What to Expect from Sullivan In His First Dolphins Draft

Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan dropped some hints during his pre-draft press conference about how the team might approach the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft.

Sullivan emphasized the importance of the 11th overall pick for the Dolphins, stating it's going to be a key part of Miami's roster and overall team identity.

"I worked in Green Bay with a guy that used to always say, 'Be careful about trying to hit the home run and make sure you just hit the double off the wall,' " Sullivan said. "In other words, I think you take everything into consideration, but what you can't do is swing and miss, so the character is a huge piece of the pie."

This statement - alongside other quotes from the first-year general manager and a look back at his time with Green Bay - can shed light on how he'll be approaching Miami's upcoming draft, which could be one of the most important drafts in recent memory for the franchise.

Talent Is Not The Only Factor In Play

Baseball metaphor aside, Sullivan emphasized finding the best available player who fits Miami's system instead of just the biggest player left on the board. Talent is crucial in proving yourself worthy of a roster spot, but even the best talent can't always mesh in the right system.

"That will be a big piece of the pie with that 11th pick and quite frankly, with all our picks, but obviously at 11, we've got to make sure that we're bringing a good football player into the equation that is a right fit for this place," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he's factoring in a player's character, dedication, being a good teammate, and a desire to win just as much as raw talent. These are aspects that Miami has been trying to figure out during the NFL combine, "top 30" visits, and more.

There's More To The Draft Than Number 11

Pick number 11 is the defining pick for Sullivan's first draft in Miami, but he's not underplaying the rest of the team's picks. The Dolphins have 11 total selections to make in the draft, including another pick in the first round, number 30.

"We've got 11 picks, seven in the top 100. If we do our job right, and we will, it's an awesome opportunity to lay the foundation for what we're building.

"I mean to be perfectly honest with you, the last two nights in a row, I've woken up in the middle of the night, literally with my hand, like dreaming that I'm taking a tag off the board."

His Time In Green Bay Paints A Picture

Sullivan was an important figure in Green Bay's drafting since 2016 when he was promoted to director of college scouting. He then was promoted to co-director of player personnel in 2018.

He directly aided general manager Brian Gutekunst, who remains Packers GM to this day. Sullivan never had the final say in who the team selected, but he still played a crucial role and likely can apply what he learned from Gutekunst in his decisions here in Miami.

If that's the case, the Packers did a bit of everything in the first round during Sullivan's time there. They were aggressive at times to acquire higher selections. This includes 2018, when the Packers selected CB Jaire Alexander with the 18th overall pick - a pick they obtained from Seattle to move down from 27th overall.

On paper, 2019 was the most similar situation to what he has in Miami - a 12th overall pick and, originally, the 30th overall pick that they traded to Seattle (alongside two fourth-round picks) in exchange for the 21st overall pick. The two players selected were LB Rashan Gary and S Darnell Savage.

The biggest trade-up had to be in 2020, when they moved up four spots to take franchise QB Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick. They made the move with Miami, which acquired a fourth-round pick in the deal.

Other times, Green Bay stayed put with the picks it had, such as 2021 (CB Eric Stokes), 2023 (DL Lukas Van Ness), and 2025 (WR Matthew Golden). Van Ness was selected at the same spot the Dolphins currently have this year, 11th overall.

Did Green Bay's Picks Hit Or Miss?

Of course, the circumstances will be different between Green Bay and Miami. Sullivan, for example, will have the final say this time around. Still, the Packers' picks with him being a key decision-maker were a mixed bag of results.

From 2018 to 2022, there were only two first-round picks from the Packers who still are members of Green Bay - Love and DT Devonte Wyatt in 2022 (28th overall).

Green Bay selected a lot of players who had trouble staying on the field. Alexander has missed 36 games since 2020 due to injury. Gary suffered a torn ACL in 2022. Wyatt suffered two different ankle injuries in the same season, with the latter being a fibula fracture and ankle ligament tear.

It's not entirely fair to blame these injuries on Sullivan and Gutekunst when they selected the players. But for some of them, like Alexander, they knew about his injury troubles with Louisville in 2017 and still chose to gamble with the pick.

For other players, like Savage, they didn't live up to their first-round status. Missed tackles were a issue during Savage's time in Green Bay, and he ultimately was cut, then signed and cut by Jacksonville, Washington and Buffalo.

However, there were some home-run picks, like Love, who is the face of the franchise right now. He led Green Bay to the NFC Divisional Round in his first season and hasn't missed the playoffs since.

Today's best reads

• Examining How Much Draft-Weekend Trade Activity to Expect from the Dolphins
• Breaking Down the Biggest Sullivan Press Conference Takeaways
• Why This Dolphins Draft Shouldn't Be All About Willis
• Examining a Potential Clue for Dolphins Top Pick
• Examining High-Risk, High-Reward Draft Prospects the Dolphins Might Consider

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 8:27 AM.