Along with cornerback, the edge position is one that the Miami Dolphins desperately need to address in this year’s NFL Draft, specifically a three-down edge rusher.
The Dolphins return third-year edge and former first rounder Chop Robinson but lack versatility at the position.
Already a question mark as a three-down player after a subpar 2025 season, the main concern with the athletic Robinson is ‘can he effectively set the edge against the run?’ Last year, based on when he was played by former DC Anthony Weaver, the answer is not so well.
What’s more, at 254 pounds, Robinson is currently the heaviest edge on the roster. The most accomplished free agent signee, Josh Uche, is 226 pounds and will likely not be in there on short yardage.
The addition of a second first round pick bodes well for Miami’s ability to address the position, and it can do so without a huge drop in talent from round one until mid-way into round two.
This is Part Four in an 11-part Aqua & Coral Report series breaking down potential Dolphins draftees by position, as well as a ranking of the preferred prospects at each spot.
BIG NEED FOR A BIG EDGE (OR 2)
Below are the top tight options for Miami at edge in our estimation. Like the Dolphins’ actual board, ours will stay dynamic until the final college pro days are conducted and all information collected.
The Dolphins will definitely want to add bigger, stronger edge players. Unfortunately this draft is loaded with clones of what’s already in the room.
2026 ACR Dolphins Draft Guide bios included. (⭐denotes favorite players respective of projected draft range)
1.⭐LB/EDGE Arvell Reese, Ohio State: heck of a player; gives you front 7 versatility; lined up at EDGE, 4 tech, and Mike at times; 69 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 27 QB pressures in ’25; was able to win inside on pass rush with quickness over guards; not huge (6-3 243) but shows crazy combination of explosion and strength; on run, guards would hit him head up and he didn’t budge; can hear pads crack when he makes a play; super low missed tackle rate; powerful and relentless; instincts seem good, confidence in his ability to win with his traits – great; uses his arms and hands as if he were a skilled DT or OT … kind of unbelievable the strength he shows against bigger players; will be the face of some team’s defense if he finds the right positional home; has some Micah Parsons to him; ran a 4.46 (1.58 split) at 6-4, 241 pounds+++; can’t imagine he’s available for Miami (R1)
2a. EDGE Reuben Bain, Miami: watching his play, there is no questioning him as a force at the college level; good technique and good off the line; no elite traits and his length will be/is a concern for many NFL teams; 6-2 ¼, not exceptionally long to begin with and his short arms (30 7/8-inch) show up on tape at times against top tackles; he can get locked out of a play; he is strong as hell though, especially in his base, and he’s a dawg, no better way to put it; good against both run and pass; high floor/lowish ceiling; could end up being Melvin Ingram, could end up being no more than a solid run stuffing edge; there will be more successful players drafted after him; can not imagine Sullivan likes his traits but equally can not imagine he doesn’t love the animal in the guy; not my favorite value choice, but would not be disappointed either (R1)
2b. ⭐EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson: 6-3 5/8, 263 and understands the dynamic of getting a strong punch on a blocker before he gets one on you; arms seem long; 39 tackles, 9.5 TFLs and 5 sacks in ’25; 11 sacks and a whopping 6 forced fumbles in 2024; fights hard in run game not only setting the edge, but also in working/sliding inside to make plays; would call his arm/hand usage in pass rush his strongest skill… advanced; real good feet for his size; would be the type of EDGE you can successfully sneak into coverage, good movement skills; Clemson would sometimes line him up as a 4 tech in heavy fronts; hustler; pretty much a football player, always aware, recovered fumbles anywhere from in the backfield to 20 yards downfield; seems like the total package, pass and run defender, can beat a block with quickness/speed, a bullrush or combination thereof; still young; 33 1/8-inch arms; knocked it out of the park at the combine – 4.68 40-yard dash (at 263) with a 1.61 split++, 34-inch vertical and 10-0 broad jump; favorite edge, projected below Miami’s pick; some have him going in R2 in which case I would go berserk at pick 30 (R1)
(Above is Parker at the Senior Bowl against Maryland’s Alan Herron (6-4, 321), Boise State’s Kage Casey (6-5, 309) and Iowa’s Beau Stephens (6-5, 310)
4. ⭐EDGE Malachi Lawrence, UCF: sack machine; 28 TFLs and 20 sacks in 3 years as the starter; 6-4, 253 and super quick; long arms (33 5/8-inch); good speed, quickness and bend, especially his closing speed; before looking up height/weight, thought he had to be smaller based on movement skills, great change of direction and relentless; good use of club to cause turnovers from behind; arms seem long on film; he has the frame to bulk up and that will be important for him against the run in the NFL; when he clears his block, he literally has burst to the quarterback, takes very little time to arrive; four strip sacks in the last two years; would start as a situational player until he gets stronger and can hold the edge; could be very good player in the right scheme; crushed the combine, matching whats on film; 4.52 40 with a 1.58 split, 40-inch vertical and 10-10 broad, all elite for edge players; 40 was second fastest among DL/EDGE) unsure if MIA would consider him big enough (R2)
