Dolphins: Does Isaiah Wilson change 2021 NFL Draft plans?
The Miami Dolphins have completed a trade surrounding former first round offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson. Wilson is headed to South Beach for a swap of seventh round picks. The Tennessee Titans are getting Miami’s 2021 seventh rounder and the Dolphins are getting the Titans 2022 seventh round pick. The Titans selected Wilson with the 29th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
From the Titan’s perspective, they remove the problematic Wilson from their roster for whatever they could get. They also add a draft pick this season to acquire more cheap talent while they are pressed for cap space this year. With Corey Davis also potentially leaving in free agency, adding an experienced receiver was also a need for them as the new league year approaches.
For the Dolphins, the move was essentially a no-brainer. Albert Wilson was likely to be released anyway. The Dolphins are essentially pushing a seventh round pick back a year for a former first round offensive tackle. Wilson’s contract allows them to move on from him if he does not work out. If he plays well in camp, Robert Hunt can be moved inside, where he is best suited. The flexibility also allows them to draft an offensive tackle if they so choose.
Sources: The #Dolphins traded for #Titans 1st round OT Isaiah Wilson, with a swap of picks completing the deal. A fresh start for Wilson.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2021
What Wilson brings to the Dolphins
Wilson is a towering player at 6-foot-6 and 351 pounds. He fits the size requirement that the Dolphins apparently have for their offensive linemen. He played just four snaps for the Titans in 2020, with a barrage of off the field issues impeding any progress he could have made as a rookie. He’s had multiple run-ins with law enforcement and also was rather careless with COVID-19 protocols during the build up to the season. It was most likely best for both sides for him to move on.
Does this change Miami’s 2021 NFL Draft plans at all? Not really. If they were already high on Oregon’s Penei Sewell, this is probably a nonfactor for them. However, if they’re plan is to bring back the same exact offensive line, Wilson adds flexibility. If he plays well in camp, Hunt can go to guard and Ereck Flowers can be traded. Flowers has not lived up to his three-year, $30 Million free agent contract he signed last March.
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Overall, this is a positive move for both sides. Isaiah Wilson clearly needed a new team and the Dolphins have been known to try reclamation projects with former first round picks (see Josh Rosen debacle). If the move works out, the Dolphins have a cheap offensive tackle for the next three years and the Titans admit their mistake.