A trade that should be tempting to Dolphins. And more mocks, Grant, Washington
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan already has turned eight drafts picks into 11, by trading Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But I’m greedy. The Dolphins have so many needs that even 7 of the top 94 picks aren’t enough to fill all of them.
So to use Hubie Brown’s way of speaking… If I’m Sullivan, I would be doing everything possible to entice Arizona to feel motivated to jump from 34 to 30 to draft Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who is reportedly of great interest to the Cardinals.
Arizona would have two reasons to try to move up four slots:
1). The Jets, who also need a quarterback, pick 33rd, which is the first selection of the second round. It’s unclear if the Jets have interest in Simpson, but that fear could motivate the Cardinals.
2). A team drafting Simpson in the first round, instead of the second, gets a fifth year option (a team option) on the rookie contract, compared to four years (no team option) for contracts for second-round picks. So if Simpson turns out to be very good, selecting him in the first round would come with financial benefits.
What would be fair value for the Dolphins to move down from 30 to 34? The 65th overall pick - Arizona’s selection two picks into the third round - would be the natural ask. The Cardinals then might ask Miami to throw in a third-day pick or even Miami’s last of four third-round picks (at 94), though I would hesitate to do the latter.
If the Dolphins can snag the 34th and 65th picks by giving up the 30th pick and say, the 151st selection or 227th selection, that would give Miami a record eight of the first 94 picks. I wouldn’t do this deal, from the Dolphins perspective, if a player that Miami absolutely loves falls to 30; I would otherwise.
Incidentally, Arizona’s next pick after 65 is 104.
More mocks
NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his final mock on Wednesday night, and he has the Dolphins selecting UM edge player Rueben Bain instead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.
“The Dolphins could go in a lot of different directions here because they have so many needs,” Jeremiah said. “Bain will come highly recommended by Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Dolphins star Jason Taylor, who coached the disruptive pass rusher at the University of Miami.”
At 30, Jeremiah has Miami taking Utah tackle Caleb Lomu, adding that “Lomu would join Patrick Paul to give the Dolphins a pair of talented, young bookends on the offensive line. Austin Jackson could move inside if needed.”
Grant offers thoughts
Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley have both expressed high regard for defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, Miami’s pick at No. 13 last season.
But Grant knows more is needed after a decent, but not great, rookie season. He said Hafley hasn’t specifically told him where he must improve, but Grant said this week that he has focused this offseason on having quicker hands and getting off blocks.
“We’re kind of on ground zero,” Grant said. “Everybody’s on a clean-slate playing field right now. [Hafley] treats me just like everybody else in the building.”
After a year in the league, “I know what to expect now. I’m not a rookie anymore, so I kind of know what the deal is and how things are going to be operated.
“This offseason, I just really focused on being more of a football player. Training for the Combine last year is different when you’re in football shape rather than combine shape. So, I just tried to be in football shape this year, focusing on my techniques and getting stronger in the weight room.”
Here was my in-depth look at Grant earlier this offseason and what the metrics sites say about his play.
Chips galore
Sullivan and Hafley have spoken about players having chips on their shoulders, and receiver Malik Washington reiterated that on Tuesday, saying “We all want to be the guy.”
This new regime has made clear that draft pedigree or the size of your contract won’t impact playing time decisions.
“We’re going to play the best players,” Sullivan said. “That’s the beautiful part about the culture, the competition that’s going to be at the forefront of everything we do. It doesn’t matter if you’re a second-round pick or you’re an undrafted free agent, if you’re an eight-year vet or a second-year player.
“If you give us the best chance to win on Sunday, you’re going to be one of the the 22 on the field.”
Here’s my Thursday media column with a full guide to NFL draft television coverage and more.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 9:37 AM.
