There are mock drafts that come out of every corner of the NFL world; some are quite good, and others leave fans thinking. The Miami Dolphins are a popular team when it comes to potential draft day trades, but the extent and cost are a mystery.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell has released his first mock draft, but it's not really a "mock" that we are all used to. Instead, Barnwell has clarified that this mock is "A thought exercise." In other words, he looked at what every team might do in the first round if they were to trade that pick, without really diving into who the team would select with that trade.
Miami has two first-round picks, the 11th and 30th overall selections. Jon-Eric Sullivan may use one of them to conjure up more draft capital. Barnwell sees another avenue as well. The Dolphins are trading up from 30 and sending Chop Robinson out of Miami in the process.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell throws out the idea of the Miami Dolphins trading Chop Robinson
It's unclear what Barnwell added to his coffee Monday morning, but the idea of trading Robinson is borderline nuts. The idea behind this piece was to look at where teams might make a trade or who may have interest in moving around, should a deal be made.
Barnwell makes it clear that no trade impacts the draft, so if he floats a move at 11 with one team, his approach offers other potential trades for the same pick
Dolphins trade with the Lions
Barnwell sees an avenue for the Dolphins to move down a few spots with the Detroit Lions. He has the Dolphins getting pick 17 and pick 50 (second-round). The Lions get pick 11 and one of the Dolphins' picks in round three, number 94 overall.
He concedes that it may not be in the Lions' best interest to trade up and give up a higher draft pick, but it's basically a swap of a 3rd for a 4th to move up six spots. It's not a huge risk or gamble on either team's part. Miami would add another 2nd round pick, which would give Sullivan more opportunity.
Dolphins trade with the Ravens
This doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons. The idea of Miami jumping from 30 to 14 seems like throwing spaghetti at a wall. Miami would give up the 30th pick and Robinson. Barnwell sees Robinson improving with the Ravens and notes that his name wasn't among Sullivan's "building pillars."
Sullivan has put Robinson on notice that he has to get better and more consistent. He had a great rookie season that was nowhere to be found in his second. Of course, everyone struggled in Miami last year, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise.
This trade just doesn't make sense for the Dolphins, and they don't need to move up from 30 because the level of players is even from 15 to 32.
Dolphins trade with the Steelers
The bouncing ball of Barnewell's mock draft returns to pick 11 when the Steelers are on the clock at 21. He sees a potential move for Miami to drop with the Steelers getting the Dolphins' first pick in the draft and an additional sixth. Miami would get the Steelers' pick at 21, their round-three pick at 76, and a 2027 2nd-round pick.
This isn't a horrible trade idea, and if this were to be offered, Sullivan should consider taking it. He needs to bolster his draft capital for 2027, so this would be a good start.
Dolphins trade with the Bears
In this scenario, the Bears move up to 11, giving Miami pick 25 in round one, pick 57 in round two, and a 2027 second-round pick. This deal is a bit better for the Dolphins, who would get an extra second-round pick this year instead of another third from the Steelers.
Dolphins trade with the Raiders
In this exchange, the Dolphins are moving out of the end of round one, sending the 30th overall pick to the Raiders. They get the 36th overall pick and a 2027 third-round pick.
The deal may not sound all that great, but the 30th pick is one fans should keep an eye on. The value at the end of round one is good and would provide a 5th-year option for teams looking to jump back in.