Dolphins select DB Michael Taaffe in fifth round of the 2026 NFL draft
The Dolphins took two players in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, and then took safety Michael Taaffe with their first fifth-round pick.
The Miami Dolphins started Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft by taking Texas defensive end Trey Moore and Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis in the fourth round. After trading down in the fifth round, Miami still had three picks to make, and with the first of those, coming at No. 158 overall, the Dolphins took Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe.
Taaffe, 23, was a zero-star recruit out of Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, who originally committed to Rice, but he decided to accept a walk-on offer at Texas for the 2021 season. The defensive back appeared in 53 games over the last four years and recorded 222 tackles, 14 passes defensed, seven interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He received All-SEC honors once (2025) and All-American honors twice (second-team in 2024 and first-team in 2025).
More Dolphins: Dolphins 2026 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick analysis This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL draft: Dolphins select Texas DB Michael Taaffee in fifth round