The rebuild has begun in South Beach.
At 2-7, fresh off a blowout loss on Thursday Night Football, the Miami Dolphins have waved the white flag, trading edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick.
Phillips might not be the last Dolphins star traded before Tuesday’s deadline, but he might return the most capital. Armed with an extra Day 2 pick — albeit in the latter half of Round 3 — it’s worth taking a look at where Miami could spend its newfound capital.
Who could the Dolphins draft late in Round 3?
Xavier Chaplin, Offensive Tackle, Auburn
I entered the year incredibly high on Chaplin, expecting the quality film from Virginia Tech to translate to the bright lights of SEC competition. That hasn’t been the case. Chaplin has struggled with consistency, particularly as a run blocker, in 2025, and allowing multiple pressures against Oklahoma and Texas A&M wasn’t a strong signal for his pass protection.
Yet, the tools that earned my affection last season are present; his frame, athleticism, and flashes of technique still bode well in pass pro. A stronger October has helped rebuild some of that trust, too. There is work to be done to regain ground, and that may have to wait until the pre-draft circuit, but there’s a world in which he is a fringe-top-100 pick come April. If that’s the case, the Dolphins could use him.
Miami has continued to lose games on physicality. Chaplin, whether as depth, moving over to right tackle, or forcing Patrick Paul into a pivot, has a chance to change that.
Oscar Delp, Tight End, Georgia
One of my favorite fits in this class, should head coach Mike McDaniel remain in charge, will be Delp in this Miami offense. Predicated on speed and RPOs, McDaniel has consistently made a living (at least early in most seasons) by getting the ball to playmakers before opposing pass rushes can impact the play.
Delp offers elite burst — perhaps the best in the class at his position. He’s averaging nearly nine yards of production after the catch. It’s easy to see him being a valuable contributor by turning underneath routes into legitimate gains.
You don’t always get to see it in Georgia’s offense, but Oscar Delp is a freak athlete. Powerful accelerator who chews up ground when he has a runway.
Elite two-phase blocker and that gives him inbuilt utility, but the upside is immense, too.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 4, 2025
Likewise, it’s no coincidence that Jonnu Smith had a career year in this role last season.
Delp isn’t the most natural blocker, but he’s been strong enough to stay on the field and has enough size (245 pounds) to promote optimism in this regard.
Keon Sabb, Safety, Alabama
Two stories have defined the Dolphins’ defensive collapse in 2025: Few units have underperformed like Miami’s front four, and a secondary labeled as a weakness entering the year has been pillaged by injuries.
This team was always going to need reinforcements in the secondary. Given the negative attention that the offense has garnered and common concerns about positional value, adding another safety could get pushed down the totem pole.
MORE: Miami Dolphins’ updated list of 2026 NFL Draft picks after Jaelan Phillips trade
Still, Sabb has the profile of a Day 1 contributor. He has experience in multiple high-level defenses at Michigan and Alabama. He is physical enough to play in the box, athletic enough to hold his own in coverage, and has enough production to check the box. I don’t know if Minkah Fitzpatrick will be on the team in 2026 (or Week 10), but Sabb would complement him well.
Zachariah Branch, Wide Receiver, Georgia
Branch is another prospect whose stock has taken a bit of a blow this season. After the best game of his season against Florida (10 catches for 112 yards), there’s reason to believe he could be a top-100 pick.
Taking Branch means rolling the dice on another undersized, juiced-up receiver whose left-tailed outcomes include a future as a gadget player. Conversely, we’ve seen what this receiving corps can do with enough speed, and Branch has it in spades.
He’s at his best operating from the slot and close to the line of scrimmage. But development downfield could unlock upside that neither USC nor Georgia has found, and each productive week is a nod toward that trajectory. McDaniel might not double down on the philosophy that has burned him in recent years. As Tyreek Hill fades, though, replacing him demands the capacity to create explosive plays.
