A Dolphins Draft Trade-Down Scenario

The Dolphins are scheduled to have the 21st overall selection and six picks overall in 2024

The Miami Dolphins will enter the 2024 NFL draft with needs at several different positions and only two selections in the first four rounds, but it doesn't have to stay that way.

The Dolphins could pick up additional selections by trading down in the draft, or maybe one of those trade-down scenarios could involve a beneficial swap of later-round picks.

That's what NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter had in mind in a story offering six hypothetical draft trades that would make sense for the two teams involved.

One of the six trades he proposed involved the Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers, and would have Miami move down from 21 to 25 in the first round and in exchange pick up a third-round pick from the Packers for their fifth-round selection.

Reuter explained the logic of the trade from a Dolphins standpoint this way: "Green Bay has two third-round picks after trading cornerback Rasul Douglas and a fifth-rounder to Buffalo at the October deadline last season. Miami, on the other hand, lost its third as part of the penalty levied by the league last year for Troy Fautanu or Patrick Paul, a defensive lineman like Braden Fiske or Jer'Zahn Newton, a tight end like or Ben Sinnott, or a defensive back like Max Melton or Nate Wiggins."

While we can debate the particular prospects mentioned, the logic is very sound. The Dolphins have enough needs that moving down four spots should be preclude them from getting a prospect who could help fill a need — and hopefully do it quickly.

And the Dolphins' chances of hitting on a prospect would be a lot better with a third-round pick than a fifth-round selection.

DOLPHINS-PACKERS HAVE HISTORY

It was just four years ago that the Dolphins and Packers were involved in a draft-day swap of first-round picks with Miami sending pick 26 to Green Bay for pick 30 and a fourth-round selection.

That one didn't work out so well for the Dolphins, but that was because of the players drafted with those picks.

With pick 26, the Packers took Jordan Love, who last year showed signs of becoming a franchise quarterback in his first season as the starter.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, got cornerback Noah Igbinoghene with the 30th pick and used the fourth-round pick to move up in that round and select guard Solomon Kindley. Igbinoghene is hoping to jump-start his career with the Washington Commanders in 2024, while Kindley was out of the NFL in 2023.

The Dolphins can only hope the results will prove better if they deal again with Green Bay — or any other team, for that matter — even if it does make sense at the time.