The Denver Broncos have made the latest blockbuster move of the offseason by trading for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. This was the type of move that the Broncos needed to make with Super Bowl aspirations.
For the Dolphins, trading away Waddle was a tough decision, given that he was entering his prime, but it could jump-start their rebuild.
Dolphins Get Massive Draft Pick Return in Jaylen Waddle Deal
Last season was not a good one for Miami, and after releasing Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Bradley Chubb and firing HC Mike McDaniels, this team began its rebuild. With Waddle being 27 years old and a player with WR1 talent (ranked 22nd in PFSN’s WR Impact Metric last season), it made sense for teams around the NFL to have interest. In the end, the Broncos won the race.
Denver sent Miami their 1st-, 4th-, and 5th-round picks, and Miami sent a 4th-round pick attached to Waddle. Getting another 1st round pick to use in the first year of a rebuild can go a long way, no matter how strong or weak a draft class is.
With this move, the Dolphins added to their already impressive war chest of draft picks, bringing their total to 11 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
#Dolphins 2026 draft picks:
1st – No. 11
1st – No. 30
2nd – No. 43
3rd – No. 75
3rd – No. 87
3rd – No. 90
3rd – No. 94
4th – No. 130
5th – No. 151
7th – No. 227
7th – No. 238 https://t.co/qKiKiiaeBu— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 17, 2026
Already, having 11 picks in a draft is impressive, but the fact that the Dolphins have seven in the top-100 is monumental for this roster. If Miami can hit on most of these selections, the rebuild would be complete much faster than many expected.
This offseason, the Dolphins signed Malik Willis to be the franchise’s next starting QB, and most of their other moves have been upgrades to depth rather than starters.
Their current roster is not good enough to win many games in 2026, but with the draft picks Miami has, they can quickly elevate the roster’s talent. If that does happen, and Willis shows he can be a good starter in this league, the Dolphins could have a decent season.
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It probably won’t be good enough to end up in the playoffs, but entering 2027 with a feeling around the franchise that they can really make the next step would be impressive.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
