An NFL player's trade value is a finicky thing. Just because someone is the best player on their team does not inherently make them the most valuable player. Most would say the Miami Dolphins' best player is De'Von Achane, but is he more valuable than someone like Jordy Brooks or Aaron Brewer?
Another good example to bring this home would be the Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey. Is he pound-for-pound the best player at his position on his roster and in the league? Probably. Would a team (other than the 2000 Oakland Raiders) use a first-round pick on him in the NFL Draft or in a trade? Almost definitely not.
So, there's an art to it. It's a confluence of myriad factors, including player position, age, contractual status, and sometimes, temperament. In this dead period of the NFL offseason, ESPN's Bill Barnwell took on the thankless (and creative) task of determining how many players from each NFL franchise would be worth a first-round pick (or more) in a trade. The Dolphins' standing proves there's a lot of work to be done.
ESPN thinks the Miami Dolphins have one of the league's weakest rosters in terms of premium talent
When all was said and done, Barnwell tabbed just three Dolphins as worthy of first-round picks, and they're all trench players: offensive linemen Patrick Paul and Kadyn Proctor, and defensive lineman Kenneth Grant. That's it. No De'Von Achane, no Jordyn Brooks, no Chris Johnson. The logic, while painful, is sound.
Achane plays a non-premium position where even the best players to be traded in recent years have not fetched a first-round pick. Ditto for Jordyn Brooks, whose situation is compounded by the fact that he's considered "older" because he'll turn 29 this season. Just a few years ago, this list could've included Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and perhaps even Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins eschewed the warning signs surrounding the entire 2023 roster (minus Waddle) and are now left picking up the pieces.
Among their NFL counterparts, the Dolphins' three first-round-pick-worthy players rank last, tied with five other franchises: the Colts, 49ers, Vikings, Falcons, and Buccaneers. To rank behind teams like the Jets, Cardinals, Titans, and Browns in any metric should be cause for concern. But fans need not worry. This season was always about restarting, rebuilding, retooling, or whatever other "re-" you'd like to coin it.
The vision in Miami is clear. General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley are trying to build a foundation. Instead of opting for half-measures that would've left the team on differing timelines, new leadership went all-in on changing things from the ground up. This means clearing out all of the clogged-up cap dollars of years gone by and starting fresh. It also means enduring a lean season in 2026 that few are expecting to produce much in the way of fireworks.
After the season, if projections hold true, the Dolphins will hold a top draft choice in the 2027 NFL Draft. They will also possess a bevy of other draft picks near the top of their respective rounds. What's more, they'll be loaded with north of $99 million in cap space to spend on outside free agents.
The immediate future may be bleak, but fans mustn't miss the forest for the trees. This is a necessary step to get to where all fans want to be: contending.
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