It has happened in the past, but it is rare that a team doesn't get its draft pick to the podium in time. Now, a recent video shows just how close the Miami Dolphins trade with the Dallas Cowboys was to falling apart, which may have affected the pick of Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor.
The Cowboys were able to get the deal done, but the eight-minute clock didn't give them a lot of time. On ESPN's "The Pick is In," the war room cam showcased the dilemma Dallas was facing.
The @dallascowboys front office was fired up to trade up and go get Caleb Downs ⭐️
— NFL (@NFL) May 4, 2026
‘The Pick Is In’ now streaming on The ESPN App pic.twitter.com/yBedXnVtBB
Miami Dolphins nearly nixed trade with the Dallas Cowboys that led them to Kadyn Proctor
The Dolphins could have taken an extra few cases of Gatorade from the Cowboys and still got the guy they wanted. Dallas had no interest in taking Proctor; they wanted Caleb Downs. The episode showed Dallas trying to move up with the Browns, who turned down a swap of both first-round picks and an additional pick to take Spencer Fano.
The Cowboys were not worried about the Dolphins taking Downs once he got past the Giants; they were worried about someone else jumping up with Miami instead. The initial offer made by the Cowboys was the 12th and an additional five. Jon-Eric Sullivan turned it down. The Cowboys called back and upped the offer. It was now 12 and two 5ths.
Dallas got their guy, but barely. As the sides negotiated, the clock ticked. By the time they got the deal done and submitted, they literally had seconds to make a move. It was a real-life "Draft Day" playing out on the screen.
Miami eventually got the player they wanted and gained two additional picks, which they used on safety Michael Taaffe and tight end Seydou Traore.
The inner workings of an NFL Draft war room are impressive, if not confusing. Round one used to be 15-minutes long. It was reduced to 12 minutes, then 10 minutes, and now just eight. Making deals within that timeframe and getting the pick into the league office isn't as easy as the draft clock doesn't reset after a trade.
Miami is banking on Proctor to anchor their offensive line for the next five years or more, but drafting Caleb Downs may have solidified the secondary for a decade. Downs was the one player who stood out as the leader the Dolphins needed. Miami got the guy they wanted, and the Cowboys did as well.
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