The Miami Dolphins have clearly entered a rebuilding phase during the 2026 NFL offseason. They have moved on from several of their veteran players, as well as their head coach and general manager, while stockpiling draft picks in the process. Their assistant general manager, Kyle Smith, recently commented on their situation and discussed their potential draft strategy, including a possible trade.
How Will Dolphins Approach 2026 NFL Draft Amid Rebuild This Year?
The Dolphins currently have 11 picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft as they look to rebuild their roster for the future. Smith, who serves under general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan, recently talked about their approach to this important event.
He discussed the luxury of having so many picks, including how it could open the potential of packaging some of them together to move up in the draft order.
“We’re going to get good football players at every level,” Smith said. “Obviously, the more picks you have, the more shots you have on target and on goal, the more chances you have to hit. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re going to have 11 [picks]. We got 11 going in, we might have less. Maybe we trade up and do all those things, or we gather more for next year.”
The Dolphins appear committed to rebuilding their team after missing out on the playoffs again last year. They recently released veteran stars, such as Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, while trading Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jaylen Waddle.
Their aggressive approach to hitting the reset button has resulted in them accumulating 11 draft picks this year, but Smith admitted the number could decrease if they make a trade to move up the draft board. This would be an interesting strategy, given how many holes they have created on their roster by getting rid of the majority of their veterans.
Their intense rebuild would suggest that the volume of picks is more important than premium picks, but apparently, they are considering all options. Trading up makes more sense if they were seeking a quarterback, but landing Malik Willis during the offseason suggests they have already addressed this area.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
Willis made just one start for the Green Bay Packers last season, filling in for an injured Jordan Love. He also played the majority of the game against the Chicago Bears, during which Love suffered a concussion.
He made the most of his opportunities by finishing among the top five quarterbacks, according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, in both of the weeks that he played. This earned him another shot at being a full-time starter as the Dolphins will look to build around him.
