When the trade becomes official for Waddle, the Dolphins will have their own No. 11 overall pick, plus No. 30 in the first round. In the second round, Miami has its own No. 43 overall pick, then No. 75, No. 87, No. 90, and No. 94 in the third round. With seven selections in the top 100, the Dolphins should be able to acquire several impact players that can help shape the team moving forward. Plus Sullivan and Hafley could unearth some hidden gems with No. 130 in the fourth round, No. 151 in the fifth round, and No. 227 and No. 238 in the seventh round.
Seven picks in the top 100 is huge and hopefully we find at least 4-5 starters out of that haul. Hopefully we don't look at project players with off the charts potential...let other teams develop those guys. Give us 7 hard-nosed, tough football players who are ready to compete. We need two starting WRs, so I'm thinking that's the new priority at #11. WR or CB. Follow that up with a few interior linemen, an edge rusher, and other pieces of the secondary. It's crazy to think that we can actually get all those pieces in one draft. I don't know about you guys, but this isn't all doom and gloom for me. I think so far, this organization is doing a great job managing so much with so little.
I think WR and CB are the least likely positions to be taken lol. Sullivan has been adamant about drafting from the inside out and wanting big people. Hafley's defense prioritizes inside out and he has commented that he wants a strong running game. The Waddle trade was indicative of them not valuing the position and being willing to trade a good but not elite talent. WR in round 2 or 3 is much more likely. Chris Bell, Chris Brazzell, Elijah Sarratt, Malachi Fields, Ted Hurst and Jakobi Lane - I'd bet we come away with one of those guys. They are all 6-2 or taller and Sullivan has expressed a desire to get bigger at the position. I think we already have Waddle's replacement on the team - Tutu Atwell. No they aren't the same guy or anywhere near the same talent level, but Atwell will fill the speedster role. I'd also think the staff is going to give Tolbert a legitimate shot to be one of the top guys on the team. I'd also strongly predict we take at least 1 TE with hands, and probably as early as rounds 2-3 again.
Here's to trading down from both #11 and #30 and picking up even more! Obviously, it takes two teams to tango and make a deal, but per the chart, were the Fins to move down from 11 to around 19 or 20, that would be worth a 2nd round pick. Moving from 11 to 15 would be worth a 3rd for that slight move. Move from 11 to 25, and the other team would need to give up two 2nd rounders. (which Chicago, at 25 happens to have) Imaging taking a player at 25, then trading down from 30 into the second round, ending up with four 2nd round picks and five 3rd round picks in the process. They could go a long way towards restocking the team.
I'm okay with that. Grier/McDaniel's arrogance to think they could field a winning roster with OL and IDL that would barely compete for starting roster spots on other teams has bugged me for years. We might have had success with Tua if we had a top 10 OL. If an inferior OL/IDL is the opportunity cost for paying your QB and WR1/WR2 market rates, it's too rich for my blood. Bring in some hogs and we'll be better for it down the line.
