The Miami Dolphins have had a busy offseason to this point, inking more than 20 players to fill out a roster with no shortage of holes. Due to the salary cap carnage left in Chris Grier's wake, the overwhelming majority of these players signed for minimum or near-minimum contracts. The Dolphins represent one of the NFL's most tantalizing destinations for hungry players itching for opportunity.
With free agency cooling off, the Dolphins have been working on the NFL Draft, vetting prospects, and conducting visits with a litany of draft hopefuls. The latest report from Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo has unearthed a new target of intrigue for Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley. Clemson Tigers linebacker Wade Woodaz told Melo that he met with Miami Dolphins brass at Clemson's Pro Day on March 12.
Woodaz is an intriguing prospect with loads of production at the collegiate level. The 6'3", 236-pound pitbull of a linebacker piled up 201 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, and four forced fumbles over four seasons in Death Valley. Despite his production and solid athleticism (8.59 Relative Athletic Score), he is considered a late-round or undrafted free agent prospect at this juncture.
Wade Woodaz could be a sleeper pick for the Miami Dolphins late in the 2026 NFL draft
Woodaz spent his entire collegiate career with the Tigers, a rarity in the transfer portal era of college football. He became a fixture of Dabo Swinney's defense, and it's evident the coach had a great deal of admiration for one of his defensive leaders.
"He’s a football player. He’s got great instincts for the game. He’s a baller. The kid is tough. He’s physical. He can run. He really understands the game at a high level. He played most of his career as a quarterback, and as a safety, so he has a great understanding of the game and the instincts to go with it. He’s a great effort guy. He’s a great preparer and he loves practice. He’s a fun guy to coach."Dabo Swinney
As fate would have it, the most experienced position group on the Dolphins right now is their linebacker room. Headlined by 2025 1st-Team All-Pro Jordyn Brooks and fellow veteran Tyrel Dodson, that corps is grizzled and experienced. Woodaz could learn a great deal from that duo (and top backup Willie Gay Jr.) should he wind up in Miami.
Pro Football Focus graded Woodaz's 2025 season with a solid 70.6, which placed 312 out of 784 qualifiers. In critiquing his game, scouts see a player who is productive, though not necessarily impactful. NFL Network's Lance Zierlein got this impression from his tape:
"Two-year starter who punches in and goes to work but fails to stamp games with high-level impact. Woodaz has adequate size and diagnose quickness. However, he lacks base strength and take-on pop to keep himself clean through contact. He displays good awareness in zone drops and has enough man-cover talent to match with some pass-catching tight ends underneath. Woodaz needs to add strength, play faster and become more forceful in everything he does. He has a chance to develop into an average backup Will linebacker, but his work on special teams is what will get him on the field early on."Lance Zierlein
While hardly a glowing endorsement, Miami fans can take comfort in the fact that one of the biggest critiques is entirely fixable. The Dolphins' strength and conditioning staff has graded among the league's best in the NFLPA report cards over the last several years. It is not a stretch to think that a year or two in an NFL-level strength program could propel Woodaz to greater heights.
The Dolphins see something in his tape that intrigues them, as Jon-Eric Sullivan's track record indicates that he doesn't like to waste time on players he doesn't want. By all accounts, Wade Woodaz is the kind of player fans can rally behind. Dolphins fans hope he can be the next impactful Clemson Tiger, a la Christian Wilkins, to take his talents to South Beach.