Sullivan and Hafley’s Miami Dolphins draft plan, including trade, revealed?

A new report from the Miami Dolphins may have revealed Jeff Hafley and John-Eric Sullivan’s entire strategy for the first NFL Draft as leaders of the program.

It’s been a very busy offseason for the Dolphins. After a 7–10 finish, ownership decided to clean out the team’s brain trust and gave new leadership to Sullivan as general manager and Hafley as head coach. But that was just the beginning.

Over the past few weeks, the team has adopted a strategy of additions and subtractions by trading Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick and cutting Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb. This is a big change that comes with a lot of dead cap and serious limitations to fill those holes. That’s why the 2026 draft will be so important for Sullivan and Hafley in the first year.

Do the Miami Dolphins have to wait until days 2 and 3 of the draft to select a receiver?

dolphin
Kirby Lee-Images Images

The Green Bay Packers underdogs will have to build on their picks later this month and set the stage for an even better season to come. But how will they do this? Well, according to ESPN NFL expert Jordan Reed, it will be by following the blueprint he learned in Green Bay, but it could also include “aggressive” use of the additional draft assets they have.

“I expect the Dolphins to be very active throughout the draft after clearing their roster in the studs this offseason,” Reed wrote. “Sullivan comes from the Packers tree, and Green Bay has historically valued premium position picks in Round 1 and pass catchers in Days 2 and 3.

“I think this trend will continue, as there are chances to add linemen early. But with 11 picks, the Dolphins can be aggressive and move up the board for a prospect they really want.”

The Dolphins have seven picks in the top 100 spots of the NFL Draft. So while they took on a lot of debt to overhaul the roster, they will have plenty of opportunities to get a lot of good players in the first three rounds. Or, they can move on and find prospects they love because they have the assets to move forward.

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After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

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Raiders hire Mike Sullivan as quarterbacks coach to develop Fernando Mendoza

Clint Kubiak changed his mind.

Three weeks after the Las Vegas Raiders announced their coaching staff would be without a quarterbacks coach – a decision that raised eyebrows considering the decision was coming on April 23 – Kubiak has returned and filled the spot. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, the Raiders are hiring longtime NFL assistant Mike Sullivan for the role.

Sullivan, 59, has been a quarterbacks coach in this league four times: twice with the New York Giants, once with the Denver Broncos, and most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2021-23. He also has experience as an offensive coordinator with the Buccaneers and Giants. He was set to join Rutgers as a senior offensive assistant before coming back to Las Vegas. The two have history, as Sullivan and Kubiak were on the same Broncos staff in 2018.

Rent matters for an obvious reason. Fernando Mendoza is almost certainly walking through that door as the No. 1 pick in Pittsburgh on April 23 and the Raiders have a complicated history developing young quarterbacks. Sullivan helped bring along Eli Manning during New York’s 2011 Super Bowl run. He has done this before also.

When I wrote about this vacancy in early March, the thinking around the organization was that Kubiak, along with OC Andrew Janko and assistant head coach Mike McCoy, had enough experienced offensive minds in the building to cover the position. This is still true. But adding Sullivan doesn’t hurt. It just means Mendoza has another voice – a dedicated one – when the real work begins.

The question mark on the staff in 2026 was always Rob Leonard on defense, not the QB room. Sullivan’s appointment does not change that. But for a franchise that has often botched quarterback development, getting this piece right matters. Kubiak called. Now we’ll see what Sullivan does with it.

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Scott Gulbransen, a quintessential expert in the field of sports journalism, serves as an editor, nfl , mlb , Formula 1 … More about Scott Gulbransen


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Miami owner releases statement on Jon-Eric Sullivan hire

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross released his first statement after making the decision on hiring the franchise’s newest general manager.

Ross made the tough choice to move on from longtime member Chris Grier, who dedicated a lot of time to the Dolphins since 2000. He was the general manager from 2016 to 2025, moving on midway through this past season after Miami was unable to build winning consistency as a franchise in the modern NFL era.

Ross moved forward with the crucial decision of finding the next GM. He hired Jon-Eric Sullivan over from the Green Bay Packers, releasing a statement to NFL insider Tom Pelissero on why he made the decision to hire Sullivan.

“I could not be more excited to welcome Jon-Eric Sullivan as our next general manager. Jon-Eric brings a clear vision for how to build and run a football team, founded upon his own experience at a winning organization. As we went through our search process, it became undeniable the respect Jon-Eric has across the league as a talent evaluator, leader and man of integrity,” Ross said.

“We had an extremely talented group of candidates, and Jon-Eric’s ability to stand out so clearly speaks to how impressive he is — not only for his experience, but also his depth of knowledge, his detail-oriented approach and his passion. I believe we found the best of the best in Jon-Eric, and I’m looking forward to working with him as he leads us into a new era of Dolphins football.”

What’s next for Dolphins after GM hire

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) runs for a gain past a tackle attempt by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sirvocea Dennis (8) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

It’s clear that Stephen Ross wants to embrace a different direction for the Dolphins, hoping that Jon-Eric Sullivan will right the ship.

Miami also moved on from head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons, meaning that Ross and Sullivan will heavily communicate on who should be the next leader for the squad.

The Dolphins haven’t had the identity of being serious contenders since the Dan Marino era. Making the playoffs six times since the legendary quarterback retired in 2000, they haven’t been able to make their mark in past seasons. With Ross making the actions to carve a new path, there could be hope that Miami returns to the discussion as a threat for the league to prepare for.


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