Dolphins Friday Mailbag: Achane, Wright, Trade Talk

Part 1 of a pre-draft weekend Miami Dolphins On SI mailbag:

From Lu_FromDade:

Do you think there will be any trades made from this year’s picks for more selections in 2027?

Hey Lu, everything is a guessing game with the draft, so all I can do is give you probabilities and in this case it would say it’s 50-50, if not slightly higher than the Dolphins will be acquiring a 2027 pick or two.

From Dave Campbell:

Greetings Alain! First must ask in your story on Sullivan's comments would that Montreal Expos reporter have the initials AP by chance ? Also with all the hullabaloo (old phrase there) about Achane being traded/not traded there has been ZERO mention of Jaylen Wright. Would this mean no confidence? 100-yard game against a horrible Jets team doesn't instill much for sure. My own mock drafts on various websites I get solid grades even with first WR in Round 3. Defense wins championships! Always look forward to All Dolphins and Dolphins Collective is now 3 times a week! You're a busy man, not to mention all the great written content (for free) on Miami Dolphins on SI.Com.

Thanks as always Dave, and I can’t tell a lie, it was me in the Expos hat LOL. As for Jaylen Wright, the reality is he remains an unproven commodity. There have been flashes in his first two seasons where he looks like a promising player but too much inconsistency, which has left him as a question mark moving forward and not somebody who should be considered a sure thing for 2026 or beyond.

From Jon Russell:

Hey Alain. Is it true that teams have 30 visits with players they have zero interest in purely to throw other teams off the scent or players they actually are interested in? I guess all’s fair in love and war rooms.

Hey Jon, teams can do whatever they want with their 30 visits, whether it be throwing smoke screens or gathering final information on prospects they’re legitimately interested in draft. It’s but a small part of the scouting process and those visits never should be used as a gauge or predictor for who the Dolphins might draft.

From Jorge boyd:

Hi Alain, I have seen so-called experts that rate OL Fano very high given that the top prospects probably won't be there at 11 unless there are several WRs taken within the first 10. How would you feel if the Dolphins draft Fano with the 11 pick?

Hey Jorge, I wish I could tell you I would be gung-ho with the Dolphins drafting Fano, but that would not be honest. I can’t tell you a great reason why I’m lukewarm about him as a prospect, but I am. I just see him as a guard and if the Dolphins are going to go with a guard at 11, I’d just as soon they go with Olaivavega Ioane from Penn State. And overall there are several prospects I’d take over Fano, though I’m not sure any of them — Styles, Downs, Delane — will be there at 11.

From dolphman99:

Hi Alain, heard a possible trade scenario regarding Achane to the Broncos for RJ Harvey and a second-round pick and a swap of later-round picks that gives the Broncos an earlier pick. I would do this trade in a heartbeat. Is there any truth to this? If I were Sully, I would pull the trigger on this deal. I like Achane, don’t get me wrong, but this deal is to good to pass up.

As an editor’s note, this question was submitted before Jon-Eric Sullivan said during his pre-draft press conference that Achane was not available in a trade. Also, the one rumor I had heard was the same trade but with K.J. Dobbins instead of Harvey. In either case, I’d be a no. The Dolphins should hang on to Achane if they can work out a reasonable contract extension with their 2025 team MVP.

From Mark:

Looking at the contracts, Achane should be asking* for $20mil/yr at least imo. Do you have any concerns about his size, durability & fit under new regime? Would it be smart to have him play on his 4th year?

Hey Mark, Achane can ask for $20 million a year all he wants, he’s not getting it. I do have some concerns about his durability in the long term, but he’s still only 23 and very early in his career, so I don’t see any harm in signing him to a three-year contract. And, no, I don’t believe it would be the smart play to force him to play on his rookie contract because it would set a bad example from the organization about taking care of your top players, plus we’d be looking at a hold-in in training camp, and that benefits no one.

From LutekeHightower:

If the Dolphins played this weekend, what’s the No. 1 priority based on the current roster, and why is it safety?

Hey Luke, you’re funny, but also right. It would be safety because there are no proven commodities at that position and the projected starters would be Lonnie Johnson Jr., who’s still looking to prove he deserved to be a second-round pick, and Dante Trader Jr., who had some flashes as a rookie fifth-round pick but also has room for improvement. I also would say that defensive end isn’t far behind based on what the roster contains.

From Ken Dasher:

Bonjour mon ami. If you could double dip at only one position in this year's draft, which would it be? Also, in honor of Phil Collins' medical issues, what is your favorite song from his solo albums?

Hey Ken, I’ll start with the Collins question first, and it’s an easy choice for me: “Do You Remember?” As for the one position to double dip, hmm, the choice would be between guard, defensive end, wide receiver, cornerback and safety, and I’d go here with defensive end, followed by cornerback.

From John Flora:

Why do I feel like one of the 3rds will get flipped for a ’27 pick?

Hey John, because it very well might wind up happening? I definitely could see the Dolphins flipping a 2026 third for a 2027 second, which usually is the price for such moves — but that will require another team wanting that third-round pick for a player who is around at that time.

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