What's that NFL cliche? You can never have enough quality pass rushers? In Miami Dolphins general manager Jon Eric-Sullivan's case, apparently, he can never have enough draft picks.
Sullivan already wields considerable influence to dictate the terms of the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly on Day 2, with four third-round picks at his disposal. Those assets give Sullivan freedom to move around the board, and were I in his seat, I'd want to trade up for at least one upper-tier prospect.
Welp. As if 11 total picks isn't enough, Sullivan confirmed in Wednesday's meeting with the media that a move down in the draft pecking order is likelier than vaulting up for a coveted player.
Jon-Eric Sullivan says it's more likely that the Miami Dolphins trade down in the draft, as opposed to trading up
In an extensive pre-draft press conference, Sullivan was quite forthcoming about his team-building philosophy, which will include a heavy reliance on rookies playing early and often (h/t @TheListFinsPod on X/Twitter):
"I think it’s probably fair to say, more likely to move back than move up. I think we need all 11 picks, but you never say never, and I'm always. — whether you're talking about going up or down — I'm gonna pick up the phone and listen to what's being said on the other side of it. But I don't I don't love playing on the phone the week of the draft. Like if it's a real conversation, let's talk, but a lot of people over the next 10 days just like to call and conversations aren't really of much substance."
Filling out about 20.8% of one's roster with rookies is putting a lot of stress on one's ability to evaluate college talent. Plus, the general consensus amongst draftniks is that this isn't even a good 2026 draft class overall, as opposed to the supposedly loaded group entering the league next year.
Anyway, here are some trade-down ideas before we get into the bigger-picture ramifications of Sullivan's remarks.
Dolphins nab elite offensive lineman in dream deal with Steelers
- Steelers receive: 11th overall pick
- Dolphins receive: 21st & 76th overall picks, plus 2027 4th-round pick
For the later trade back proposals, I'll list some prospects who'd fit the Fins well and were available when I ran through the PFF mock draft simulator. In this instance, I'll go a little deeper on who the no-brainer pick would be in the mock I was presented.
Penn State left guard Vega Ioane was still on the board at No. 21 after this savvy trade with the Steelers, which happens to give Miami back-to-back picks at Nos. 75 and 76. That's a nice bonus.
Ioane is the consensus top guard prospect. He can play on the left or right side. Whether he enters the fray as a right guard contender, or immediately replaces probable 2025 second-round bust Jonah Savaiinaea, it's a solid pick for Sullivan to set the tone in the trenches in front of new quarterback Malik Willis.
Complex trade with Eagles gives Dolphins even higher volume of Day 2 options
- Eagles receive: Picks 43 & 94, plus a 2027 6th-round pick
- Dolphins receive: Picks 54, 98 & 114, plus a 2027 3rd-round pick
The PFF simulator gave this trade a 75% chance of going through, so don't harm the messenger. Doing a deal with Howie Roseman is a dubious proposition, but hey, Miami has plenty of runway to rebuild this roster, or so it seems.
Roseman couldn't be more urgent. He's always chasing the next trade, the next rush, and the next Lombardi Trophy. He gave up a third-round pick for ex-Dolphins star Jaelan Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline, only to watch him sign with the Panthers in free agency. Howie was unfazed.
Picking up a Day 2 pick for the next draft and another couple of selections across Rounds 3 and 4 would only aid Sullivan's efforts to build legitimate depth with this monster rookie class.
Potential Dolphins targets at No. 54 — North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance, Arizona DB Treydan Stukes, Arizona State CB Keith Abney II
Jaguars-Dolphins Sunshine State trade exploits Jacksonville's aggressiveness
- Jaguars receive: Picks 75 & 130, plus a 2027 5th-round pick
- Dolphins receive: Picks 81 & 100, plus a 2027 4th-round pick
It's a steep price for Jacksonville to pay, but Jags GM James Gladstone is among the boldest at his position in the league. Gladstone sacrificed a 2026 first-rounder just to move up three spots for Travis Hunter last year. This is far easier to digest for him.
In Miami's case, it's a chance to move another one of this draft's picks into the top 100 and gain some leverage for 2027, wherein there's supposed to be a superior crop of talent awaiting.
Potential Dolphins targets at No. 81 — USC DB Kamari Ramsey, Florida C Jake Slaughter, Georgia State WR Ted Hurst, Arizona S Genesis Smith, Michigan EDGE Jaishawn Barham.
Jon-Eric Sullivan playing with fire on Dolphins' watered-down draft strategy
Perhaps trading down this year means racking up more picks for 2027, which could be a sound move. The problem is, the further down the board Sullivan drags Miami, the less clear a path forward there is for these rookies to play.
If you bring in too many players via the draft and double-dip at multiple positions, there are only so many reps to go around. It could actually stymie the development of several draft picks. Then there's the chance that you just downright miss on a few of them.
All told, if the Dolphins do trade down a time or two, they could have the equivalent of two years' worth of draft picks (14; teams are allotted seven) in a single draft.
Does that not sound a lot like the Cleveland Browns' disastrous 1-31 tank job from about a decade ago? How'd that work out for them?
Trading down in the draft is innately conservative in nature. However, in the Dolphins' case, given the dire state of the current roster and the lack of light at the end of the tunnel, it's actually riskier not to pool some of this year's picks together to move up for some of the better prospects.
Miami is in real danger of assembling a roster that's a whole lotta "mid." I admire Sully's confidence for now — pending how well he executes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google