After trading wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason, the Miami Dolphins have a pair of picks in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft on Thursday.
Miami is set to be on the clock at No. 11 and No. 30 when the draft kicks off, and with holes all over their roster, the Dolphins could use those selections on almost any position to improve their team.
With just days left before the draft, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski identified two players that would be ideal picks for the Dolphins in the first round. At No. 11, he believes the best pick is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
"Delane can immediately provide the Dolphins with a sticky option as their new CB1, which should thrill head coach Jeff Hafley, whose previous background as a coordinator began as a secondary coach," Sobleski wrote. "When facing Josh Allen and Drake Maye twice per season, the Dolphins would be fortunate to land the class' top corner and help slow those opposing passing attacks."
Delane, 22, was a three-star recruit out of Archbishop Spalding in Severn, Maryland. He committed to Virginia Tech out of high school, but after three years with the Hokies, he finished his collegiate career at LSU.
In 44 games, Delane recorded 191 tackles, 27 passes defensed, eight interceptions, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He earned All-ACC honors, All-SEC and All-American honors once.
At No. 30, Sobleski believes the Dolphins it would be best if the Dolphins landed Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell.
"Chris Bell would have easily been in the first-round conversation had he not suffered a torn ACL in November. He may 'potentially return by training camp.' A healthy Bell is a freight train in the open field. The 222-pound wide receiver is built like a running back and more than capable of creating after the catch, which should make him a favorite target for quarterback Malik Willis once he's ready to go," Sobleski wrote. "The Dolphins' timeline provides them the opportunity to wait for the gifted target."
Bell, 21, was a three-star recruit out of Greenville High School in Greenville, Mississippi before spending the last four years at Louisville, where he earned All-ACC honors once.
In 47 games with the Cardinals, Bell caught 151 passes for 2,166 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also returned five kicks.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Pair of prospects named 'ideal picks' for Dolphins