Yet Another Fruit from the Tunsil Trade Tree

The Miami Dolphins were able to acquired Bradley Chubb thanks to a first-round pick with its root in the Tunsil trade from 2019
Isaiah J. Downing - USA Today Sports
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And you thought the Miami Dolphins were done being able to acquire assets thanks to the Laremy Tunsil trade from three years ago.

They might be close to it now, but not before they were able to land Bradley Chubb, the star pass rusher who maybe — just maybe — could end up being the missing piece for the defense in 2022 and beyond.

The Dolphins got Chubb in a deal where they gave up a 2023 first-round that belonged to the San Francisco 49ers before they traded it to Miami for a pick that once belonged to the Houston Texans but came over in that Tunsil mega trade in 2019.

Call it six degrees of Laremy Tunsil ... or something like that.

Or, better yet, the gift that keeps giving.

The Dolphins have massaged the return for Tunsil in that Sept. 1, 2019 trade that included two first-round picks and a second-round selection, making seven other trades stemming from those picks to reach this almost-final destination.

With the Chubb trade, the Dolphins have one pick left that grew out of the Tunsil tree, a fifth-rounder in the 2025 draft that came from the Denver Broncos.

The way things have worked, who knows what GM Chris Grier might concoct with that pick.

For now, here's the overall tally of the Tunsil trade and everything the Dolphins have done with the picks they got in return:

DOLPHINS PLAYERS ACQUIRED AS A DIRECT OR INDIRECT RESULT OF THE LAREMY TUNSIL TRADE

T Julien Davenport

DB Johnson Bademosi

CB Noah Igbinoghene

WR Jaylen Waddle

S Jevon Holland

WR Tyreek Hill

LB Channing Tindall

WR Erik Ezukanma

LB Bradley Chubb

PLAYERS OR DRAFT PICKS RELINQUISHED BY THE DOLPHINS IN THOSE AFOREMENTIONED DEALS

T Laremy Tunsil

WR Kenny Stills

RB Chase Edmonds

2020 fourth-round pick

2021 fourth-round pick

2021 sixth-round pick

2022 first-round pick

2022 second-round pick

2022 fourth-round pick

2023 fourth-round pick

2023 sixth-round pick

2024 fourth-round pick

The only word here is, or at least should be, wow!

With Hill, Holland, Chubb and Waddle, we are talking about four foundational pieces against one foundational piece (Tunsil) and one first-round pick.

HOW THE DOLPHINS MANEUVERED THE TUNSIL PICKS

Here are the seven trades the Dolphins made since they acquired first-round picks in 2020 and 2021, a second-round pick in 2021 (used on safety Jevon Holland), tackle Julien Davenport and defensive back Johnson Bademosi for Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a fourth-round pick in 2020 and a sixth-round pick in 2021:

1. April 23, 2020 — The Dolphins acquire the 30th overall pick and a 4th-round selection (136th overall) from the Green Bay Packers for the 26th overall selection, which they obtained in the Tunsil trade. With the 30th pick, the Dolphins select CB Noah Igbinoghene.

2. April 25, 2020 — The Dolphins give Houston that 136th overall pick plus a fourth-round compensatory pick (141st overall) to move up to 111th overall in the fourth round and regain the pick they had included in the Tunsil trade. With that pick, the Dolphins select G Solomon Kindley.

3. March 26, 2021 — The Dolphins trade the third overall pick (from Houston) to the San Francisco 49ers for the 12th overall pick, plus 1st- and 3rd-round picks in 2022 and a 1st-round pick in 2023. With that 2022 3rd-round pick, the Dolphins would select LB Channing Tindall.

4. March 26, 2021 — The Dolphins trade that 12th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles along with a 4th-round pick and their own 1st-round pick in 2022 for the sixth overall pick and a 5th-round pick in 2021. With the sixth overall pick, the Dolphins select WR Jaylen Waddle.

5. May 1, 2021 — The Dolphins trade that 5th-round pick from the Eagles to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 4th-round pick in 2022. With that pick, the 122nd overall, the Dolphins select WR Erik Ezukanma.

6. March 23. 2022 — The Dolphins acquire WR Tyreek HIll for the 2022 1st-round pick they got from San Francisco, along with their own 2nd- and 4th-round picks in 2022, plus 4th- and 6th-round picks in 2023.

7. Nov. 1, 2022 — The Dolphins acquire LB Bradley Chubb and a 5th-round pick in 2025 from the Denver Broncos for the 2023 1st-round pick they got from the 49ers in 2021, along with RB Chase Edmonds and a 2024 4th-round selection.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.