The Miami Dolphins (Shop Dolphins Fan Gear)’ 2026 draft class might have the ugliest batch of numbers rookies have had in years.
Cornerback Chris Johnson, one of the team’s two first-round picks, and receiver Caleb Douglas, the first of Miami’s three receivers drafted, were given the lone single-digit numbers.
Johnson will sport the No. 3, becoming the second Dolphins defender to wear a number typically used by quarterbacks, kickers and punters. The last Dolphins defender to wear No. 3 was linebacker K.J. Britt, who filled a special teams role for Miami last season.
Douglas got No. 7, inheriting the number that was previously worn by kicker Jason Sanders.
Every other draft pick seems to be making the best of what’s left when it comes to the numbers available to rookies for Miami’s 90-player training camp roster.
Former Louisville standout Chris Bell will wear No. 18, and Kevin Coleman Jr., the third and final receiver taken by the Dolphins in 2026, will wear No. 83.
Free agent disaster Nick Westbrook-Ikhine wore No. 18 last season, and tight end Darren Waller was the last Dolphins to wear No. 83.
Tight end Will Kacmarek, who is supposed to inherit the in-line tight end role vacated by Julian Hill’s defection to New England, will wear No. 82, which was once worn by Dolphins’ legend Mark Ingram. And Seydou Traore, the tight end Miami took in the fifth round, will be in jersey No. 49.
Offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, whom the Dolphins selected with the draft’s 12th pick, will be wearing No. 74, which was last worn by Liam Eichenberg, who was one of the fan base’s least favorite players the past five seasons.
Offensive guard D.J. Campbell, the former Texas standout the Dolphins took with the draft’s 200th pick, will wear No. 63.
Safety Michael Taaffe, who wore No. 16 as a tribute to a deceased high school teammate at the University of Texas, will wear No. 31 in the NFL.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez inherits Tyreek Hill’s No. 10 and becomes the first defender to wear the number in franchise history. Kyle Louis will wear No. 19, Trey Moore will sport No. 17, and defensive lineman Max Llewellyn will wear No. 57.
Rookies typically take what’s available to them during the summer and then change numbers once teams trim the training camp roster down to 53 players, which is when better selections become available.