Now, I've never been an NFL general manager. I do have to imagine that there is a particularly butterflies-y feeling to making your first draft choice. Miami Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan spent two decades in Green Bay, rising through the ranks, ultimately becoming one of the top executives. Make no mistake, though, that it was Packers GM Brian Gutekunst who was calling the shots.
Upon being hired by Miami, he became the top decision-maker in the organization. It's the classic double-edged sword. Now he has the final say on draft picks, but with it comes the weight of responsibility. Each player who does or does not work out is affixed to his draft record forever. That makes his first selection of Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor all the more significant.
The Dolphins officially kicked off the Proctor era by inking the hulking behemoth to his rookie contract. Now that the sheen of arriving in the NFL has started to wear off, it's about getting to work.
We have signed guard/tackle Kadyn Proctor. #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/55XSb3rGHA
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) June 3, 2026
Kadyn Proctor joins many of his Miami Dolphins rookie classmates in inking their rookie contracts
Ever since the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, rookie holdouts have been relatively rare. The salaries are slotted by position, with haggling only coming over guarantees and pay dates. We cautioned fans in this space not to read too much into the Dolphins being one of the few teams to not sign any of their rookies yet, as their treacherous cap situation made it impossible until June 1.
Jon-Eric Sullivan wasted little time, signing 10 of the Dolphins' 13 rookies early on June 2, before putting pen to paper with Proctor today. That leaves only first-rounder Chris Johnson and fifth-rounder Seydou Traore unsigned. It's also important to note that most, if not all, rookies sign waivers that allow them to participate in OTAs before their contracts are officially signed, so fret not, Dolphins fans, the rookie class has been getting work done
One can assume that despite the waivers and the relative security that comes with being an NFL draft pick, a rookie might not feel entirely secure until the contract is officially signed. Now, for almost all of the Dolphins' newcomers, they can fully focus on football. For Proctor and his classmates — if they ball out — t-minus three years or so from now, they could start looking toward extensions.
Proctor's selection came with a bevy of polarizing takes. The reality is, Jon-Eric Sullivan entrusted him to set the tone for what the Dolphins will be under Sullivan's stewardship. With so much in flux in Miami, Proctor has a greater responsibility than the typical rookie. He's the foundational piece to whom the first-year GM has hitched his wagon. If a 6'7", 350-pound mauler of a lineman is emblematic of the new culture in Miami, rival teams — the Dolphins are comin'.
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