Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine is all about the coaches and decision makers. Wednesday marks the start of player media availability, but it's the interview process with those leaders that encapsulates what the combine is all about.
As the week progresses, the Dolphins will meet with prospects as they get to know the people, find out what makes them tick and who fits the Dolphins DNA. On the Thursday edition of Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, NFL media personality Bucky Brooks will detail some of the core staples of the Green Bay Packers from his playing days and how those principles later influenced Dolphins General Manager Jon-Eric Sullivan.
"Everyone that has been (in Green Bay) and operated there has carried those beliefs to their next stop," Brooks said. "This is going to be a traits program. Guys that have the size, speed, strength, length (and) explosiveness that you want to see, but also the character. It's going to be about the team first and I think that matters."
Sullivan was entrenched in that culture for more than two decades. Since arriving in Miami, he has made clear his intent to transport that model to South Florida. That belief is the foundation from which the Dolphins will be built.
"What are they prioritizing? Is it winning? Is it things that are more 'me and I' or is it about the team?" Sullivan said. "Those are the things that as we build this out in Miami, we want culture guys. We want guys that prioritize winning football games over individual success. Those are the things that I'm looking for."
The next step in the process is finding out which prospects fit that mold. The workout portion of the scouting combine is what makes the telecast, but it's the behind-the-scenes interviews where teams get the most pertinent information.
"It's not only the interviews here, but it's your area scouts also digging into the background and talking to people," Brooks said. "It's talking to people that are around their building; the coaches, the administrators, everyone that touched those players even going back to high school. It's really important that you know who you're bringing into the program because as much as we talk about the best players win, it's the best teams. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces have to fit for you to maximize the talent."
Kyle Crabbs hosts the Locked On Dolphins Podcast and heads up college scouting at A to Z Sports. He joined Drive Time with Travis Wingfield on Wednesday.
"It goes back to the sustained success the Packers have had," Crabbs said. "They've had six losing seasons since 1990, and that's with having stability in the personnel staff. When you sign a free agent, you don't know how a guy operates until they get here. It's much easier to have control over that piece of building a team when you're teaching these guys, 'this is how we go about our business here.' You set a clear expectation and standard of 'this is how we do it.'"
Sullivan and his staff will find the players, then it's up to Head Coach Jeff Hafley and his coaches to see the development of the players and the program through. The 2025 Dolphins rookie class has given the new Dolphins brass a jumpstart on the process.
"Building the foundation the way we want, the playstyle that we want, bringing these guys together like we want. To me, that would be the first success and that's going to start in OTAs on April 6," Hafley said. "I've gotten a chance to meet a bunch of these guys already, and what will be exciting is bringing them together, going through free agency, going through the draft and then just trying to bring them together and build the culture of what we want it to be. I think that will be the beginning to having some success."
For more on the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
