The Dolphins quietly cleared a major hurdle in pursuit of extra offseason resources in Week 14 — but there’s still more work to be done
That makes one down and one to go.
The Miami Dolphins, for the second straight season, are keeping an eye on more than just talent around the league in hopes that it will deliver a little something extra for the Dolphins to work with in the way of resources. As a part of the NFL’s effort to offset some of the challenges of the salary cap era, teams are annually awarded extra draft picks if their net losses in free agency outweigh their gains. Miami is in play for a boost in 2026.
The NFL has built a very complex formula to measure player value. For the Dolphins, the 2024 season was spent watching Christian Wilkins’ snap percentage in hopes that a bonus pick would land in the third round alongside guard Robert Hunt’s. This year? The race is a little different, but we’ve reached a significant landmark for Miami to boost their draft picks in 2026 this past week.
Austin Jackson’s return has moved Larry Borom out of the equation for Dolphins’ potential compensatory pick in 2026
The pick on the line in 2026 would come down to the departure of safety Jevon Holland for the New York Giants in free agency this past spring. Given the price of the contract Holland signed, Miami would be eligible for a fourth-round draft choice in 2026 if they’re deemed to have more losses than gains in qualifying free agents. The problem is the Dolphins have seen a slew of lower level free agents play meaningful snaps for the team this season, which has increased their net gains and threatened that compensatory selection as a result.
But there’s good news for Miami. Right tackle Austin Jackson’s return to the lineup has removed one of those added free agents threatening a pick for Holland from the equation — as Larry Borom has been moved back to the bench for the last two weeks and counting. If Miami can keep Jackson in the lineup for the final four games of the season, Borom will be a non-factor in the league’s count for a compensatory selection assignment.
OverTheCap recently updated their compensatory pick projections, which now feature Borom just below the cutoff line for qualifying free agents. Miami will have more work to do in order to bring this pick home, however — they’re currently projected to have the same number of qualifying players gained as lost; that means no draft choice if the season ended today. Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is, like Borom, right on the bubble. Miami must start considering this layer against the value Westbrook-Ikhine brings to the table across the final four weeks of the season and make a judgement call. Is he that much better at his role than, say, Cedrick Wilson Jr., that makes playing him in a rotational spot worth risking a mid-round draft pick for a team who needs all the assets they can get?
I say no. But I’m not calling the shots on the game day roster these days. We’ll see if the Dolphins agree.
Dolphins currently recognized net gains impacting compensatory pick formula for 2026 (via OverTheCap)
- WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- SAF Ifeatu Melifonwu
- OG James Daniels
- QB Zach Wilson
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