MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins selected Texas safety Michael Taaffe in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
The pick, No. 158, was acquired in a swap with the Carolina Panthers on draft day. The Panthers parted with picks Nos. 158 and 200. The Dolphins sent to the Panthers Nos. 151 and 227.
Taaffe is a 5-foot-11 7/8, 190-pound safety from Austin, Texas.
He is the fourth player in six picks from the state of Texas, joining Longhorns teammate Trey Moore, a linebacker taken in Round 4, and two Texas Tech products: linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (Round 2) and receiver Caleb Douglas (Round 3).
Taaffe made the Associated Press All-America third team in 2025. He also was All-SEC.
He started 10 games in 2025 and had 70 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. He missed two games with a broken thumb.
Taaffe received the Wuerffel Trophy for his community service and the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the top player who began his career as a walk-on.
Taafee began his career wearing jersey No. 36 but switched to No. 16 in honor of a high school teammate, Jackson Coker, who was killed in a traffic accident in 2021.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote, "Fifth-year senior who has played in 53 games with 36 starts. Taaffe has a good feel for play design and is assignment-oriented. He’s quick to read and trigger downhill to contest short routes from split safety and robber looks. However, he lacks range to play over the top and speed to carry vertical threats downfield. His run-support angles improved in 2025, but he’s undersized and still falls short as an open-field tackler. Taaffe’s football IQ and special-teams value might need to do the heavy lifting to overcome average traits and athleticism."
A strong training camp would give Taaffe significant playing time as a rookie. The Dolphins are virtually starting from scratch in the secondary, even after adding San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson in the first round.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Dolphins pick Michael Taaffe will fit in Miami: scouting report