The Miami Dolphins had another down year in 2025, resulting in the firing of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier after a 7-10 season.
It wasn’t the year Miami had hoped for offensively or defensively, as injuries derailed the team on both sides of the ball.
One of the more intriguing moves the team made, though, was trading for formerly retired tight end Darren Waller from the New York Giants last offseason. Waller, who sat out the 2024 season after a year with the Giants in 2023, returned to football and played in nine games for the Dolphins last year.
In need of tight end depth, the Dolphins made the bold move and Waller became a productive option for them after making his debut back in Week 4.
In return for Waller, the Dolphins sent a Day 3 pick in 2026, which is set to convey later this week.
With the 2026 NFL Draft just ahead of us, let’s revisit the Waller trade and see how it fared for the Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins receive: TE Darren Waller, 2027 conditional seventh-round pick
New York Giants receive: 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 192 overall)
Waller had a slow start to the season, missing the first few games as he ramped up. The tight end only ended up playing in nine games, catching 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns.
He was primarily a red zone threat for the Dolphins, tying Jaylen Waddle for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.
Injuries played a factor, as Waller missed a month during the regular season before finishing out the year with a couple of quality games, including a 66-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Giants pick Illionis OT J.C. Davis with pick 192 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In hindsight, the Dolphins probably don’t do the trade, knowing they get only nine games of Waller and seeing how their season went.
But, it’s understandable why they looked for tight end help, as their leader in the room, Greg Dulcich, was brought in only two weeks before the regular season started.
Overall, the addition of Waller didn’t help the team overcome the rest of its issues, but the Dolphins have 11 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, thanks to their other moves. That puts them in a good place to still come out strong this weekend with a lot of future contributors.