The Miami Dolphins were slated to use their first of two first-round picks at No. 11 overall, but after a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, they were on the clock a pick later at No. 12, where they took Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor.
The 6-foot-6 lineman started 39 games for the Crimson Tide during his collegiate career, earning All-SEC honors twice and All-American honors once.
Miami didn't have an immediate need for a tackle, with Patrick Paul and Austin Jackson still under contract for 2026, but new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan explained the pick after the first round concluded.
"He's unique. He's rare," Sullivan said. "He's a 350-pound man with unique athletic traits that can play four spots across the line of scrimmage, the left tackle, right tackle, both guards. The athletic traits, for a man, his size are through the roof. I know there have been some questions about his weight. It's well-documented, and obviously, we're very aware. We did our due diligence with our resources. We feel really good about where he is at with that, and we brought him in on a 30 visit. I could feel his conviction and his desire to be a good football player and do the things that he needs to do to be the best pro that he can be. All I can tell you is that there wasn't another one in the draft like him, period."
Sullivan wouldn't commit to where Proctor will play for the Dolphins in 2026, but with the versatility to play guard and the team having a need there, it could make sense for this year.
Local reporters also questioned Sullivan on his decision to trade down and take Proctor while players like Ohio State's Caleb Downs and Miami's Rueben Bain were still on the board.
"Downs and Bane are marvelous players, and I understand the question. And I think those guys are going to be very successful in this league, no doubt about it," Sullivan said. "Again, we thought Proctor was rare. His height, weight, speed, production, the things that he can do on the football field for a man his size. He's an outlier. There's not many like him.
"That's no shot at Caleb Downs, a phenomenal football player, and he'll have a great career, and we would have loved to have him here. But we had a lot of conviction on Proctor being a very unique player in this draft, and one that we can build around for years. We invested in Malik, and it was important for us to protect him, to make sure that he has time to do the things that he needs to do, and keep him healthy. So that was part of the conversation as well. So yeah, we're thrilled with the pick. We're happy to add him. We have a lot of faith in the person, and we think he's gonna be a really good player here, no apologies."
Sullivan seems to believe that he and his staff made the best decision for the Dolphins to have sustained success. Now, we just have to see how Proctor looks once he gets on the practice field and into a game.
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick analysis
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Dolphins GM explains decision to take OL Kadyn Proctor