The Miami Dolphins had an opportunity to offload some cap space, grab some extra draft capital, and get younger in the WR room. Trading Jaylen Waddle made sense, but at the same time, it created a rather large and questionable hole.
In last April's draft, armed with 13 total draft picks, the Dolphins skipped drafting a WR with any of their first three picks, but took a universally panned reach in round three when they took Caleb Douglas.
Despite drafting three more WRs in 2026, the Dolphins are no closer to solving a wide receiver room that is void of proven talent, and it might not get any better next year.
Miami Dolphins have no choice but to draft another WR or two next year
Chris Bell may be considered an early steal in late round three, but if the Dolphins were hoping to find a number one WR in free agency next year, they need to think again. Sure, there are talented individuals who could hit free agency, but only Puka Nacua carries a brand name, and there is no way he hits the market unless something shocking happens with the Rams.
Even if Nacua became a free agent, the Dolphins are not likely to be a team to dole out a lot of money for a top WR. Not next year anyway. The free agent market doesn't look strong in 2027, and that means the Dolphins have two choices. One, draft another receiver, maybe as early as round two, maybe even in round one, or two, wait until 2028.
The Dolphins want to build their roster through the draft, but there are only so many draft picks to make each year, and eventually, other positions are going to become needs. Teams have to be able to fill holes through free agency, and sometimes the best players come through that market.
2027 will give Jon-Eric Sullivan a lot more spending money than he had last year, but he may want to balance his immediate needs at other positions that may have a stronger balance of available players. Dolphins fans want to win now, but Miami has to take a cautious approach.
Unfortunately, unless Bell, Douglas, or Kevin Coleman steps up and shows they can be number one and number two receivers, the Dolphins' hopes of fixing the weak offensive unit are going to be equally challenging next offseason.
Add us as a preferred source on Google