Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins
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(Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The future of Jordyn Brooks with the Miami Dolphins remains uncertain, as the linebacker’s name is circulating in trade rumors ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in April. Amid the players that the Dolphins have parted ways with, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Brooks leave for more draft picks.
Brooks is already drawing attention from one team.Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on March 20 that the Dallas Cowboys had previously shown interest in trading for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen but have since shifted focus to Brooks and Azeez Al-Shaair.
In 17 games during the 2025 season, Brooks recorded 99 solo tackles, 84 assisted tackles, 3.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery,per StatMuse. If the Cowboys or any other interested team wants the Dolphins’ linebacker, FanSided’s Austen Bundy predicts that it could cost a team a Day 2 pick.
“The 28-year-old earned his first All-Pro honor after an impressive campaign in 2025,”Bundy wrote in his March 19 article. “He led the league in tackles (183) and logged 3.5 sacks as defensive captain.With just one year left on his contract,similar to Achane,Miami could be faced with the choice of maximizing his value or shelling out aboat load of cash to keep him around during a rebuild.
“The latter doesn’t seem sustainable, especially with how much dead cap money is anchoring the franchise down through this season. The Dolphins are going to need as much draft capital as they can get, especially if they aren’t one of the first three picks in the 2027 draft with Texas quarterback Arch Manning expected to go first overall. Brooks could easily fetch at least a second-round pick which would be incredibly valuable to Miami.”
Could the Dolphins Draft a Wideout In Round 1?
With two first-round picks, could Miami decide to take a wide receiver with the No. 11 pick to give Willis a target that could help him out this upcoming 2026 season? For ESPN’s Matt Miller, formerUSC Trojans star Makai Lemon makes sense.
“I’m a huge fan of Makai Lemon from USC,”Miller said during a March 17 appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show.” “I think he would be a fit at eleven if he’s still on the board. He is actually my number one receiver in this draft. Now, he’s a little bit smaller than Carnell Tate, but his middle-of-the-field toughness is exceptional. He’s a great route runner, a YAC player. He could play in the slot. He could play outside.”
Why Makai Lemon Fits Miami’s System
Moreover, Millerwent into greater detail about why Lemon would fit the Dolphins’ philosophy. Miller notes that selecting the wideout would steer away from the old-school way of thinking that general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan might have brought over from theGreen Bay Packers.
“He does give you a lot of juice after the catch. He created the most missed tackles of any receiver in this year’s draft with 21. So, he has that ability to make you miss, but then there’s that toughness in his game where he will try to run over you, try to run through you, and get to the end zone if he has that opportunity.
“If they go away from that old-school Ron Wolf strategy and want to draft a receiver at 11, I think he’s a tremendous fit with what they now have in Malik Willis and really an offense that’s going to be built around the run game. You’re going to be able to win with play action with a route runner like Makai Lemon.”