Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullian spoke to the media ahead of the draft and revealed the idea is for draftees to hit the field as soon as possible.
Considering the many unknowns of this current Miami Dolphins roster, it would be believed that the idea for the upcoming draftees is to come out and take the field as soon as possible.
That fact was certainly stated by Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, who offered some steep reality about where the team is, and why it will be important for the rookies taken in the draft to be expected to take the field "early."
Sullivan spoke to the media in his final press conference ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins on April 23 at 8 p.m. EST. In his statements, he spoke about the current status of the roster, stating the team "doesn't have many established players."
Considering the Dolphins were in a tough roster spot, Sullivan had to bring in a host of low-cost free agency options that may or may not pan out. The idea has been to build through the draft, which is something that can begin in a little over a week.
Though there is never a guarantee that rookies will take the field, land on the 53-man roster, or even become starters, Sullivan said the idea is to get the draftees working and ready to perform immediately.
Initially, Sullivan spoke on what would make a draft pick a successful one.
"Somebody or a player that comes and impacts your team in a positive manner, both on the field and in the locker room. I think the expectations of that is dependent on where you take them. You never know. This is an inexact science," Sullivan said.
While Sullivan's response might sound like a standard answer from almost any general manager, he did make the distinction that players selected higher in the draft are expected to make an almost immediate impact.
"Obviously, the higher you pick a player, those premium picks, you expect them to come in and perform and play at a level that impacts your team. How fast that happens? Who's to say? I think to impact and improve, you have to play. We're in a situation here where these draft picks are going to come in and they're gonna play early," Sullivan said.
The hope for any team is to have draft picks that can come in and be immediate plug-and-play starters. That is especially true for teams like the Dolphins, who have some glaring holes at many positions.
Sullivan also pointed to the state of the roster being a major reason for the manner in which the team expects the rookie class to play.
"We do not have many established players on this team. That's not to say we do not like our players, I think we got a lot of guys here that are gonna help us, and surprise some people, if you will ... the truth of the matter is, we have very few established players on this roster, so this draft class will have an opportunity to come in and play soon and play quick," Sullivan said.
As stated, the Dolphins do have a roster full of players who were deep down the depth chart for their previous teams, and they could be impactful. However, that may not be the case, which is why the rookies are expected to take more of an active role.
Ultimately, how much rookies play will be left up to head coach Jeff Hafley and the rest of the coaching staff. The smart aspect of playing rookies is they also get valuable reps, which means they can learn and become impactful faster than if they happen to only get to sit behind the veterans and learn in that manner.
The Dolphins are taking a risk with their current roster, but the past regime's downfalls and the cap situation forced this reset. Now, Miami can shed the past and look towards a future where the team is younger, cheaper, and more dynamic.