The Dolphins shook up the NFL draft with 2 big trades

The Miami Dolphins put themselves in position to be a major player in the NFL for years to come, while the San Francisco 49ers are now in a position to draft their quarterback of the future following a massive trade Friday with far-reaching ramifications for both teams.

The crux of the deal is a pick swap in the first round, with Miami getting additional assets. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

Then, deciding they weren’t done dealing, the Dolphins made a second trade, this time with the Philadelphia Eagles. That trade, according to Field Yates is:

The end result of all this is that the Dolphins moved back three picks in the draft, and picked up a 2023 first rounder, and some more in the process.

It’s difficult to really determine a “winner” in this scenario, with all teams getting exactly what they need.

The 49ers were on the verge of being on the outside looking in at the top quarterbacks in the draft. The trade conspicuously comes on the same day Zach Wilson was holding his private workout, but analysts have been split on whether Wilson, or Ohio State’s Justin Fields is the next best passer after Trevor Lawrence. Either way, the trade is a sign San Francisco has found a player they like, and were willing to swing for the fences to get him.

Miami made out like bandits. Almost earning a 2020 playoff berth proved the Dolphins are closer to competing than people thought, and the No. 3 pick obtained from the Texans for LT Laremy Tunstil was a luxury, rather than a necessity. Now the team has used that to set themselves up for the long haul.

If you’re following along, then yes — the Dolphins turned a left tackle into four first round picks, and a third. Miami turned their extra pick this year into a major return from San Francisco.

It gets even better for the Dolphins. The 2021 Draft is slated to be quarterback heavy, with as many as four passers expected to be selected in the first 10 picks. Miami will have an excellent chance of landing their targeted playmaker to support Tua Tagovailoa at No. 6, rather than selecting them at No. 3 and not maximizing their pick value.

The Eagles get more talent for down the road, while retaining their ability to get a playmaker to help Jalen Hurts. The Eagles’ positions of need don’t really warrant using a Top 10 pick, so they too maximize their value on the back end.

Any time a deal this big takes place it’s going to be analyzed for years to come to determine who came out “on top,” but this could be one of the most mutually beneficial deals for every party, assuming players pan out. Neither Miami, nor Philadelphia needed a quarterback, the 49ers did, and everyone found a way to get what they needed out of it.