Heading into the 2026 season, the Miami Dolphins do not appear to be heavily focused on wins and losses. Instead, they are prioritizing developing their young players and building a strong core that can help them contend in the future.
As a result, the team has a large number of question marks on the roster. The Dolphins are relying on young, unproven players. While the number of veterans on this team is low, the team did take a chance on some former first-round picks this offseason; however, that did not appear to work out well for Miami, as those players failed to make the 53-man roster.
Now, the team is being pushed to add another former first-round pick, who failed to make the 53-man roster on an NFC team, but signed with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.
Miami Dolphins Pushed to Add Former First-Round Pick
Dolphins Wire’s Mike Masala listed five players who the Miami Dolphins should target prior to Week 1. Among those players was former first-round pick Jedrick Wills, who is currently a member of Buffalo’s practice squad.
Masala wrote: “Wills played at Alabama from 2017-19, earning All-SEC and All-American honors once. He also won a national championship. The Cleveland Browns took him in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft. After a solid start to his career, he suffered a knee injury that limited him to eight games in 2023 and five games in 2024. He also sat out the 2025 season to recover and spent this offseason with the Chicago Bears, but they cut him on Sunday.
Training camp proved that the Dolphins need depth at offensive tackle. While they kept Marques Cox and Caedan Wallace, neither of them instilled much confidence in their opportunities.”
Despite being a member of the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins could still sign Wills to their active roster. If the team lacks confidence in Wallace, as Masala suggested, the team could still add a veteran with Wills’ experience.
Jedrick Wills Player Profile
As Masala referenced, Wills has had an up-and-down NFL career. He impressed with the Cleveland Browns early in his career, as he transitioned from a right tackle in college to a left tackle in the NFL. Unfortunately, knee injuries seemed to derail his promising career.
If Wallace were to struggle during practices leading up to the regular season, Miami could still opt to sign Wills, who has 57 games of NFL experience. Additionally, after being unsigned during the 2025 season, as he opted to rehab his previous injuries, Wills did show some encouraging signs during his brief stint with the Chicago Bears.
Bears on SI’s Gene Chamberlain noted during training camp that Wills “has begun showing he can move people out in the running game in practice.”
At 27 years old, Wills is not exactly a veteran player on the verge of retirement. If the Dolphins poach him off Buffalo’s practice squad, and he contributes, he could still be a part of the Dolphins’ long-term future.
However, perhaps what is holding Miami back from signing Wills is that adding him off Buffalo’s practice squad would result in the team having to guarantee his contract for at least three weeks.
Jedrick Wills has totaled $34 million in career earnings, according to Spotrac.
Dolphins Pushed to Sign $34 Million Bills First-Round Pick Before Week 1