NFL insider believes Dolphins could trade down from No. 51
For the second year in a row, the Miami Dolphins are set to enter the NFL draft with just four picks.
Last year, they used those selections on linebacker Channing Tindall, wide receiver Erik Ezukanma, linebacker Cameron Goode and quarterback Skylar Thompson.
Unfortunately, Thompson was the only one who got much run, and that was only due to injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater, forcing the rookie to play down the stretch and into the postseason.
With Miami looking to add more young, inexpensive talent to their roster, there’s always a chance that they could be looking to move around on draft day and add more selections to their small collection.
NFL insider Albert Breer believes that’s something that general manager Chris Grier could consider over the next two weeks as we near the event.
In his weekly mailbag for Sports Illustrated, Breer responded to a fan’s question about the potential for Miami trading down from their first pick at No. 51.
“Darren, yes,” Breer wrote. “And there’s a reason for it beyond just that Miami only has picks 51, 84, 197 and 238 right now.
“If you look at the roster, you see that the big building blocks are there. The Dolphins have receivers (Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle), a left tackle (Terron Armstead), edge rushers (Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips) and corners (Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard) plus a quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) they really like. All of which means, at this point, GM Chris Grier is looking for complimentary pieces rather than cornerstones.”
Obviously, if the Dolphins haven’t made a trade by the time the draft begins, they may wait to see how the board shakes out. If there’s a player that they love that happens to fall to them, they may jump at the opportunity to bring him in.
However, if there are a few guys they may like but don’t feel the value makes sense, they could certainly move back and try to acquire more capital.
As Breer mentions, the main roles of the roster are mostly taken. Now, they’re looking for rotational and developmental players who can take over as starters in the coming years.
