The Miami Dolphins used the 177th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr., adding a player who is likely to start his pro career as depth in the slot and as a punt return option. Miami had already taken nine players through the first 158 picks before turning to Coleman, and it still held the 180th pick to close out its fifth round.
Coleman brings a crowded college path and a steady production line to Miami. He began at Jackson State in 2022, moved to Louisville in 2023, transferred to Mississippi State in 2024 and landed at Missouri in 2025, where his draft stock rose enough to get him picked late on Day 3. Over that span, he caught 166 passes for 2,026 yards and nine touchdowns, while also averaging 8.1 yards per punt return on 57 attempts.
For Miami, the selection fits a rebuild that has now included another wide receiver in the fifth round. Coleman is not being asked to arrive as an immediate answer. He is being brought in as a player who can work underneath, handle return duties and give the Dolphins another body at a position where they have kept adding pieces.
The fit also explains the price. A 177th pick is a low-risk swing on a receiver whose value may come from doing more than one job. Coleman’s best path to the roster is likely through special teams and the slot, where reliability can matter as much as size or speed in the early part of a career. Miami’s next pick at 180 underscored how tightly the team was working the back end of the draft as it continued to restock the roster.
For Coleman, the move ends a winding college journey with one of the league’s most aggressive draft-day teams. For the Dolphins, it is another modest bet that the board still had useful pieces left, even after nine selections in the first 158 picks.