5. ⭐EDGE Gabe Jacas, Illinois: 6-3 ½, 260 with 33-inch arms and has a lot of burst off the edge; ran a slowish 40 (4.80) but had near-elite 1.64 10-yard split (burst); 20 sacks and 42 hurries in the last two years; arms seem long the way he plays, but I’m not sure they actually are; handles the run pretty well and is a physical force in pass rush; a bit of a long strider which doesn’t help him in short-space change of direction; overall, moves well for his size; best move is at the tackles outside shoulder; could be better at block-shedding; variety of pass rush moves and uses his arms well, especially his rip/underhook move; pretty relentless; has some experience dropping into coverage, which Hafley would like; when he gets to somebody, he hammers them; could tone it down slightly and probably be a better tackler overall; plays a tad high; has a good combination of bend and power; forced six fumbles in his career; freakish combine bench – 33 reps/225; if he makes it to R3, sprinting it in (R2)
6. EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami: torn on him a little because of his age (26) and injury history (has had surgeries on both feet); 6-3, 265; transferred from WVU; nuanced pass rusher; uses the dip, twist, can make himself small and really anything to keep a blocker off of him; high football IQ; his skills are first round skills but I would have a hard time drafting him as high as he should go due to the risk factor; if Miami did take him, he has experience lining up outside in the Wide 9 and knows how to utilize it via his moves and push if a tackle gets off balance trying to catch up; really like him but JES mentioned at combine age of player on 2nd contract, so can’t imagine they would take him; double whammy as teams will be all over his medical too; wouldn’t take him but wouldn’t take him off of my board either because he’s a good player (R2)
7. EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State: 6-5 but a little slight at 256; first rep I watched he’s using what look like long arms to punch a ball free; has played a lot of football with a lot of production – 127 tackles, 23.5 sacks (8.5 last year), 34 TFLs, 2 interceptions and 7 FFs in his four years; short area movement skills are average; is athletic and strong and there is some explosion to his game; does a pretty good job setting the edge; frame has room for growth imo; special teams ace as a punt blocker; testing skills at combine were elite 4.63 40, 39.5-inch vertical jump and 10-10 broad jump, all elite burst/explosion testing numbers; not my favorite but he could be a JES favorite (R2)
8. EDGE L.T. Overton, Alabama (R4)
9. EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee (R4)
10. EDGE Caden Curry, Ohio State: 6-3, 257 and low miles; really only saw significant playing time in his senior season; amazing stat line for ’25: 66 tackles (40 solo) 11 sacks, 16.5 TFLs, 1FF, 2 FR and 2 passes batted down++; OSU lined him up from the 5 all the way to a 0 tech++; there’s no way he can handle that in the pros, but it’s encouraging to know he could slide in to a 3 technique on passing downs; versatility and run support will be appreciated in Miami; uses a variety of moves with his hands/arms to get upfield, pretty relentless; seems like his trajectory is up; he didn’t test at the combine and his arm and hand measurements came back well below average (30 1/8-inch arms, 9 3/8-inch hand) for his position; might not fit JES size profile (R5)
11. EDGE Nathan Voorhis, Ball State (UDFA)
NOTABLE TE DNWs
EDGE David Bailey, TTU
EDGE Zion Young, Mizzou: rare edge length (6-6; Jason Taylor); 262 pounds and a real physical guy off the edge; good run defender; did not run at the combine; gets his jab into tackle’s chest and is hard to deal with; not too nimble in short space but does have good burst, runs pretty well in a straight line; 15 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and 12 hurries in 2025 (12 games); heavy hands; wouldn’t say he’s the bendiest but he works at it; can flatten to the quarterback or ball carrier but you’d like to see more of it; wins with combination of burst then power; potential is there to be an all-around player, would like him to be a little less rigid; good at attacking half a man; has a variety of ways he wins with his hands; 33-inch arms; fits the athletic profile, good day two fit; DWI in December 2025; aggravated assault at Michigan State in 2022; real good player so tough call, but character concerns (R2/DNW)
EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn: will get drafted high based on his combination of perfect defensive end size (6-6, 285) and good movement skills; uses his arms and hands well to get off initial blocks in pass rush; had 2 sacks this year and 7 the year before, but it was the way he got him that leaves me with questions; coverage sacks where he was initially tied up but ultimately broke free to clean up for a sack happened numerous times, not impressive; he does seem to have a high motor — he just can’t get it done; always finds himself just short of making a play; killer instinct not there imo; does not go through people, despite his size advantage; Auburn used him from a 0 technique all the way to a 5 which makes it even more confusing that he’s not particularly stout holding the edge or against the run; has NFL skillset, just maybe not mindset (R1/DNW)
EDGE Cashius Howell, TAMU (R3-R4/DNW)
EDGE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
EDGE Derrick Moore, Michigan
EDGE Romello Height, Texas Tech (D3/DNW)
EDGE Nedame Tucker, W. Michigan (R5/DNW)
EDGE Keyron Crawford, Auburn (D3/DNW)
THE SCHEDULE
- Mon., Mar. 9 — Part 1, Cornerbacks
- Thu. Mar. 12 — Part 2, Interior Offensive Line
- Tues. Mar. 17 — Part 3, Tight Ends
- Today — Part 4, Edge rushers
- Mon. Mar. 23 — Part 5, Linebackers
- Tues. Mar. 24 — Part 6, Wide Receivers
- Thu. Mar. 26 — Part 7, Defensive Tackles
- Tues. Mar. 31 — Part 8, Quarterbacks
- Thu. Apr. 2 — Part 9, Running Backs
- Tues. Apr. 6 — Part 10, Offensive Tackles
- Thu. Apr. 8 — Part 11, Safeties
DNW = Do Not Want (Examples: a) Jermod McCoy is a DNW in the first round, but would gladly select him in the second. He’s still a DNW because he isn’t expected to make it to round 2. B) Other times, there are straight DNWs based on things like character (e.g. James Pearce last year) or just a bad overall fit)
(Full bios on all players listed will be available on all players in the ’26 ACR Dolphins Draft Guide).
Aqua & Coral Report 