Jason Burgos
An interesting reveal from Miami Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan pretty much confirms that the team reached by making Kadyn Proctor the 12th overall pick in last week’s NFL Draft.
Heading into this year’s draft, there was a good amount of speculation that Sullivan could trade out of the team’s selection at 11. Last Thursday, he did. However, the trade they made with the Dallas Cowboys dropped them just one slot, to 12. Keeping them in a premium spot in Round 1.
With their first pick in the event, Sullivan and the Dolphins’ brain trust chose Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor. A good place to take a premium position, like offensive tackle. However, it seems that Proctor won’t be playing that position for Miami next season.
During an appearance on the Joe Rose Show this week, Sullivan revealed that Proctor “was my guy” all along, but that the plan is for the rookie to play guard for the Dolphins in 2026.
There is nothing wrong with building a strong offensive line. No doubt, De’Von Achane and new starting quarterback Malik Willis will be grateful to get good play up front next season. However, to take one at that point in the NFL Draft isn’t normal.
Dolphins moving Proctor to guard shows he was a reach at 12th overall
Yes, there have been guards taken in the top five or 10. But not often, and when they are, there is a belief by talent evaluators that they can be elite players at the position right away. For the most part, guards are taken in the second half of Round 1 because it is not viewed as a premium pick. However, offensive tackle is.
There were certainly questions about Proctor heading into this year’s event. Todd McShay Show co-host and fellow draft expert Steve Muench explained a couple of weeks ago the problematic flaws in Proctor’s game.
“He’s vulnerable as a pass blocker. He gets beaten to the inside a lot,” Muench said. “He’s also what I, and other people, call a heel clicker. A heel clicker is someone who gets their feet too close together, and now you’ve lost your base. So you have this 350-pound offensive tackle who you see at times on tape get pushed around.”
Yet, it is understandable to be hopeful that with the right coaching, those concerns can be fixed and the Dolphins will have an impact player for years at an important position. But Miami bypassed that and is admitting Proctor won’t be a good tackle in the NFL by moving him to guard. Maybe he ends up being very good at that position, but it doesn’t mean taking him at 12 was the right choice.
For a team that gutted its roster in an addition by subtraction strategy this offseason, they could have gotten more draft assets by trading even further back to get a guard at a more sensible spot. Or used their pick at 12 on high upside prospects like Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, or keep Miami Hurricanes star Rueben Bain Jr. in South Beach. Instead, Sullivan and the Dolphins confirmed they reached with Proctor last week.
