The Miami Dolphins are starting anew in 2026, though that doesn't mean they're going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Along the offensive line, there's been a surprising amount of continuity, with four of five starters returning from the 2025 season. Still, the unit remains a work in progress, and a strength today can quickly become a weakness tomorrow.
That very concept helps explain Miami's decision to trade for offensive lineman Caedan Wallace, formerly of the New England Patriots, on Monday. It was reported earlier in the day that the Patriots would release Wallace. However, according to Jordan Schultz of The Schultz Report, Miami swooped in at the eleventh hour to ensure they would get him. Ultimately, the Dolphins will surrender a 2028 sixth-round pick in exchange for Wallace and a 2029 seventh-round pick.
The former Penn State Nittany Lion will hit the ground running in his new digs. He will presumably be competing with Charlie Heck and Jamaree Salyer — two veteran imports this offseason — for a reserve role along the offensive line. In our recent 53-man roster projection, we identified the offensive line group as one of the most vulnerable to an outside addition.
New Miami Dolphins OL Caedan Wallace was a highly touted prospect just two years ago
Wallace's career has gotten off to a slow start. He appeared in six games with two starts for New England in front of fellow rookie Drake Maye in 2024. Wallace wound up suffering an ankle injury that knocked him out for nearly three months. In 2025, under a new coaching staff, he played sparingly as New England lucked their way to a cartoonish Super Bowl appearance.
In any case, there is plenty of untapped potential with the 26-year-old. At 6'5" and 314 pounds, he certainly has the size to play offensive line in the NFL. Athletically speaking, he is no slouch either. Wallace's NFL Combine performance garnered him a 9.10 Relative Athletic Score, which ranked 119th out of 1,314 offensive tackles from 1987–2024.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein had a rock-solid, if unspectacular, review of Wallace as a prospect, stating in part:
"[Caedan Wallace is] broad across his upper and lower body and has decent length and big hands. He’s a clock-puncher who plays with better fundamentals and technique than his highly regarded teammate, Olumuyiwa Fashanu. Wallace won’t flash as often as a run blocker and he might be somewhat capped out in terms of what he’s going to be as a tackle. Wallace has NFL size and good body control and should find work as a backup with the potential to start as a guard or tackle."
In our view, it's a sensible gamble with almost nothing to lose. The late-round pick swap is unlikely to matter in the grand scheme of things. Plus, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan proved himself to be a draft-day-trade wizard, meaning it's not out of the question for Miami to recoup the selection in a future transaction.
Now, all that's left is for Wallace to prove himself worthy of a spot while joining the already-in-motion Dolphins train. He's sure to be motivated to stick it to New England for giving up on him so soon. Miami would certainly welcome the mindset.
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