Jon-Eric Sullivan’s first draft as Dolphins GM is going to be defined by one word: conviction. Miami traded back a single spot from 11 to 12 with Dallas, picked up two extra fifth-rounders, and still walked out of the top 15 with the player they wanted — 6-7, 352-pound Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor. Then Sullivan moved up from 30 to 27 with the 49ers and grabbed San Diego State corner Chris Johnson, the second-highest-graded cornerback in college football last season.
Two picks, two roster holes filled, and a masterclass in moving around the board. But Day 1 wasn’t risk-free. Proctor comes with a “ceiling” label that every analyst in the country paired with a flashing warning light about his conditioning and motivation — Nick Saban called him out by name on both counts. Johnson, on the other hand, looks like the kind of press-man corner Jeff Hafley has been searching for since the day he was hired.
Here’s the full Day 1 picture for Miami — and if you want to take over for Sullivan on Days 2 and 3, take control of the Dolphins in the PFSN NFL Mock Draft Simulator.
Dolphins Select Absolute Bulldozer With 12th Overall Pick
Jon-Eric Sullivan made his first pick as Dolphins GM on Thursday night, and he made a statement. Miami traded back one spot from 11 to 12 with the Cowboys, picking up two extra fifth-round picks in the process, and still got the guy the Dolphins wanted: Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.
At 6-7, 352 pounds, Proctor is a different species. Sullivan didn’t mince words after the pick. “When he walks out there, he’s going to change the tone of practice with his size,” Sullivan said. “The ability to move large men will speak for itself.” He added: “There wasn’t another one in the draft like him.”
He’s right. There wasn’t. Proctor is a true mauler who moves defenders against their will in the run game. Nick Saban, who recruited him to Alabama, said Proctor has “more ability and more talent in his body than maybe anybody I’ve ever coached.” Daniel Jeremiah called him “massive” and said when he’s dialed in, “you’re going to have a hard time getting through those pads.” Louis Riddick put it simply: “When he’s on, it’s over. This dude is a problem.”
The best part? Proctor is only 20 years old and won’t turn 21 until later this year. On a rebuilding roster where the timeline is two to three years out, his age profile is perfect. By the time this team is ready to compete, Proctor will be entering his prime. Sullivan got a player whose ceiling is Pro Bowl tackle, added two extra picks by sliding back one spot, and didn’t sacrifice any value to do it. That’s the kind of move that sets the tone for an entire draft weekend.
Sullivan was asked about taking Proctor when they could have selected either safety Caleb Downs or defensive end Rueben Bain. But the Dolphins GM made it clear the organization had “a lot of conviction” in taking Proctor. “We thought Proctor was rare — his height, weight, speed, production … He’s an outlier, there’s not many like him.”
Saban, Kiper, Jeremiah, and Riddick all used the same word to describe Proctor’s upside: dominant. Sullivan is betting that Jeff Hafley’s coaching staff can unlock it. If they do, Miami just drafted the anchor of its offensive line for the next decade.
Bottom line: Sullivan played the board perfectly. He moved back one spot, gained two picks, and landed the most physically gifted lineman in the class. Proctor is young, massive, and has a ceiling that none of the other tackles in this draft can match. This is exactly the kind of pick you make when you’re building something from scratch.
The Proctor Gamble
Let’s not sugarcoat this. The selection of Kadyn Proctor doesn’t come without risk. Let’s not sugarcoat this. Every single analyst who talked about the pick used the same caveat: “if.”
If he keeps his weight down. If he stays motivated. If his maturity kicks in. If he can become consistent. That’s a lot of conditions for a top-12 pick.
Mel Kiper called Proctor “somewhat of an underachiever” at Alabama and said he let inferior players beat him in pass protection too many times.
His weight is the elephant in the room. Saban, who coached Proctor for years, was blunt: “He’s not exactly a self-starter who will get in great shape and come to camp like you want him.” Booger McFarland echoed it. Riddick echoed it. Jeremiah said he was “a little out of shape at the beginning of the season.” When multiple people who have watched you play every week all flag the same concern, it’s not a narrative. It’s a pattern.
Kirk Herbstreit noted Proctor struggles with lateral movement when defenders angle inside on him. For a guy who might play guard at the next level, that’s a significant technical hole. Sullivan noted he didn’t want to pigeonhole Proctor and feels he can play guard or tackle.
Sullivan said Proctor will “change the tone of practice with his size.” That’s true. But size without discipline is just a big guy standing in the wrong spot.
Kiper’s quote lingers: “Kadyn Proctor can be as good as Kadyn Proctor wants to be.” That sentence is both the ceiling and the floor of this pick, and Sullivan is betting $20 million in guaranteed rookie money that Proctor wants it badly enough.
Bottom line: Proctor has the highest ceiling of any offensive lineman in this class. Nobody disputes that. But ceilings don’t block edge rushers. The Dolphins just spent a top-12 pick on a player whose own college coach said you have to manage his conditioning and motivation. Sullivan better have a plan for that, because if Proctor shows up to camp out of shape, this pick is going to look very different by September.
Sullivan’s Second Swing: A Potential Lockdown Corner
Jon-Eric Sullivan wasn’t done after Proctor. Miami moved up from 30 to 27, sending pick 30 and 90 to the 49ers in exchange for 27 and 138, and grabbed the corner Jeff Hafley has been looking for: San Diego State’s Chris Johnson.
Johnson was the second-highest graded cornerback in college football last season according to PFSN’s CFB Impact Score, posting a 96.4 that trailed only LSU’s Mansoor Delane at 97.0. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 34 percent of their passes against him. He picked off six passes across three years as a starter. At the combine, he ran a 4.43 at 6’0, 193 pounds. His testing comps are guys like Stephon Gilmore, Bradley Roby, and Johnathan Joseph. Not a bad group.
Daniel Jeremiah compared him to Tre’Davious White and called him “a stud.” He praised Johnson’s ball skills specifically, saying he’s not a corner who just knocks passes away. He finds the ball and takes it the other direction. Jeremiah also noted the versatility to line up at multiple spots in the secondary, potentially even at safety.
Kiper called Johnson “an ascending player” who kept getting better as the season went on. His Boise State game (six solo tackles, a pass breakup) and his Cal game (pick-six, another breakup) were the kind of performances that built late momentum into the first round. Kiper highlighted his ability to locate the ball at the catch point without panicking, which is the single biggest adjustment most college corners struggle with at the next level.
Saban was characteristically direct: “This guy can play the ball in the deep part of the field. This guy is a good player.” Herbstreit noted Johnson played on an island in San Diego State’s scheme and that you could trust him without safety help over the top. His favorite athlete is Jalen Ramsey, and the confidence shows up in how he plays.
Sullivan noted that Johnson could play outside, nickel, or even safety (which he said he does not envision). He added: “He’s got great feet. Great body control. He’s a big corner. He’ll tackle. He’s physical. And he’s got upside. He’s about the right stuff, the kind of guy we want to infuse in his locker room.”
Bottom line: Sullivan walked out of Round 1 with a potential franchise tackle at 12 and a potential CB1 at 27, plus two extra fifth-rounders from the Cowboys trade. He was aggressive when he needed to be, patient when the board allowed it, and came away with two players who fill two of the biggest holes on the roster. Hafley gets his press-man corner. The offensive line gets its mauler. Day 1 was a win. On paper, of course. We’ll hold final judgment for a few months (years?).
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