The 2023 NFL Draft is here, but this year’s edition has a slight change. The Miami Dolphins were punished by the league for violating a very important rule, stripping them of their first-round pick.
Hundreds of college prospects are waiting to hear their names in the upcoming NFL Draft. 31 players will be called to the stage in Kansas City this Thursday, leaving behind the usual format.
One of the teams that don’t have a pick in the first-round is Miami. The Dolphins had two selections originally, but some decisions made by the club’s front office led to this situation.
Why do the Dolphins not have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The 2023 NFL Draft will be shorter than previous editions. This year will only have 31 picks in the first-round, and it is all because a huge mistake made by the Miami Dolphins.
Last year, Miami violated the rules of the league by tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton while they were still under contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, respectively.
This violation was addressed by the league. The NFL decided to strip Miami of their 2023 first-round pick and their 2024 fourth-round selection, but they still had another chance this year to pick withing the first 31 spots.
In 2021, the San Francisco 49ers traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for that year’s first-round selection. The Dolphins had the 29th-overall in this edition, but they traded it to the Denver Broncos for Bradley Chubb.