The Miami Dolphins could be heading for a significant rebuild this offseason. That’s what CBS Sports’ Mike Renner indirectly suggested when he had the team picking No. 3 overall in the first round of his latest 2026 NFL mock draft on Wednesday.
But that didn’t cause Renner to shy away from projecting the team from targeting a position in the first round that it just did last season.
In his newest mock draft, the CBS Sports analyst predicted the Dolphins to select Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
“Woods is a distinctly different type of defensive tackle to last year’s first-rounder, Kenneth Grant, and the two should pair well together,” Renner wrote. “Woods has the kind of athleticism to move up and down the line of scrimmage and still get into the backfield.”
If they selected Woods, the Dolphins would be picking a defensive tackle in the first round for a second consecutive year. Miami chose defensive tackle Kenneth Grant at No. 13 overall in 2025.
But it might be hard to pass on Woods even if nearly the entire board is available to the Dolphins. The analysts at NFL Draft Buzz called the Clemson defensive tackle a “generational talent.”
“Woods has the tools to become a game-wrecker at the next level,” the NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “His combination of first-step quickness, raw power, and technical refinement evokes memories of Fletcher Cox in his prime – a defender who altered game plans by his mere presence.
“While he needs to convert more pressures into finished plays, Woods’ ceiling suggests a future pro-bowler who could anchor a championship-caliber defensive front for the next decade.”
Dolphins Projected to Draft Clemson DT Peter Woods
It’s early to be predicting the 2026 NFL Draft. There’s still three-quarters of the league’s season left.
Most of the college season remains too. What happens the rest of the fall at both levels of football is going to greatly influence the 2026 NFL Draft.
Not to mention, the pre-draft process will too.
But the Dolphins are 0-3. If the team doesn’t turn things around soon, they could be selecting toward the top of the draft board.
A trade down the board to accumulate more selections would make a lot of sense. The Dolphins could afford to do that since they already have their franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa.
But if the franchise has a top five pick and stays in the spot to make a selection, drafting the best prospect available, regardless of position, would be the best option. That “best prospect available” could very well be Woods.
“In today’s NFL where interior pressure has become the gold standard for disrupting timing-based passing attacks, Woods projects as an immediate three-down impact player who can collapse pockets from the inside while holding firm against the run,” the NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “Teams with established edge rushers but lacking interior disruptors would see immediate dividends from Woods’ ability to command double teams and create one-on-one opportunities for teammates.”
Dolphins Need More From Rookie DT Kenneth Grant
In a total rebuild, which the Dolphins may be facing this offseason, teams generally don’t care about drafting by position. That’s even more the case when new general managers and head coaches arrive in organizations.
New regimes are rarely concerned with the previous ones did.
Although it’s only been three weeks, rumors are already swirling that Miami could part with general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel this season.
If that occurs, there could be a greater chance the Dolphins draft another defensive tackle early.
Renner explained why pairing Woods with Grant would make sense. The two defensive tackles have a different playing style that could compliment each other on the same line.
“Grant is a broad-bodied nose tackle whose tape can run hot and cold depending on the game and the types of blocks he’s facing,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote this past spring. “Grant’s game will finally come together in full when he’s able to take his impressive physical attributes and impose his will on opponents.”
Grant isn’t as much of a pass rusher as Woods could be next year. But the Dolphins would likely still prefer to see more impactful plays from their 2025 first-round pick.