Joey Porter Jr: the case for a Miami Dolphins trade

Through two joint practices, pre-season games and just not having your head buried in the sand, it is quite clear that the Miami Dolphins secondary will head into the 2026 season as not only the worst unit on the roster but quite possibly the league.

Head coach Jeff Hafley, who specialises on that side of the ball, will want to bolster the cornerback and safety room, as will general manager Jon Eric Sullivan. While there will be plenty of opportunity in the 2027 draft and free agency, there is still time to make additions now and one player immediately springs to mind.

Under the previous regime, led by GM Chris Grier, a player like Joey Porter Jr would have Dolphins fans on social media wondering what it would take to bring him to Hard Rock Stadium. It wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility to think that Grier would be on the phone trying to make it happen.

Bleacher Report proposed a trade in which the Dolphins receive Porter and a future 4th, sending a 2027 third and fourth the other way.

While it goes against what Hafley and Sullivan have preached since entering the building, that they will build this team through the draft and reward their own, adding talent through trades will happen and this is a move the front office should be considering.

Under Grier’s leadership, the Dolphins had no issue paying to have a “shutdown” corner. From Xavien Howard and Byron Jones, to Jalen Ramsey, Grier knew how important it was to have players able to match up against the best receivers the league had to offer.

In Porter Jr, Sullivan and Hafley have a player who may not get an extension in Pittsburgh with the Steelers and while he needs a new contract, the Dolphins are about to free up a lot of cap space at the end of the season.

Grabbing the 26-year-old before he hits free agency, or joins another team via a trade, and partnering him up with Chris Johnson could be a smart choice.

Porter was ranked 36th among 114 corners according to PFF in 2025 and finished with an overall grade of 67.6 and a coverage grade of 74.1 – 20th among 114 corners.

When targeting by QBs, he allowed a 56.2 passer rating, allowing 29 receptions when in coverage.

The Dolphins get some much needed experience on the back end and it takes some pressure off Johnson, who doesn’t need to be lining up against the best of the best from Week 1 – we know what that did to Noah Igbinoghene in his rookie season.

This isn’t a season where many expect the Dolphins to be winning many games but Hafley will want the team to be competitive and as it stands, it’s not hard to imagine this defence with this secondary failing to stop teams passing the ball on them at will.

Porter will more than likely join a contender or a team projected to win more than four games in 2026.

But if the new regime are serious about competing from Day 1 and adding talent to this roster, the former second round pick should be in play – even if it is a quick phone call to see what it would take to add some much needed talent to a room devoid of it.