Prior to the 2026 NFL season, a majority of positions are question marks for the Miami Dolphins.
With head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan joining the organization this offseason, they decided to tear the roster down as they wanted to draft-and-develop young players to build the team around.
While there are some young players to be excited about, the team could still use proven players on the roster. Now, the team is being linked to a young Pro Bowl caliber player, who may be on his way out of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Miami Dolphins Linked to Star Cornerback
JPJ is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with where the CB market is, teams have wondered if Pittsburgh could ultimately be open to a
NFL insider Jordan Schultz posted on X: “#Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. is a name multiple teams around the NFL have wondered about as a potential trade target, per sources.
JPJ is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with where the CB market is, teams have wondered if Pittsburgh could ultimately be open to a move with the Pro Bowl caliber corner.”
That news led to ClutchPoints’ Ben Strauss naming the Miami Dolphins as a potential destination for the young cornerback.
Strauss wrote: “The Dolphins have needs all over the roster, so of course a starting cornerback would be an excellent addition.
Miami is the beginning stages of a rebuild under Jeff Hafley, a former defensive coordinator. He could easily prioritize building Miami’s defense before finishing the offense. That could make a player like Porter Jr. quite appealing to Miami’s coaching staff.
The Dolphins already invested a first-round pick in Chris Johnson, But he projects to play mostly in the slot while also being cross trained to play on the boundary. If the Dolphins did add Porter Jr., he would immediately become their CB1 on the outside. And give themselves an excellent pair of cornerbacks to build around…
The Dolphins probably don’t want to move their 2027 first-round pick, instead giving themselves a chance at a franchise quarterback. That being the case, they may not be able to offer enough to pry Porter Jr. away from Pittsburgh in the first place.
Perhaps the Dolphins could dip into their future picks to put together a trade package for Porter Jr.”
Miami Dolphins Secondary
As Strauss mentioned, despite Miami addressing the cornerback position with the Chris Johnson selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, they still have a need at the position. Juju Brents is currently projected to be the team’s No. 1 outside cornerback, despite the fact he failed to make the Colts’ 53-man roster last season. Additionally, Brents has struggled with staying healthy as he has played only 18 games in his three-year career, and has already missed time in this year’s training camp.
Meanwhile, Porter Jr. is coming off a season where he was graded as a top-20 cornerback in coverage by Pro Football Focus. Porter has started 41 games during his young career, and totaled a career-high 14 passes defended last season. If Porter Jr. is traded to the Dolphins, he would be an immediate candidate for an extension. The Dolphins are currently projected to have the third-most cap space in the NFL in 2027.
Additionally, the cornerback is the son of former Miami Dolphins pass rusher Joey Porter, who left the Steelers to join the Dolphins.
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