This is where things get… awkward.
Teams picking ninth through 12th usually don’t expect to be here — and for franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys, selecting this high signals a season that fell short of expectations.
These aren’t rebuilding rosters (other than the Miami Dolphins).
These are teams with established franchise quarterbacks, strong cores, and playoff aspirations. But something broke — whether it was injuries, defensive regression, cap strain, coaching turnover, or roster imbalance.
That’s what makes this range fascinating.
These front offices aren’t drafting for survival. They’re drafting to recalibrate. The goal isn’t to build a foundation — it’s to fix what prevented a deep playoff run.
And unlike the teams at the very top, these organizations must balance immediate impact with long-term cap sustainability. Extensions are looming. Core players are aging. Windows don’t stay open forever.
In this batch, we break down:
- The biggest roster holes for each franchise
- Contract situations and future cap implications
- Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
- Potential fantasy football implications
These are the teams that don’t want to be here — but could use this draft slot to reload in a big way.
Up next: the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys.
Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.
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2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: Miami Dolphins
Team Needs: IOL, RT, WR, CB, S, EDGE, TE, DT
2026 Free Agent Key Losses:
WR Tyreek Hill, WR Jaylen Waddle, TE Darren Waller, RT Larry Borom, G Cole Strange, CB Kader Kohou, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, EDGE Bradley Chubb, G James Daniels
2026 Free Agent Losses:
- QB: Zach Wilson
- RB: Alexander Mattison
- WR: Nick Westbrook, D’Wayne Eskridge, Cedrick Wilson
- TE: Julian Hill (RFA)
- OL: G Liam Eichenberg, RT Kendall Lamm, G Germain Ifedi, G Daniel Brunskill, LT Yodny Cajuste, OT Obinna Eze (ERFA)
- EDGE: Quinton Bell, Cameron Goode (RFA), Bradley Chubb
- DL: Benito Jones
- LB: K.J. Britt, Caleb Johnson
- CB: Rasul Douglas, Artie Burns, Jack Jones,
- S: Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ashtyn Davis
- ST: Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Cam Miller (ERFA)
- RB: Devon Achane
- WR: Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, Terrace Marshall, Theo Wease Jr. (ERFA)
- TE: Cole Turner (RFA)
- DT: Matthew Butler
- EDGE: David Ojabo, Joshua Uche
- OL: OG Jamaree Salyer, OT Austin Jackson, C Aaron Brewer, G Kion Smith, RT Carter Warren (RFA), C Andrew Meyer (RFA), RT Charlie Heck
- LB: Willie Gay Jr., Jordyn Brooks, Tyrel Dodson, Jackson Woodard (ERFA)
- CB: Marco Wilson, Darrell Baker, A.J. Green, Julius Brents, Storm Duck (RFA), Ethan Robinson (ERFA), Isaiah Johnson (ERFA), Jason Maitre (ERFA), Ethan Bonner
- S: Jordan Colbert (ERFA), Lonnie Johnson, Elijah Campbell
- ST: Jason Sanders, Riley Patterson, Zane Gonzalez
One of the first things new head coach and former Packers DC Jeff Hafley mentioned after being hired by the Miami Dolphins was his core beliefs: running the ball and being really physical upfront. Spoken like a true defensive-minded head coach. This also matched the tone from new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan.
“We want to build this team from the inside out.”
Seems pretty obvious that these two former Green Bay staffers have a clear, concise vision for how they want to shape this roster. Build an environment where a QB can succeed first… before diving headfirst into aggressively pursuing a specific QB.
Seventeen games of second-year Quinn Ewers to ensure a top draft pick in 2027? Not quite.
Malik Willis will be the Dolphins’ QB after signing a three-year, $67.5 million deal. The new HC and GM are both coming from Green Bay, so this moves make sense for both sides.
Sullivan specifically mentioned that they will look to invest in QB every year. They will draft QBs every year, if not every other year. Make the QB room as deep as possible.
They do not want to put a QB in a position where he is getting killed behind a bad offensive line or has nobody to throw to.
Miami has already been busy getting ahead of free agency, cutting ties with multiple veterans to create more manageable salary-cap space.
Even though the new regime didn’t completely rule out Tua Tagovailoa as a QB option initially, the writing was on the wall that it’s time up in Miami for the southpaw passer. “Ideally,” they trade him. Shocking nobody, they were forced to release him (later signed with Atlanta on a one-year contract.
Bobby Slowik is the new OC (promoted in 2026 from the Dolphins’ pass game coordinator).
