Full Jaylen Waddle trade details set Dolphins up for a transformative 2026 Draft

Jaylen Waddle had been at the center of trade rumors since the mid-season trade deadline, and on Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins finally moved the veteran receiver. The Dolphins agreed to send Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 111) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 30), a third-round pick (No. 94), and a fourth-round pick (No. 130), all in the 2026 Draft.

After this haul for Waddle, Miami now has 11 total picks in the 2026 Draft — seven of those picks are in the top 100. With that many picks in the draft, including two first rounders, the Dolphins have an opportunity to jumpstart their new era in a big way with the draft.

Dolphins have 11 picks in 2026 following Jaylen Waddle trade

Miami is making it clear that this offseason is about undergoing a full reset. The team hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as the new general manager, Jeff Hafley as the new head coach, and signed Malik Willis to a three-year deal worth $67.5 million. The new additions also meant bidding farewell to guys like Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, and now Jaylen Waddle.

While all of those exits significantly strip Miami’s roster, the new regime now has the opportunity to build the team from the ground up, with their vision. The bulk of that building will come through the draft with the franchise’s 11 picks. However, having that many picks sets the team up for several possibilities.

The Dolphins could just stay put and use all 11 picks on prospects; since seven of those picks are in the top 100, there’s a real chance that majority of these players could be day-one contributors. Miami could also use these picks to move around in the draft and get even higher if there are specific players the team wants to go get. It’s also possible that the Dolphins could send these picks to other teams and stack up on picks in the 2027 Draft — a year that’s expected to be a generational class.

Whatever approach Miami takes, it’s clear that the team is about to get much younger and have a bunch of new faces. Whether or not that leads to success all depends on how good the new regime is as drafting players and developing them.