The Dolphins concluded the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the most productive pass rushers of the 2025 college football season. Miami made Iowa edge Max Llewellyn the 238th pick of the draft, capping the largest draft class in the NFL this year.
Llewellyn got his first opportunity to start in 2025 and made the most of it by leading the Hawkeyes in quarterback pressures (45). He also finished with the 11th-highest pressure rate (14.7%) in the Big Ten.
1. Spin cycle
Llewellyn's tape showcases a motor that stays revved with a polished arsenal of pass-rush moves. None of his moves, however, topped the spin, which was one of the most productive individual pass-rush moves for any player in the nation in 2025.
Recording 27 pressures over a two-year span on that one move, Llewellyn led the country in pressures on pass rushes that featured a spin move.
"Throughout college, I've added a couple other moves, but the spin move has been a constant for me," Lewellyn said. "That's just kind of been my bread and butter. I feel like I pair it really well with my speed rushes and power rushes. When tackles are starting to kind of sit down on stuff, I'll throw the spin move in there. Yeah, it's been working out for me."
2. By the numbers
The 27 pressures over the last two years via the spin leave 53 unaccounted meetings with the quarterback. Llewellyn picked up 45 pressures this season on 306 pass-rush reps, good for a 14.7% pressure rate. In 2024, he had 35 pressures on 203 snaps, a 17.2% pressure rate and a cumulative mark of 15.7 percent.
"He's a great kid, hard worker," Senior National Scout Ron Brockington said. "I didn't expect him to be there. Competitive, can apply pressure, good length – he's a taller player. Everything you want as a defensive end, especially this late in the process."
3. Head-down worker
Llewellyn played his entire five-year college career at the University of Iowa. He enjoyed a breakout campaign as a fifth-year senior, his first season as a starter. He opted to honor his commitment by staying at Iowa and working quietly while waiting his turn.
"It was a no-brainer just because I came in with my group of guys, my freshman year class and we all grew up together," Lewellyn said. "We had five years working toward a common goal. That feeling that I had last year, just going out there with my boys, like these are literally my best friends. We're going to war with guys, like it was the best year of my life. It was awesome. Just to showcase the skill, showcase the work we put in for four years and have that on display was amazing. There's no way I could have passed that up."
For more on the Dolphins 2026 NFL Draft selections, download the Drive Time Podcast with Travis Wingfield, available wherever you get your podcasts.
