The fallout from the Dolphins’ blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade leaves them on the verge of a major feat to fuel their rebuild

The Dolphins are nearly at the top of the charts.

Kyle Crabbs — NFL National Writer
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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs after a catch as Washington Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller (29) looks on during the second half at FedExField.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs after a catch as Washington Commanders cornerback Kendall Fuller (29) looks on during the second half at FedExField. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Any time you have two first round picks on your ledger, you’re considered well stocked for the NFL Draft. The Miami Dolphins achieved that feat on Tuesday morning, with the news that the team was trading WR Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos for a pair of early draft picks.

Miami’s total haul? A first round pick (30th overall), a third round pick (94th overall), and a swap of fourth round selections, too. Miami hasn’t been this well prepared for an NFL Draft since 2021, when, ironically enough, the team drafted Jaylen Waddle with their first draft choice. Now, Waddle serves as the sacrifice to bolster new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan’s resource pool and kickstart a new build in Miami. And their trade with the Broncos has put them on the verge of a major claim in this year’s draft.

Dolphins on the verge of more draft capital than any other team in the NFL this year

Tankathon is one of the best resources on the web for draft intel. I get a sneaking suspicion Dolphins fans will be visiting often over the next one to thirteen months. One of their best resources is the annual NFL Draft power rankings: a measure of the total value of all of your picks in a current year according to a draft pick trade value chart. Miami now sits, after the Waddle trade, as the No. 2 team in the NFL in cumulative value of their draft resources. They trail the New York Jets by 16 points of value.

If the Dolphins were to somehow manage to acquire an additional pick over the course of the next several weeks, they could enter the 2026 NFL Draft with the claim of having more resources this year than any other team. Miami’s recent history of rankings in this methodology tell you everything you need to know about how this team came to be in this position:

  • 2026: 2nd (currently)
  • 2025: 13th (April 1st)
  • 2024: 31st (April 1st)
  • 2023: 32nd (March 30th)
  • 2022: 31st (April 1st)

The sins of the past have caught up with the Dolphins. And that, unfortunately, required excessive corrective measures. Miami has taken the first steps there — and said goodbye to Jaylen Waddle in the process.

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