After finishing the season 7-10, the Miami Dolphins will select 11th in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft
In his most recent mock draft, former scout and current NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts the Dolphins will select a player from Ohio State University. Here’s more about the prediction.
Miami Dolphins Predicted to Draft a Big Defensive Presence from Ohio State
Jeremiah projects the Miami Dolphins to select Caleb Downs, a junior safety from Ohio State, with the pick. Regarding the selection, Jeremiah said (per NFL.com):
“Downs has the versatility to play multiple spots, much like his teammate — in this scenario — Minkah Fitzpatrick. Downs’ football intelligence and leadership are off the charts. Miami has to improve a defense that ranked 24th in scoring and 32nd in opponent completion percentage.”
In his collegiate career, Downs spent his freshman season at the University of Alabama before transferring to Ohio State, where he has spent the last two seasons. Across 44 games, Downs recorded 164 solo tackles, 93 assisted tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 6 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 forced fumbles.
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He has also been named an All-American twice, both seasons at Ohio State, earned 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, and won a national championship in 2024.
PFSN’s College Football Safety Impact Metric, which evaluates individual safety performance and has been tracked for the past two years, showed Downs ranked No. 18 among college safeties last season with an impact score of 90.0 and a letter grade of B+. This year, he was listed at No. 50 with a score of 84.1 and a grade of B.
As Jeremiah noted, the Dolphins’ defense was among the worst in the league this season, a point reinforced by the safety position when measured using PFSN’s NFL Safety Impact Metric.
The Dolphins’ top-performing safety was Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is in his second stint with the team after being traded back from the Pittsburgh Steelers. This season, Fitzpatrick ranked No. 48 among safeties with an impact score of 73.6 and a letter grade of C.
Ashtyn Davis ranked No. 77 with an impact score of 66.8 and a letter grade of D. Next was Ifeatu Melifonwu, who ranked 98th with an impact score of 56.5 and a letter grade of F. Dante Trader Jr. finished No. 103 with an impact score of 52.0 and a letter grade of F.
The Dolphins struggled defensively, and Downs is a player who could be an instant game-changer. The only question is whether he will still be available when Miami is on the clock.
