A trio of Dolphins players are currently threatening to derail one of Miami’s 2026 assets with their play this season

Compensatory picks are the NFL's effort to offset free agency losses to teams each year. The formula to calculate them is complex, but Nick Korte of OverTheCap has done tremendous work each year in projecting compensatory pick assignments in advance of the league's official release of the full NFL Draft order each spring. And for the Dolphins, the big loss of safety Jevon Holland to the New York Giants this offseason set the stage for Miami to collect a 4th-round draft choice for his lost services.

But Miami is only in a position to collect a 2026 4th-round pick for Holland if the final calculations, which include playing time adjustments for this season, deem that the Dolphins lost more qualifying free agents than they gained in the free agency window.

OverTheCap tabs Miami as having lost four qualifying free agents — Holland, Calais Campbell, Robert Jones, and Emmanuel Ogbah. But as Korte pointed out this morning, Miami has three veterans who are sitting directly on the edge of the cutoff to qualify as free agents gained in free agency. If more than one of them actually does qualify, Miami will get nothing for losing Holland.

Miami Dolphins most recent selections in the top-5 of the NFL Draft order

• 2020: Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (5th overall)
• 2013: EDGE defender Dion Jordan (3rd overall, via trade)
• 2008: Offensive tackle Jake Long (1st overall)
• 2005: Running back Ronnie Brown (2nd overall)
• 1968: Quarterback Bob Griese (4th overall)

The players in question here are safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and offensive lineman Larry Borom. Borom has started six of seven games at right tackle for Miami this season — logging a snap count total that has him at 90% snap usage and teetering right on the bubble. The resolution here for Miami is simple if starter Austin Jackson is able to return at some point before December. Such a development would push Borom's snap usage back down and his ranking in the projections would fall off the pace.

Melifonwu and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are a little more challenging. Melifonwu is playing 34% of the snaps, for Miami. If that number were just 7% lower, he's be on the outside looking in of Korte's lastest forecast. But if Miami were to lean away from playing Melifonwu, they'll need to stick with rookie Dante Trader Jr. in his role. Melifonwu's snap usage jumped up 21 snaps in Week 7 after Trader Jr. was a part of a missed tackle in the final minute that led to Miami's 29-27 loss to the Chargers. This can be done, but the Dolphins will need commitment to the bit.

The injury to Tyreek Hill has prompted a higher usage for Westbrook-Ikhine, but Miami may have a name in-house who knows the system who could provide a hedge for the Dolphins to cut down on his snaps. They added veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. from the Saints' practice squad after Hill's season-ending injury. Wilson Jr. was with the team in 2022 and 2023 — he should know the terminology and the assignments.

Of course, the bigger issue at play with these talking points is Miami's coaches are not going to simply sign off on the idea of allowing a hypothetical draft choice to dictate who plays and who doesn't. There are jobs at stake. That's where the checks and balances of Miami's personnel department need to take hold. Whether that comes via sitting general manager Chris Grier or an interim decision-maker, knowing the full picture of all the assets at stake should give the Dolphins some added perspective as they continue to evaluate this roster the rest of the season.

Allowing names like Melifonwu or Westbrook-Ikhine to eat into your mid-round draft capital in a lost season is bad business. So the powers that be need to keep that in mind as the trade deadline looms and decisions on the football operation are made.

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