs to avoid rushing through multi-breaking routes. He’s an exceptional ball-tracker with excellent catch timing and few focus drops. He wins more combat catches than he loses. Lemon is a plug-and-play, quarterback-friendly talent with first-round value and Pro Bowl upside.

Strengths

• Efficient press release with early acceleration to bypass.
• Manipulates defenders out of position with route acumen.
• Snaps off out-breaking routes at crisp angles.
• Displays above-average burst from turns to gain separation.
• Ball-tracking adjustments and catch timing are elite.
• Ridiculous grip strength once the football hits his hands.
• Elevates his toughness and focus when catch is contested.
• Good patience with late catch adjustment to save his catch space.
• Already dropping two feet inbounds near the sideline.
• Willing run blocker who gives legitimate effort.

Weaknesses

• Could use a hair more patience to prevent rushing the route.
• Appears quicker than fast when working vertical routes.
• Can be a little slow disengaging once captured underneath.
• Competitive but relatively ordinary after the catch.
• Needs runway to break off comebacks out of the drive phase.