The NFL is built on the trenches, and Kadyn Proctor is the first step toward the Miami Dolphins new era after the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor is one of the more fascinating prospects in the 2026 Draft Class.
And he was just selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 12th overall pick.
He stands 6-foot-7, 360 pounds with exceptional quickness for a man his size.
However, it was never that easy.
When Proctor started his college career under Nick Saban, Proctor experienced several growing pains, like most true freshmen would.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a five-star recruit, or a walk-on, the jump to the next level in any game is going to force a player to reassess.
Left tackle is one of, if not, the hardest position to play in football, because you’re tasked with guarding your quarterback’s blind spot, which comes with significant pressure.
And given Proctor’s size, he struggled with lateral movement, quickness, and dealing with next-level edge rushers that come at SEC play.
In his freshman year, he let up 12 sacks and 23 hurries, while PFF graded him with a poor 58.5 rating. That year, then-quarterback Jalen Milroe was the ninth-most sacked quarterback, getting sacked 3.7 times per game.
The next year, there was as significant of a jump that you can ask for.
That number went down to three sacks and only nine hurries. And the following year, the whole offensive line struggled. But this time, Proctor let up two sacks and 15 hurries, which actually isn’t that bad of a statistic.
Quarterback Ty Simpson was forced to throw the ball in excess due to an extremely poor run game, which made Simpson susceptible to more pressure.
The Dolphins are in a new era. They just let go of Alabama alum Tua Tagovailoa, traded another Alabama alum Jaylen Waddle, and moved on from Tyreek Hill.
Not only that, they brought in Jon-Eric Sullivan as the General Manager and Jeff Hafley as the head coach.
For a team looking to start anew, the old adage is to “build from the trenches,” and the best way to do that is by starting loading up at the game’s most important position.
It may take a little bit of time, as the Dolphins are a ways away from being playoff contenders, but Miami is building its future the right way.
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