After the Miami Dolphins finalized their initial 53-man roster, they kept busy as they then added seven players via the waiver wire on Monday, which meant the team had to cut ties with seven players in order to free up the necessary space.
However, Miami’s league-high seven waiver wire additions also meant that the team did not feel comfortable with its current roster. Despite adding 13 players in the 2026 NFL Draft, Miami apparently feels it is a long way from having a strong overall roster.
Now, one of those 13 players, who was released after initially making the 53-man roster, is back with the Miami Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins Bring Back Pass Rusher
The Miami Dolphins posted on X: “Roster Moves | We have signed cornerback Ethan Bonner and edge Max Llewellyn to the practice squad and released tight end Jeremiah Franklin and inside linebacker Cam Riley from the practice squad.”
Both Llewellyn and Bonner were members of the team’s initial 53-man roster, before the team placed them on waivers after they claimed seven players.
Llewellyn was the only member of the Miami Dolphins 2026 draft class to be waived by the team.
Despite Miami’s roster having plenty of space for rookies, Llewellyn failing to make the active roster was not surprising. Prior to roster cuts, Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo named him among potential draft picks to be cut. Melo wrote: “The Miami Dolphins made a league-high 13 selections during the 2026 NFL Draft. And while their rebuilding roster leaves plenty of room for rookies to make the team, it’s not guaranteed that all 13 will survive cutdown day. Defensive end Max Llewellyn was Miami’s final selection. Llewellyn has been mostly underwhelming throughout the preseason, though he has notched one sack. The former Iowa standout is definitely on the roster bubble heading into 53-man cuts.”
Max Llewellyn on Miami Dolphins Practice Squad
Prior to getting drafted in the seventh round, Llewellyn played four seasons at Iowa. He registered 14.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss.
Scouts were mixed on him as a prospect, for example ESPN’s Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked as the 108th-best prospect in the entire draft class. Jeremiah said of Llewellyn, “Llewellyn’s just a good player. Everything you see him do, he does it well.”
Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected him as a sixth-round talent. Zierlein wrote of Llewellyn: “Llewellyn is a tall, well-built base end, but it appears he lacks the play strength and anchor to carry his production into the league. He plays with a lack of knee-bend that limits balance on contact and anchor through engagement. He’s better at playing into gaps and playing off of blocks when his feet are active. He lacks explosiveness as a pass rusher but has access to a variety of rush plans and moves that can create opportunities inside the pocket. Llewellyn projects as an even-front end, but average backup could be his ceiling.”
NFL teams appeared to be lower on Llewellyn than Jeremiah and Zierlein as he fell to the seventh round and was not claimed by any team after being waived by the Dolphins. Hopefully, he gets an opportunity to develop on Miami’s practice squad and proves to be a capable pass rusher.
Dolphins Bring Back 14.5-Sack Pass Rusher After Roster Cuts