Football

Dolphins Sunday Mailbag: Sieler, Willis, Tyreek, and More

By Alain Poupart Sports Illustrated

Updated May 3, 2026 3:21 PM

Third and final part of the Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag for the first weekend of May 2026:

From José J. Lamas:

Can we expect the new coaching staff to run the ball in 3rd-&-2 instead of throwing a bubble screen 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage?

Hey José, based on everything Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley and the draft selections of Kadyn Proctor and Will Kacmarek, it wouldn't be a big surprise if the Dolphins didn't run a lot in third-and-short situations. But, to be fair, one reason the Dolphins passed often in those situations is that they just weren't very good at running it there.

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, in your opinion who in the Dolphins' 3rd day of the draft is the most prepared for the NFL?

Hey Jorge, the third day consists of Round 4 through 7, so the choice would be between the seven players selected Saturday: Trey Moore, Kyle Louis, Michael Taaffe, Kevin Coleman Jr., Seydou Traore, DJ Campbell and Max Llewellyn. I think the pretty obvious answer here would be Kyle Louis if he's used in the right role, which I have little doubt Jeff Hafley will do.

From Eric Taylor:

Does Zach Sieler bring more value as a mentor to a young group of defensive tackles, or as a trade resource in the summer/trade deadline?

Hey Eric, it's probably the former because I'm not exactly sure what the Dolphins could get in a trade for Sieler at this point of his career and him coming off what was a down season. The other thing, though, is that whole issue of the young D-tackles needing a mentor needs to disappear sooner rather later. So maybe the Dolphins simply needs Sieler because he remains a good player.

From Angel Martinez:

Draft grade by position. Which position has significantly improved? Which still has holes?

Hey Angel, interesting question. So draft grade by position would be a B+ for wide receivers, B for tight ends, A- for the offensive line, C for the edge, A+ for linebacker, B+ for the secondary. Linebacker really got some nice pieces and the biggest hole is at safety.

From DownGoesAnderson:

Malik Willis finishes with a QB rating of 105.00 but we go 4-13; are we drafting a QB?

If you've followed me long enough, whether on Miami Dolphins On SI, the All Dolphins Podcast or the Dolphins Collective, you would know how I feel about the passer rating and how misleading it can be, with the best example being Tua Tagovailoa's last start where his passer rating was over 110 and he still was benched. So I can't answer your question whether knowing how he achieved that passer rating.

From Bamboo Turkey:

Would Ethan Bonner make a good FS?

That's a good question, but I don't know that I've seen enough from him yet in terms of instincts to answer in the positive. Maybe the bigger question is how high his ceiling might be at cornerback.

From Baldylocks:

When is Bell projected to be able to play?

There have been no projections, nor will there be any coming from the Dolphins. What's certain is the Dolphins won't rush him or put him in the lineup until he's fully healthy because that pick wasn't made with the 2026 season in mind. My best guess is Chris Bell starts training camp and the regular season on PUP, and his return date will depend on him having no setbacks.

From Mercutio:

The Dolphins have received a lot of flak for drafting Caleb Douglas prematurely. Can you recall any player(s) universally thought of as being drafted prematurely who defied expectations and proved the naysayers wrong?

Going through Dolphins players in my mind, the one name I keep coming back to is Tim Bowens, who was drafted 20th overall in 1994 after Miami moved down from 16th. He was kind of a low-key prospect as a D-tackle from Mississippi, but he became a vital piece for the Dolphins defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

From CC_Hall13:

Hi Alain….this year will we finally take advantage of our hot humid weather in Sept home games? I couldn't help but notice a lot of our draft picks are from hot weather schools…coincidence?

Yes, it would be pure coincidence. And it's the NFL that has cut down on the number of September afternoon home games at Hard Rock Stadium and I can't help but think the configuration of the stadium that puts opponents in the bright side all game and the Dolphins in the shade with a large on-field temperature difference is a major reason this has happened.

From Darryl Carpenter:

Poup, I know you and the Collective are worried about edge post-draft. Have you looked closely at Llewellyn? The kid can set the edge and get to the QB. He might be the sleeper from the draft, any thoughts?

Hey Darryl, my thoughts are that if Llewellyn really could set the edge and get to the quarterback, he wouldn't have been available in the seventh round because those guys are rare. My research on Llewellyn shows a player with some pass-rushing ability but who needs considerable work against the run. Of course, if he's good at both, that would be awesome for the Dolphins.

From Dolfan Rob:

How do you feel about Tyreek's HoF chances? He's certainly a unique talent, but he did quit on his team in a game that seemed to mark the end of the magic era.

Hey Rob, the "magic era" ended before Hill pulled himself out of the season finale against the Jets, which didn't bother me nearly as much as it did others because he played through injuries all season and he realized the Dolphins basically were eliminated from the playoffs because Denver was blowing out Kansas City from the start. What I took issue with was his failure to let anyone know what he was thinking or was going to do. That was lame. I also don't think that would be the reason he wouldn't get in the Hall of Fame. I think what would keep him out is if he can't add anything else to his resume and his off-the-field issues are held against him. I'd say right now he'd be 50-50.

From Ross Jones:

Do you think that ultimately this draft will be judged by how well Proctor and the WRs pan out?

Hey Ross, good question. I think Proctor definitely will play a big role in the future evaluation, but I'm thinking more about Rodriguez and Chris Johnson than the three WRs, though going 0-for-3 on those guys would lower the grade automatically.

From Jordan Paxton:

Why did the Cowboys trade up from 12 to 11? Why didn't they just stay at 12 and get their guy?

Hey Jordan, I can't speak for the Cowboys and haven't seen the reporting from there, but I would imagine they were concerned about another team trading up for Caleb Downs, who they ended up taking at 11. There's no another reason because I simply can't imagine the Dolphins passing up on Downs if he was their guy just to pick up two fifth-round picks. Like, I can't see Jon-Eric Sullivan telling Jerry Jones, "We're going to take Downs here, but tell you what, throw us two fifth-round picks and we'll move down one spot and you can have him." It's not something that Sullivan ever would admit publicly because it would tell Kadyn Proctor that Downs was the first choice, but I still have a hard time seeing that as a realistic possibility.

From Thee Dolphins Dum Dum:

Patrick Paul was selected 56th overall. Last season he was a very good starting Left tackle. Good but not yet Pro Bowl or all-pro level. Most consider him a home-run pick. Austin Jackson was selected 18th overall to be a left tackle. He's currently a solid right tackle. Most consider him to be an OK value for where he was drafted. My question is does Kaydn Proctor, who was selected 12th overall, who played left tackle his entire career, does he need to supplant Patrick Paul at left tackle eventually to be considered a home-run pick?

Hey Dana, very interesting question to wrap things up. First, I would say Patrick Paul is on the verge of being a home-run pick and let's also not forget that part of the season would be that he was taken in the second round. I also would respectfully suggest that Jackson was not OK value because he was taken 18th overall and being a solid starter shouldn't be that standard for that draft position. And lastly I would say that if Proctor becomes an All-Pro player, it won't matter whether it's at left guard or right tackle, it still would be a home-run pick IMO.

Today's best reads

This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 3:10 PM.

Today's best reads

Get unlimited digital access

#ReadLocal