They want to establish the run, which both the Packers/Dolphins offenses did last year at a top-six rate. Throw the return of the fullback and a dual-threat QB…Well, Willis could be a fun offensive piece in South Beach.
Willis led all QBs in fantasy points per dropback (1.13) last season. Small sample size of 47 dropbacks. However, it was also very high (0.76) in 2024 (top-3).
According to Pat Fitzmaurice, Willis has averaged 44.8 rushing yards per game and has run for four touchdowns in six career starts. He’s averaged about 8.5 fantasy points per game just with his legs.
Slowik was in Houston before spending last season with Miami (with San Fran before that). There’s a connection with Davis Mills as a potential trade target, given how well he played last year, filling in for an injured C.J. Stroud. He is also a free agent in 2027.
Jimmy Garoppolo could also be another option for the Dolphins. Familiar with the Kyle Shanahan scheme. Slowik was with SF from 2017 to 2022 (overlapping exactly with Jimmy G’s tenure with the Niners). Kevin Patullo spent last year with the Eagles as their OC (yikes) and is the new passing game coordinator for Miami. Another connection could be to look at acquiring Tanner McKee.
But after the Willis signing, I’d imagine they just draft another developmental QB.
Bush Hamdan is the new QBs coach (former Kentucky OC, Boise State OC, and Missouri coach). Obviously spent a lot of time in the college game.
Some draft-eligible prospects that overlapped with Hamdan include Seth McGowan, Eric McAlister, Taylen Green, Jalen Farmer, Jager Burton, DeaMonte Trayanum, Dane Key, and Barion Brown.
Taylen Green AND Willis in the same backfield? Get your popcorn ready for the tanking Dolphins that might have a very high pick in the 2027 draft.
Hamdan served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Taylen Green at Boise State in 2023.
Miami has also reportedly been looking at CBs in this year’s draft class (Tony Pauline). This is a no-brainer considering the current state of the Dolphins’ secondary. They have massive holes all over the secondary at both CB and safety. They already traded safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Miami traded Jaelan Phillips before last year’s trade deadline and already cut Bradley Chubb (third and first, respectively, in pressures generated). That might create some need for more defensive line help, but the Dolphins have a decent young defensive front, headlined by Kenneth Grant and Chop Robinson. Also signed David Ojabo to a one-year deal.
Still, their struggles versus the run last season suggest that defensive tackle will remain an option. It’s not that they have pressing roster needs at defensive line, but rather a desire to make that unit just better. I still think EDGE is the most pressing, given that defensive tackles Grant, Zach Sieler, and Jordan Phillips are under contract for the next two seasons. They also re-signed DT Matthew Butler to a one-year deal.
Across the offensive line, it’s mostly the interior that needs the most work. They need a starting guard, without much depth at that position, currently on the roster. OG Cole Strange signed with the Chargers in free agency.
Center Aaron Brewer and RT Austin Jackson will hit FA in 2027.
Also, according to PFF, rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea earned a 14.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked dead last among all guards this season. Jamaree Salyer signed a one-year deal to play guard.
They still could very much draft a right tackle as well to play opposite of Patrick Paul.
WR/TE are obvious, given the lack of depth on the offensive roster. They essentially have no tight end of note…and Jaylen Waddle is the last man standing among the WRs.
And that was before he got traded to the Denver Broncos for a first-round pick.
Full breakdown of that trade can be read here.
TLDR version: Willis is going to run a lot. But I seriously question how effective he can be as a receiver with this poor supporting cast. He was also the only multi-year signing by Miami this offseason. Seems like a lock to start all of 2026 while serving as a bridge QB in 2027 to a rookie QB if Miami has a high enough draft slot in 2027. He has an out in his contract in 2028.
Tight end Greg Dulcich re-signed on a one-year deal. Dulcich flashed with Miami in the second half of the 2025 season (second in YPPR among TEs from Week 9 onward), posting his best statistical season after battling injuries since his rookie campaign. The impending free agent finished second among all TEs in YAC/catch – trailing only Tucker Kraft. Worth monitoring now that he is officially returning to Miami, given that his rookie-year breakout coincided with former Broncos TE coach and current Cardinals TE coach Jake Moreland, who previously coached under new Dolphins OC Bobby Slowik (Miami’s passing game coordinator in 2025). Not to mention, the Dolphins’ new HC just came from GB, so he clearly knows what a YAC tight end can offer for an offense.
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