During the third and final day of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday, the Miami Dolphins traded a fifth-round selection this year to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a fourth-rounder next year.
Dolphins trade: Pick 156
Steelers trade: A 2022 fourth-round pick
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 1, 2021
The pick that the Dolphins sent had traveled quite a bit before the Steelers selected University of Wisconsin defensive tackle Isaiahh Loudermilk.
Originally, the selection was the property of the Dallas Cowboys, who dealt it to the Philadelphia Eagles. That pick was then dealt to the Dolphins in late March.
In any draft, the level of talent available diminishes with each pick, with the Dolphins apparently not enthralled with any of their possible choices among this year’s crop of talent.
Moving up one round for next year helps add to the assets the Dolphins have already collected for the 2022 draft, which includes the first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers.
While the Steelers have been perennial playoff contenders for decades, it’s possible that they may struggle with an aging Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and plenty of uncertainty amid the offensive line.
The Dolphins are certainly hoping that a decline takes place in order to improve their position with their newly acquired 2022 fourth-round pick. It worked this season when it came to their choices acquired from the Houston Texans and the Dolphins are hopeful that history repeats itself.
