Football

Ranking the Most Important Dolphins, No. 17: How Big a Jump Can Trader Make in Second Year?

By Alain Poupart Sports Illustrated

Updated July 9, 2026 3:07 PM

The Miami Dolphins will head into training camp at the end of July with a totally different roster than the one that ended the 2025 season after an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of several significant veterans and the arrival of newcomers young and old.

The Dolphins have 91 players on their roster with the exemption they have for England-born rookie tight end Seydou Traore, a participant of the International Player Pathway Program.

As life goes in the NFL, no every player on the roster is equal, so we decided to rank all of them in terms of their importance to the Dolphins' success in the 2026 season. The list was determined on the basis of not just ability but also expected role and significance to the overall progress of the organization as it continues the rebuilding project that began with the hiring of Jon-Eric Sullivan as GM and Jeff Hafley as head coach.

This is part of a series that will run in the lead-up to start of training camp.

NUMBER 17: S DANTE TRADER JR.

How he joined the Dolphins

The Dolphins selected Trader in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft with the 155th overall pick. Trader was the third of three fifth-round picks for the Dolphins that year after DT Jordan Phillips and CB Jason Marshall Jr. and was selected with a pick obtained from the Denver Broncos as part of the 2022 trade involving OLB Bradley Chubb.

Contract status

Trader is heading into the second year of his four-year, $4.6 million rookie contract that included a $415,000 signing bonus. He's under contract through the 2028 season.

His 2025 season

Trader appeared in all 17 games as a rookie and made three starts - the two games against the Buffalo Bills and the Week 6 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He wound up playing more than 30 snaps on defense in six games, including the season finale against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. He was among the four safeties to play at least 400 snaps along with Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ashtyn Davis and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Trader finished with 55 tackles and one pass defensed, but his biggest play came on special teams when he forced and recovered a fumble against the New York Jets on the second-half kickoff return of the Monday night victory in Week 4.

His projected role

With Fitzpatrick, Davis and Melifonwu all gone, Trader stands as maybe the one sure thing at safety for the Dolphins based on the potential he showed as a rookie - despite the fact the one play for which he'll most be remembered was his missed (and difficult) open-field tackle late in that Week 6 loss against the Chargers - and his performance in the spring practices that were open to the media. It would be a surprise at this point if Trader weren't a starter for the Dolphins, with the biggest question really being how much of an impact he can make in the secondary in his second season.

THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS ON THE COUNTDOWN

90. G James Ester

89. T Kevin Cline

88. QB Mark Gronowski

87. DT Keith Cooper Jr.

86. EDGE Seth Coleman

85. RB Anthony Hankerson

84. WR Donaven McCulley

83. FB D.J. Herman

82. C Jim Bonitas

81. LS Tucker Addington

80. DT Alex Huntley

79. T Marques Cox

78. EDGE Rodney McGraw

77. TE Cole Turner

76. DT Khalil Saunders

75. CB Miles Battle

74. S Major Burns

73. RB Carlos Washington Jr.

72. EDGE Robert Beal Jr.

71. WR A.J. Henning

70. RB Donovan Edwards

69. DB Omar Brown

68. EDGE Cameron Goode

67. WR Jalen Reagor

66. EDGE Max Llewellyn

65. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

64. CB Ethan Robinson

63. G/T Josh Priebe

62. DT Rene Konga

61. WR Tahj Washington

60. QB Cam Miller

59. CB A.J. Green III

58. EDGE Mason Reiger

57. CB Alex Austin

56. P Bradley Pinion

55. LB Jackson Woodard

54. K Zane Gonzalez

53. S Louis Moore

52. DT Matthew Butler

51. CB Marco Wilson

50. CB Darrell Baker Jr.

49. LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.

48. T Charlie Heck

47. WR Chris Bell

46. CB Storm Duck

45. WR Theo Wease Jr.

44. TE Seydou Traore

43. G DJ Campbell

42. G/C Andrew Meyer

41. K Riley Patterson

40. S Michael Taaffe

39. CB Ethan Bonner

38. TE Ben Sims

37. EDGE David Ojabo

36. S Lonnie Johnson Jr.

35. Zayne Anderson

34. EDGE Josh Uche

33. WR Jalen Tolbert

32. EDGE/LB Trey Moore

31. LB Willie Gay Jr.

30. RB Jaylen Wright

29. WR Kevin Coleman Jr.

28. G Jonah Savaiinaea

27. DT Zeek Biggers

26. LB Kyle Louis

25. RB Ollie Gordon II

24. WR Tutu Atwell

23. G/T Jamaree Salyer

22. WR Malik Washington

21. DT Jordan Phillips

20. WR Caleb Douglas

19. LB Jacob Rodriguez

18. CB Jason Marshall Jr.

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This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM.