Miami Dolphins rebuild begins with Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 overall
By David Wasson
Published:
The first building block in the nearly complete rebuild of the Miami Dolphins is a big one, as the Dolphins selected Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor on Thursday night with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-7, 352-pound Proctor began his career under then-Tide coach Nick Saban at Alabama in 2023 before briefly transferring to Iowa after Saban’s retirement. He returned to Tuscaloosa later in 2024, and earned the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and consensus All-American honors in 2025
“This is just so surreal,” Proctor said onstage to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge. “Having my people around me, they are experiencing this for the first time. I am at a loss for words. I just appreciate ethe Dolphins giving me the opportunity to go down there and play. Man, I am fixing to go play my ass off, I promise you that.”
Proctor was an SEC All-Freshman pick in 2023 and a second-team All-SEC selection in 2024. He cameoed as a ballcarrier and pass-catcher in Alabama’s offense in 2025 as the Crimson Tide earned a College Football Playoff berth before falling to eventual national champion Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
The Dolphins swapped picks with the Dallas Cowboys, dropping from No. 11 to No. 12 to take Proctor, and also got two fifth-round selections (Nos. 177 and 180) from the Cowboys. Miami, who shed several high-priced talent during the offseason and also have a new coach (Jeff Hafley) and general manager (Jon-Eric Sullivan) also holds the No. 30 overall pick and 11 more selections in the 2026 draft.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
