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Miami Dolphins select Michael Taaffe in 5th round of 2026 NFL Draft

Byington mugby: Alex Byington04/25/26_AlexByington

From walk-on to the NFL, former Texas safety Michael Taaffe has been selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The veteran defensive back has been a stalwart in the Longhorns secondary and now takes his talent to the next level.

While not the most athletically gifted of NFL prospects, the 6-foot, 190-pound Taaffe is the definition of a natural ballhawk with the ability to make plays on the ball all over the field. Taaffe’s nose for the ball is evident by his team-leading seven interceptions across his final three seasons in Austin.

The Austin-native bet on himself as a walk-on out of nearby Westlake and earned a scholarship following a redshirt season. From there, Taaffe proved to be a reliable playmaker in the Longhorns defensive backfield, racking up 222 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and 27 passes defended while starting 36 of his 53 games across the next four seasons (2022-25) in Austin.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Michael Taaffe

Despite his experience and production at Texas, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein projected Taaffe as a likely Round 7 pick. Zierlein highlighted Taaffe’s leadership skills and mental approach to the game, including his “good awareness to play design and his assignments” and “responsive(ness) to what his eyes are telling him.”

Still, the NFL.com expert pointed out some clear areas of growth for Taaffe, including his propensity to be “baited shallow and beaten high on levels concepts,” as well as his “below-average man-cover talent” and “reactive agility as an open-field tackler.”

“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,” Zierlein wrote of Taaffe. “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.”