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The Miami Dolphins received an extra draft pick after the Darren Waller trade

The Miami Dolphins are likely far from meaningful contention after undergoing a full rebuild this offseason. The team parted ways with most of their high-priced veterans, opting to add 13 rookies in the 2026 NFL Draft, as well as an interesting crop of undrafted free agents.

Fans and members of the Dolphins will hope that Miami’s rebuild is not a long process, which would be facilitated by Miami’s draft class having success in their rookie season.

Next offseason should also allow the Dolphins to change their approach, as they will no longer be as cap-constrained as they were this year. The team is currently projected to have the second-most available cap space in the NFL in 2027, according to OverTheCap. Additionally, Miami received some good news regarding the 2027 offseason.

Miami Dolphins Add 2027 Draft Pick

Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson reported that the Miami Dolphins had, “quietly added another draft pick for 2027, giving them at least eight picks and potentially nine.”

Jackson added: “According to a league source, conditions were met on the 2027 conditional seventh-round pick that Miami was due to receive from the Giants in the Darren Waller trade that sent a 2026 Dolphins sixth-round pick to New York.

So Miami, in the 2027 draft, will have its own first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks. It also will have a fifth-rounder from Pittsburgh as part of the Jalen Ramsey trade and the seventh-rounder from the Giants from the Waller trade.”

Regarding a potential ninth-pick, the team could add one with the compensatory pick formula; however, Jackson said that it has not yet been confirmed. 

While Waller did not have the impact Miami may have hoped for when making the trade, at least the team was able to recoup a pick in the transaction. Waller struggled to stay healthy; however, he flashed signs of past brilliance, as he was tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns despite battling injuries for most of the season. He had six receiving touchdowns in only nine games during the 2025 season.

Despite those flashes, it appears Waller’s time with the Dolphins will only last one season as general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said a reunion “probably doesn’t make a ton of sense for Miami at the moment.”

2027 NFL Draft

With the 2026 NFL Draft complete, Miami’s scouts will likely begin their work on what appears to be a promising 2027 class.

The latest mock draft by ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicted Miami would select Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith with the No. 2 overall pick.

Reid wrote:

“Quarterback would be a consideration if the Dolphins pick this high, but getting a truly elite receiver would be hard to pass up, especially with the Dolphins moving on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason. Smith has a great blend of size and speed. He’s a swift vertical mover who eats up coverages in a hurry while showing exceptional strength at the catch point. Eight of Smith’s 12 receiving touchdowns last season came in the red zone, as he’s an upper-echelon player in that area. But he can also make big plays down the field. Andre Johnson and Julio Jones come to mind as easy NFL comparisons.”