When the Miami Dolphins executed a trade with the division rival New England Patriots, some fans were a little wary. Why would the Patriots surrender any player of value to a team they'd have to face twice a year? It's beginning to appear that it may have been a case of miscalculation on the Patriots' part as it relates to offensive lineman Caedan Wallace.
In 17 snaps of action against the Commanders last week, Wallace was the highest-graded Dolphin, courtesy of Pro Football Focus. What's more, his 87.5 offensive grade was sixth among the 385 offensive linemen to play a single down of preseason football in Week 1. That kind of debut is made all the more impressive by the fact that Wallace had spent less than five days with the team when he took the field on Friday.
Wallace is in his third season after being selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He struggled as a rookie (as did the entire 2024 New England outfit) and dealt with injury, ultimately playing 129 snaps with a rough 44.1 PFF grade to show for his efforts. He wasn't able to regain a prominent role in 2025, and by this August, New England pulled the plug.
Caedan Wallace's usage points to enormous upside for the Miami Dolphins
Something that's perhaps even more encouraging for Wallace is his deployment. He played left and right tackle as a rookie in New England, and last season his handful of snaps came at left guard. Miami used him at right tackle, a sneaky position of need due to Austin Jackson's frequent injury woes.
In 2024, Jackson was fresh off a contract extension inked the previous December when he suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for more than half the season. He missed the majority of the 2025 season with a separate toe ailment. In other words, counting on Austin Jackson to stay healthy at this point in his career would be betting against history.
Wallace now provides Miami with young — and seemingly untapped — insurance should Jackson suffer another injury this season. He is also under team control at modest salaries over the next two seasons. That makes him a natural contender for the starting role in 2027, when Jackson is likely to move on — a contractual adjustment earlier this offseason eliminated the final year of his extension. In all respects, Wallace was a sensible trade addition for the rebuilding Dolphins.
If his preseason debut is any indicator of what's to come, the Dolphins may have come away with a massive steal. Miami's still due to make up for the Wes Welker trade 19 years later.
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