Once the Miami Dolphins hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager, it felt almost like a foregone conclusion that Jeff Hafley would be the head coach. Both had Green Bay roots, and for better or worse, that's about as family-oriented and insular as NFL organizations come.
Again, that's not throwing shade. Familiarity and continuity tend to be the fabric of sustained winning. Those Packers ties are why the Dolphins managed to score intriguing quarterback Malik Willis in free agency in spite of a grisly salary cap situation.
Sullivan has a clear vision for Willis and how he's going to rebuild this roster. Much of that foundation will be built through Miami's 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
But the Dolphins don't necessarily have to spend all those selections on rookies. A trade scenario for another ex-Packer to join Willis is making the rounds, and it makes a lot of sense.
Miami Dolphins give up 151st overall pick in mock trade to reunite Jon-Eric Sullivan & Jeff Hafley with Packers tight end
Fox Sports' Ralph Vacchiano dreamed up NFL Draft trade scenarios for every AFC team, and pinpointed Green Bay tight end Luke Musgrave as a strong fit.
"First, the Dolphins should be in fire sale mode, getting rid of every valuable asset they have for draft picks. But while they’re doing that, they can’t leave new QB Malik Willis without help on offense, especially if they’re trying to see if he can be their quarterback of the future. So it makes sense to bring at least one familiar weapon from Green Bay with him. Musgrave didn’t exactly light it up for the Pack after Tucker Kraft tore his ACL last year, but he’s still a 6-foot-6 target with good receiving skills who has been battered by injuries in the first three years of his career. There’s an upside and the cost could be low, since Kraft is coming back to the Pack."
Vacchiano is on to something here. Musgrave was the 42nd pick in the 2022 draft. Green Bay double-dipped at the position one round later with Tucker Kraft, who has proceeded to become the far bigger star.
As the above blurb mentions, Kraft unfortunately tore his ACL last season, and Musgrave has been beset by injuries ever since he entered the league.
Assuming Kraft comes back healthy and plays at the level he showed the past season and a half, he'll be in line for a pricey contract extension. The Packers could opt to draft and develop another tight end and sell on Musgrave now for the right price. Nobody makes more sense as a prospective trade partner than Sullivan and the Dolphins.
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is a possible option with Miami's 11th overall pick. However, scoring a relatively proven vet in Musgrave, who Sullivan and Hafley know well, would knock out one of the Fins' many needs that they wouldn't be as pressed to prioritize in the draft.
Musgrave has similar athleticism to Sadiq, except he's three inches taller and 12 pounds heavier at 6'6", 253. He's only 25 years old and has hauled in 65 receptions on 87 targets for 649 yards and a TD in his career to date.
It stands to reason that the Dolphins could acquire Musgrave and reward him with a short-term contract extension straight away at a bargain price. That'd clear up some of the uncertainty at the position going forward.
With Greg Dulcich only on a one-year deal and not many other appealing options on the roster, Miami should strongly consider Vacchiano's mock trade.