Big things are expected from Dolphins safety Dante Trader Jr. Here’s why
Dante Trader Jr. had quite the offseason.
The Miami Dolphins safety spent a bunch of time with five-time Pro Bowl defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. He stayed in the Baptist Health Training Facility. And he noticeably trimmed some fat. The result: Trader has grown into a player who could be heavily depended on in 2026.
“They all, especially [defensive coordinator Sean] Duggan and [defensive backs Ryan] Downard, have empowered me to do it because guys naturally follow me,” Trader said of his leadership. “It was just natural to me —try to bring the juice.”
With the Dolphins in the midst of a rebuild following the departure of several key players, there has been a leadership vacuum. Sure, the team still has Zach Sieler and Jordyn Brooks, but the amount of youth in the secondary begs the question of who will be the voice of that unit.
Enter Trader.
“Dante loves football,” coach Jeff Hafley said. “He’s always here. He’s always in the building. He’s always asking questions. He practices so hard. He’s so intentional.”
A fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Trader hasn’t had the easiest path to playing time. The presence of Fitzpatrick, a player the Dolphins traded to the New York Jets, significantly cut into his snaps. Throw in the injuries that cut into his time at rookie minicamp as well as OTAs and it’s no wonder that he feels more comfortable ahead of Year 2.
“Now being able to be hands-on and get the actual game reps which would allow me to progress,” Trader said. “That’s a big time on task thing. So it’s allowed me to be vocal and have those reps.”
Now, Trader’s role is expected to expand.
“When it comes to taking what he’s learning in the classroom and applying it on the field and being in the right spot and communicating and grasping the scheme and showing good leadership back there and being a great teammate and giving great effort and having great attitude, I think he’s doing a really, really good job,” Hafley said.
That, however, should come as no surprise. Save for a potential game-deciding missed tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers, Trader had a solid rookie campaign, especially considering that he started the final three games of the season when Fitzpatrick, whom the second-year safety idolized growing up, injured his calf.
Arguably even more impressive: he spent his rookie year mining info from veterans such as Brooks, Fitzpatrick and Bradley Chubb.
“He’s just a young, hungry football player,” Brooks said in November 2025. “He uses all the resources around him, and that’s what I love about him. He really does go to his vets any time he has questions, any time he’s frustrated, he’s seeking out that knowledge. He works hard so we’ve seen that since Day 1. I know he’s going to become a great player in this league one day just the way he carries himself.” That he wound up training with Fitzpatrick speaks to the maturity — and enthusiasm to learn — with which he approaches the game.
“All offseason I was training with Minkah,” Trader said. “Text threads, everything showing me the ropes, just getting back to the roots, me and him 1-on-1, working out, watching film and just getting back into the basics. That’s what you got to do: go back to basics.”
Added Trader: “Now, I feel like he prepared me to be able to play this year.”
Despite the lack of experience that could come to define the secondary, Trader could be the gem who really begins to flourish in 2026. Pair that with Hafley’s scheme and the Dolphins might have found their safety of the future.
