Could Miami Dolphins trade up in first round of 2026 NFL Draft?

Jon-Eric Sullivan — new Miami Dolphins general manager — has been busy acquiring a war chest of draft picks for the 2026 NFL Draft. The team currently has 11 picks in April’s selection process — including two first rounders and four third round picks.

While the team has plenty of holes in their roster that desperately need to be filled, could Sullivan’s stockpiling of picks have been conducted with the idea that the Dolphins want to move up in the first round of the draft in order to land an elite prospect?

Yesterday, Washington Commanders beat writer, Josh Taylor, dropped an interesting social media post where he said that he’s heard from two separate sources that the Dolphins and Commanders are in talks about a trade that would see Washington trade back from pick #7 in the first round in order for Miami to move up from pick #11.

Again, with Miami needing to upgrade at so many positions, it’s hard to guess which player the team might be targeting, but safety Caleb Downs, offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, linebacker Sonny Styles, defensive linemen Rueben Bain and David Bailey are just some of the names that the Dolphins could be interested in.

Of course, as Taylor states, these whispers could remain just that — whispers.

With the Dolphins in full-on rebuilding mode, the team needs to bring in as many young, talented players as possible. Trading away draft picks instead of adding more would not help them to accomplish that goal. However, with the 2026 NFL Draft kicking off in less than a month, we won’t have to wait long to discover what Sullivan’s ultimate plan for his first draft as Dolphins general manager ultimately ends up being.